Deck 6: Culture and Diversity

Question 1

A good way to inoculate students against stereotype threat is to

A) instil a belief that intelligence can be improved.
B) foster cultural sensitivity.
C) expose students to new ways of learning.
D) expose students to students of different cultures.

Answer 1

instil a belief that intelligence can be improved.

Question 2

Researchers generally believe that differences between ethnic groups in cognitive abilities occur primarily as a result of

A) biases inherent in most standardized tests.
B) different experiences in and out of school.
C) different levels of motivation among the groups.
D) natural abilities of the various groups.

Answer 2

different experiences in and out of school.

Question 3

Based on data from the National Shelter Study, approximately what percentage of shelter users in Canada are under the age of 16?

A) less than 1%
B) 6.5%
C) 22.5%
D) 25%

Answer 3

22.5%

Question 4

Ayo's parents are from Nigeria, but emigrated to Canada before Ayo was born. Ayo's dad is a medical doctor in a Calgary suburb, and his mom has an art gallery in the city. Ayo attends an elite private high school and is one of the top players on his school's basketball team. Based on this information, what is the best description of Ayo's cultural ties

A) Culturally, Ayo is Nigerian.
B) Ayo's cultural ties are African Canadian
C) Culturally, Ayo's greatest influences are Canadian and Nigerian
D) Ayo's cultural ties are Nigerian, Canadian, upper class, and basketball

Question 5

Mr. Kennedy, a middle-class Caucasian teacher, assigns lower grades when evaluating the work of two Indigenous students in his high-school physics class than he does for comparable work from other students. The most valid interpretation of Mr. Kennedy's behaviour is that he appears to

A) be conforming to conventional ethnic values.
B) be demonstrating a laissez-faire personality.
C) negatively stereotype Indigenous students.
D) mistrust people who are culturally inferior.

Question 6

Over the past decade, an explanation offered for the growing gap between the reading of students in poverty versus students from wealthier homes is due to

A) increased television viewing among students with lower SES.
B) more attention paid to wealthier students by their teachers.
C) more positive role models available among students of higher SES.
D) children from poorer homes losing ground over the summer.

Question 7

During the fourth week of school, Mrs. Brown noticed that Garrett, a student in her second-year French class, was being ostracized by the other students. She continued to observe nonverbal behaviours, making sure that she treated all students equally. Two weeks later, Garrett met with Mrs. Brown after school and told her that he felt uncomfortable in class, suspected the other students recognized his attraction to another male student, and feared being discovered. Which of the following responses from Mrs. Brown is likely to help Garrett in this situation?

A) Suggest that he tell other students about his true feelings.
B) Affirm Garrett and refer him to a trained counselor.
C) Give Garrett advice about changing his feelings for the other male student.
D) Offer to conduct a class discussion on sexual orientation.

Question 8

Which student is most likely to succeed academically?

A) Susannah, an Italian-Canadian, who lives in an elite community in West Vancouver
B) Jill, a Caucasian, who lives in an urban low-income townhome in Sudbury
C) Charles, an Indigenous student, who lives on a middle-class farm in Manitoba
D) Thomas, a Greek Canadian, who lives in a middle-class suburban apartment building in Calgary

Question 9

Mark decides that he doesn't want to be like the "rich kids who sell themselves out to the system." Accordingly, he prides himself on not learning what the school is trying to teach. Which of the following concepts best characterizes his behaviour?

A) Academic anti-socialization
B) Learned helplessness
C) Resistance culture
D) Tracking

Question 10

The rules and traditions that guide the behaviour of a group comprise its

A) culture.
B) ethnic heritage.
C) racial identity.
D) social status.

Question 11

The best description of the use of tracking is that it occurs when

A) assigning students to low-ability or high-ability classes.
B) low-ability and high-ability groups are created based on socioeconomic classes.
C) low-ability students are matched with high-ability partners in a homogeneous class.
D) special education programs that monitor the progress of each student are developed and used.

