This document discusses strategies for making science classrooms more inclusive of diverse learners. It describes various types of diversity among students, including differences in learning styles, abilities, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The key strategies proposed include differentiated instruction to meet varied student needs, incorporating multiple perspectives and ways of knowing, setting high expectations while providing support, and adopting a universal design framework. Specific accommodations are suggested for different disabilities. An inclusive classroom climate, accessible physical environment and delivery methods, and flexible assessment are also emphasized. The overall approach is to vary instructional techniques to accommodate all learners.

1. Welcome Participants
Discussion on Issue of Diverse Learners

2. Culture free Science and Science of
Non-Mainstream pupils
“Equity pedagogy consists
of using techniques and
methods that facilitate the
academic achievement of
students from diverse
racial, ethnic, and social-
class groups.”

3. Diversity in a Science classroom
• Differing intelligence
• Differing in learning
styles
• Hidden or invisible
disabilities
• Learning disabilities
• Attention deficit
• Behavior disorders
• Mild cognitive
disabilities
• Asperger’s syndrome
• Sensory & physical
disabilities (often visible)
– Blind (Partial)
– Deaf (partial)
– Cerebral palsy
• Religious & cultural
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Socioeconomic
differences
• Second language learners
• Other differences

4. Consequences of
• NOT meeting diverse
needs of students results
in:
– Frustrated & bored
learners who often
lose motivation to
learn
– Associated behavior
problems
– Teacher frustration
• Meeting diverse needs results
in:
– Successful learning for
formerly over- & under-
challenged
– Fewer behavior problems
– Teacher satisfaction
– Kids aren’t scared of school
– Opportunities to enrich
gifted
– Encourages inclusion

5. Characteristics of DI classroom
• Differences are expected,
respected, & celebrated
• Fairness redefined –
Equity instead of equality

6. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Several distinct forms of intelligence
each of us possesses in varying degrees
• Linguistic
• Logical
• Spatial
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalist

7. Diverse Learning Styles
• Learning style – how one learns
best; influenced by
• Psychological factors – left/right
brain; reflective or impulsive; analytic
or global
• Sensory preferences – auditory,
visual, tactile, kinesthetic
• Physical needs – mobile/static,
morning/afternoon, eat/not eat
• Environment - light/dark, cool/warm,
sound/quiet, formal/informal
• Social groupings – alone/groups,
authority present/not present
• Attitudes – internal/external
motivation, persistence level,
structure/self-directed,
routine/variety

8. Learning Styles (Contd.)
 Tactile learners need to touch &
manipulate items related to lesson.
 Kinesthetic learners need to move &
engage whole bodies during learning &
practice activities. As they move in
conjunction with learning, they
internalize information they’re working
with.
 Visual learners need to see things to
truly grasp them.
 Auditory learners like to hear
information. Matches traditional
classrooms.

9. Solution: Differentiated instruction
• Differentiated instruction – assumes that there
are differences in the abilities, interests &
learning styles of students, resulting in the
teacher proactively planning multiple paths to
learning to meet those differences.
Process
• Pre-assess
• Then, plan varied approaches to the 3 aspects
of lessons we can change…
• Content – what we teach;
• Process – how we teach it; and/or
• Product – how students demonstrate
understanding or skill
• These changes can be based on students’:
• Readiness or abilities
• Interests
• Learning profile
• Through on-going assessment, adjust as
needed.

10. Three perspectives
• Cognitive Perspective-
reasoning, problem solving,
inquiry, and argumentation
• Cross-cultural Perspective-
patterns of communicating,
interacting, and especially
ways of knowing
• Sociopolitical Perspective-
issues of power, prestige, and
privilege related to class, race,
and ethnicity

11. Strategies for Working With Girls in the
Science Classroom
• Assumes girls are interested in studying
science
• Illustrate with examples of ladies scientists
• In content take illustrations of women
oriented work
• Arrange opportunities for expression by girls
• Parents –daughter science technology night
• Examples of science oriented career for girls
• Remove gender alliance in content, process
and evaluation of learners
• Two-Column Girls and Scientists
Activity

12. Strategies for Working With Students From Diverse Racial,
Ethnic, and Cultural Backgrounds in the Science Classroom
• No Significant Changes-Adapt to learn
western science
• Additive Changes- Celebrating contribution
of non-mainstream achievers/scientists
• Strategy, approach, methods technique
changes
• Substitution Changes- Science in their own
culture
• Goal Changes- science as personally relevant
to positive
• student interests- Deal scientifically their
topic of interest
• Culture-Dependent Curriculum Changes- for
single community school

13. Strategies for Working With Children From
Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds in the Science Classroom
• Set high expectations but provide
strong scaffolding
• Learn about the students’ out-of-
school experiences and build on
them
• Provide experiences for students
that they may not otherwise have-
field trip, visits, interactions,
lectures
• Reciprocal Peer Tutoring and Cross-
Age Tutoring
• Parental/Family Engagement

14. Strategies for Working With Students
With Disabilities in the Science Classroom
• A visual impairment requiring
accommodation in terms of
more of sounds than visuals,
large print s, Braille, recording,
computer etc.
• A hearing impairment requiring
in terms of more of visuals than
sounds, use of AM/FM system,
for lip reading, finger spelling
and sign language etc.

