Inclusion and the relevance of culturally responsive teaching in U.K. Business schools

Inequality, lack of learning, and poor academic achievement are firmly linked (Nieto 1999). Our research explores the British Muslim experience in the context of inclusive pedagogy practice in Business Schools. It is the aim of this paper to explore the relevance of culturally responsive teaching (Gay 2000) in supporting individual student learning differences in increasingly international Business Schools. Law (2004) argues that Universities are expected to be the interrogators of complex ethical problems, as servant and preserver of deeper democratic practices. To fulfil this role effectively universities need to shift away from what (Allen 1998) describes a ‘White Syllabus’. The need to demand from students the ability to adapt to the approach of the institution without the institution making an effort to adapt to the student is an outdated concept which puts many universities at a disadvantage when trying to attract International students to UK business Schools.

This paper will look at the relevance of 'culturally responsive teaching' and how this pedagogical method utilises student’s cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and cultural differences to make learning more appropriate and effective for them. Such an approach teaches through the strengths of the students (Gay 2000) and the responsiveness of the educators. Our research adopts a culturally responsive framework (Villegas and Lucas, 2002) that looks at 5 salient characteristics and how they can be used to bridge the gap between learner and tutor and organisation.

It will be analysed and argued that culturally responsive teaching can be used to develop inclusion and minimise prejudice within UK Business Schools for minority groups and for this study British Muslims.