Question 12

Which one of the following student situations is predictive of tracking practices?

A) Andy, who continue to be a low achiever throughout grade school, remains in school after reaching the age of 16.
B) Marie, who was placed in the low reading group in the third grade, is counselled in the eighth grade into home economics instead of beginning algebra.
C) Sylvia, who experienced considerable academic success in elementary school, is admitted to a prestigious university on an athletic scholarship.
D) Vincent, who was accelerated from second to fourth grade because of his outstanding ability test score, had difficulty with social interaction in high school.

Question 13

Dana is nervous about the upcoming physics exam. She is the only girl in the class and has achieved higher scores on the assignments than most of the boys in class. She knows the boys think they're smarter and better at applying principles of physics. In this situation, Dana's nervousness is an example of

A) learned helplessness.
B) a stereotype threat.
C) confirmation bias.
D) negative schema.

Question 14

In distinction to the term prejudice, the term discrimination refers to

A) attitudes and feelings about others.
B) beliefs about others.
C) behaviour and actions towards others.
D) feelings and impressions about others.

Question 15

Which one of the following children of poverty is most likely to perform well in school?

A) Amy's teacher understands that she is embarrassed about being poor. He seldom calls on her during class, but provides scaffolding if Amy asks for help.
B) Jeb's teacher calls on him frequently and expresses high expectations of his academic performance.
C) Natalie's teacher knows how difficult it is for Natalie to do school work at home, and he accepts incomplete homework from Natalie.
D) Ding's teacher allows him to sleep during class, knowing that he helps his younger siblings at home and stays up late most nights.

Question 16

Which one of the following quotations MOST clearly represents the concept of stereotyping?

A) "Boys should line up to the right and girls to the left."
B) "If he's one of your friends, tell him not to apply."
C) "Matthew just doesn't seem interested in spelling."
D) "People from that region just aren't ambitious."

Question 17

Which of the following is TRUE of the definition of race?

A) Characterized by a common nationality
B) Used as a label for a group that receives unequal treatment
C) Used to capture a group considered a "minority" within the greater population
D) Describes a group with shared biological traits.

Question 18

Which of the following is a recommendation to improve the effectiveness of teaching to students who come from low-income or poverty level families?

A) Advise teachers to set low expectations and help students achieve success below their grade level.
B) Advise teachers to show understanding of students' home lives, avoid giving homework, and excuse incomplete work.
C) Advise teachers to avoid correcting student work and focus on life skills such as interpersonal relationships.
D) Advise teachers to set high expectations and maintain high standards for all students in their classes.

Question 19

Which of the following terms relates to shared cultural characteristics such as common history, religion, traditions, and language?

A) Race
B) Minority group
C) Socioeconomic status
D) Ethnicity

Question 20

A societal designation of upper, middle, working, or lower class based on income, power, background, and prestige is called

A) intersectionality.
B) comprehensive social status.
C) socioeconomic status.
D) cultural classification.

Question 21

Which teacher is appropriately applying current advice regarding learning styles research and teaching?

A) Mr. Newell is sensitive to differences in learning preferences and provides alternative paths to learning.
B) Ms. Cardova consistently uses one teaching strategy and encourages students to adapt accordingly.
C) Ms. Studdard focuses on auditory presentation of information to help her students learn.
D) Mr. Delgado uses a highly structured competitive approach in teaching to prepare his students for the workplace.

Question 22

Which of the following teachers uses language that perpetuates gender bias?

A) Mr. Kotts invites two firefighters to discuss fire.
B) Ms. Arensen opens the floor for nominations for a committee chair.
C) Mr. Goodeau talks to his students about the role of mail carriers.
D) Mrs. Woodson asks her students if any of them know a policeman.

Question 23

According to research evidence, which of the following statements about gender bias in teaching is TRUE?

A) Females receive more instruction than males.
B) Gender differences in social and cognitive abilities are large.
C) Teachers tend to interact more with boys than with girls.
D) Textbooks today tend to be free of gender stereotypes.