15. Strategies for Working With Students
With Disabilities in the Science Classroom (contd.)
• A speech impairment requiring
accommodations such as increased use of
written or electronic communications or
use of a computer with speech output;
• A specific learning disability requiring
accommodation such as increased visual,
aural, and tactile medium
• demonstrations in class; extra time to
complete assignments; and access to
materials via a computer equipped with
speech and/or large print output;

16. Strategies for Working With Students
With Disabilities in the Science Classroom (contd.)
• A mobility impairment requiring
accommodation such as in-class access
to a computer with adaptive technology
and a word processor, adaptive
equipment for manipulating objects
during a lab activity, or an adjusted
table arrangement;
• A specific learning impairment (e.g.,
ADD or ADHD) requiring
accommodations such as a specific
seating location or a cabin separation,
reduction of distrators

17. Challenges in Demonstrating Knowledge
• Visually impaired may need worksheets
and tests in large print or Braille, on
tape, or via computer.
• A student with a specific learning
disability may require extra time,
alternative testing arrangements, or a
particularly quiet space free of
distractions.
• A student with a mobility impairment
that leads to an inability to write may
need in-class access to a computer with
alternative native input (e.g., Morse
code, speech, alternative keyboard)
devices.

18. Gifted and Talented Students in the Science Classroom
• Vary your use of group and individual
activities
• Vary the level of cognitive demand of
your activities requiring higher-order
thinking skills and strategies.
• Allow students to negotiate self-
selected topics for learning within
established curriculum parameters.
• Encourage students to question
assumptions, including assumptions
about their own learning and how they
construct knowledge.

19. Gifted and Talented Students in the Science Classroom
• Demonstrate logical, critical,
creative, lateral, and parallel
forms of thinking.
• Pay attention to both product and
process, teaching students to
visualize the desired outcome of a
task, and then map the process
backwards to determine how to
accomplish the outcome.
• Encourage students to help other
students with their learning.

20. Some instruments for gifted and Talented
Pupils
• Independent Science
Projects
• Academic Competitions
• Mentoring
• Learning Styles and
Cognitive Demand
• Learning Centers
• Leveling Assignments

21. Some general suggestions for pedagogy for
diverse learners
• Content integration
• Knowledge construction
• Prejudice reduction
• Equity pedagogy
• Empowering school culture
and social structure is used to
describe the process of restructuring the school’s
culture and organization so that students from
diverse racial, ethnic and social-class groups will
experience educational equality (Banks & Banks,
1995).

22. Thumb rule is vary to match the
diverse needs of learners
• Strategies
• Approaches
• Methods
• Devices
• Techniques
• Behaviors
• Styles
• Skills
• TLM
• And so on

23. Universal Designs Framework
• UDI Process
– Identify the course
– Define the universe
– Involve students
– Adopt instructional
strategy
– Apply instructional
strategy
– Plan accommodations
– Evaluate

24. UDI Practices
• Develop products and environments
that promote
– equitable use,
– flexibility in use,
– simple and intuitive use,
– perceptible information,
– tolerance for error,
– low physical effort, and
– size and space for approach and use.
• Development of curriculum that
includes
- multiple means of representation,
-multiple means of action and expression,
and
-multiple means of engagement.

25. Classroom Climate
Teacher should do
• Welcome everyone
• Avoid stereotyping
• Be approachable and
available
• Motivate all students
• Address individual needs in
inclusive manner
• Avoid segregating or
stigmatizing any students
Interaction
• Promote effective
communication
• Make interactions
accessible to all
participants
• Encourage inclusive
cooperative learning

26. Physical environment
and products
• Ensure physical access to all
facilities
• Arrange instructional spaces
to maximize inclusion and
comfort
• Ensure that everyone can
use equipment and
materials
• Ensure safety
Delivery Methods
• Make content relevant
• Select flexible curriculum
• Provide cognitive supports
• Provide multiple ways to gain
knowledge
• Deliver instructions clearly
and in multiple ways
• Make each teaching method
accessible to all students
• Use large visual and tactile
aids

27. Information Resources
and Technology
• Select materials early
• Provide materials in
accessible formats
• Accommodate a variety of
reading levels and language
skills, when appropriate,
given the goals of the
course.
• Ensure the availability of
appropriate assistive
technology
Feedback and
Assessment
• Provide regular feedback and
corrective opportunities
• Set clear expectations
• Provide multiple ways to
demonstrate knowledge.
Assess group and cooperative
performance, as well as
individual achievement.
• Monitor and adjust
• Provide sample test
questions and study guides.

28. Accommodation
• Know how to arrange for
accommodations
• Accommodation as an
integral part planning
• Share accommodation
information

29. Grover Vijay K
D A V College of Education,
Abohar, Punjab
grovervijayk@gmail.com