Question 24

An important cultural difference regarding Indigenous learners suggests which of these teaching practices is most appropriate?

A) Focus on motivation first.
B) Try to have learning activities where visual-motor and spatial skills are used.
C) Employ monolingual educational strategies.
D) Try to make students at least semi-lingual in their second language.

Question 25

Which of the following is a research-based characteristic of schools that successfully serve diverse groups of students?

A) High expectations for student achievement
B) Emphasis on extra-curricular activities
C) Infrequent evaluations of student progress
D) Focus on formative assessment

Question 26

Employing communication rules such as raising your hand if you have a question when the teacher is speaking displays an understanding of

A) cultural awareness.
B) pragmatics.
C) self-agency.
D) culturally relevant pedagogy.

Question 27

Mrs. Kahn's science text includes numerous references to male scientists and their contributions to scientific knowledge, but very few female scientists. For each unit of study in her curriculum, Mrs. Kahn researches and identifies female scientists to highlight in her teaching. This illustration about Mrs. Kahn's science text most directly demonstrates

A) gender bias.
B) female dominance in the field of teaching.
C) gender schema theory.
D) gender orientation.

Question 28

Anderson and Gunderson's research on cultural beliefs about learning to read and write among Chinese-, Iranian-, and Indo-Canadian parents showed that they

A) hold different views about literacy development than those favoured by many elementary teachers.
B) believe that adult standards should be significantly relaxed for young children.
C) believe that invented spellings are a useful step on the path to literacy.
D) understand that individual differences in learning are only moderate predictors of success in school.

Question 29

According to James Banks, to be successful, multicultural education must include all of the following EXCEPT

A) support of the existing culture.
B) creation of supportive learning environments.
C) reduction of prejudice.
D) content integration.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a proposition on which cultural relevant pedagogy rests?

A) Students must interact with cultural role models.
B) Students must develop/maintain their cultural competence.
C) Students must develop a critical consciousness to challenge the status quo.
D) Students must experience academic success.

Question 31

According to the text, which of Banks' dimensions of multicultural education are people most likely to be familiar with?

A) prejudice reduction
B) content integration
C) the knowledge construction process
D) an equity pedagogy

Question 32

Results of research on approaches to learning have suggested that Indigenous Canadians favour skills in

A) reading.
B) mathematics.
C) analytic reasoning.
D) spatial tasks.

Question 33

According to Doll and her colleagues (2005), teachers can do the following to create resilient classrooms:

A) increase class size so that students can build up a tolerance to challenging circumstances.
B) set the learning goals for the students.
C) promote self-agency and connect relationships.
D) focus mostly on test scores so that students can experience academic self-efficacy.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the "relationship strand" in resilient classrooms?

A) caring teacher-student relationships
B) effective peer relations
C) effective home-school relationships
D) effective community supports

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a dimension of classrooms that reflect the diversity of the students?

A) Social Organization
B) Teaching Styles
C) Cultural Values
D) Sociolinguistics

Question 36

Participation structures in the classroom would generally dictate

A) grading policies, including alternative assessments as well as paper-pencil tests.
B) the student-teacher ratio in classrooms as well as extra-curricular activities.
C) whether the primary teaching method is lecture-recitation or discussion.
D) when it is appropriate to talk to another student as well as in response to the teacher.

Question 37

In order to experience the positive effects of teaching in a single-sex classroom on student learning, which of the following demanding conditions must be met?

A) Reinforce positive gender stereotypes of the group you are teaching.
B) Realize that there are no boy- or girl-specific teaching strategies.
C) Create out of class opportunities for boys and girls to interact socially.
D) Bring in role models of the opposite sex as guest speakers to your class whenever possible.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a recommendation for building stronger connection between families, communities, and schools?

A) Peer Partnerships
B) Decision-Marking Partnerships
C) Volunteering
D) Learning At Home

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT identified as an element of the self-agency strand in resilient classrooms?

A) Effective peer relations.
B) Academic self-efficacy.
C) Behavioural self-control.
D) Academic self-determination.

Question 40

Kate is able to thrive in school in spite of challenging circumstances that might otherwise threaten her development. She would be considered

A) an exception.
B) a resilient child.
C) a member of a visible minority.
D) a survivor of the system.

Question 41

Believing that all people from a particular country are friendly would be an example of prejudice that could be considered positive.

Question 42

Culturally relevant pedagogy involves the use of culturally based materials as a means to develop and maintain students' cultural competence.

Question 43

A "minority group" is not always a minority in actual numbers.

Question 44

The knowledge, rules, traditions, and attitudes that guide behaviour in a particular group of people represent the ________ of that group.

Question 45

Children who are poor are no more likely than children who are not poor to be kept back in school.

Question 46

Prejudice is exclusively a personality trait.

Question 47

Resilient children typically have parents who are supportive but have low expectations of their success.

Question 48

Intelligence can be defined differently in different cultures.

Question 49

David knows exactly when he should take part in a certain classroom activity. David has an understanding of the classroom's participation structures.

Question 50

The overt rejection of middle-class values by low-SES students is referred to as a ________ culture.

Question 51

The commonly used index that combine variations in wealth, power, control over resources, and prestige is _________.

Question 52

Among Banks' dimensions of multicultural education, prejudice reduction is the dimension most people are familiar with.

Question 53

One effective orientation for improving the school achievement of low-income students is tracking.

Question 54

Access to educational resources at home and in neighbourhoods has a significant impact on achievement when schools are not in session.

Question 55

Socioeconomic status (SES) is positively correlated with school achievement.

Question 56

Discrimination implies treating some groups of people unfairly.

Question 57

The pragmatics of a classroom are the rules for being an effective communicator by knowing when and how to communicate in a particular context.

Question 58

One explanation for the lower achievement of low-SES students is that they experience _______ in which they are assigned to "low-ability" or "general" classes.

Question 59

The last residential school in Canada was closed in 1965.

Question 60

Segregation was declared illegal by the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka ruling.

Question 61

A group of people who share common biological traits that are seen as self-defining is referred to as _________.

Question 62

The term __________ refers to a group's common cultural heritage such as history, language, or religion.

Question 63

The discipline that studies the formal and informal rules of communication within cultural groups is called ___________.

Question 64

Discuss the assumptions and goals of multicultural education.

Question 65

A teaching approach used for students from visible minorities that includes academic success, developing/maintaining cultural competence and critical consciousness to challenge the status quo is known as ________.

Question 66

Adrian is an African Canadian grade 10 student. He likes his environmental science course, but is one of only two African Canadian students in the class. He makes good grades on homework and in-class activities, but seldom volunteers answers. Mr. Cooke, his teacher, notices that Adrian uses spare time to read about environmental issues, and Adrian told Mr. Cooke about conducting his own small projects out of class. Mr. Cooke concludes that Adrian has a passion for this area of study, though African Canadian students seldom take the class or succeed in science classes at this high school. Today the class takes the mid-term exam, and Mr. Cooke notices that Adrian acts anxious. He asks Adrian if he's ready, and Adrian says he's not sure. During the exam, Adrian continues to act nervous and unsure. He is the last student to turn in his paper. How would you explain Adrian's behaviour? What might the teacher do to help him overcome this behaviour?

Question 67

A schema that organizes what you know about a group of people is called a ________.

Question 68

The greatest gaps in academic achievement in Canada are between students from low-income families and students of wealthier families. In the first part of this essay question, describe at least three factors that may explain the lower academic achievement of many students living in poverty. In the second part of this essay question, explain what teachers can do to help children from poor families succeed and narrow the gap.

Question 69

A rigid and irrational generalization about a category of people is called _______.

Question 70

A group of people who are discriminated against by the dominant culture is called a(n) ________ group by sociologists.

Question 71

Define gender bias and describe how it has been expressed in school.

Question 72

What are some things schools and teachers can do to accommodate cultural diversity?