What is Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy
An inclusive Health & Physical Education (H&PE) program is vital to a student’s personal, social and academic development, to their future economic security, and to a realization of their full potential. Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) is a dynamic framework for building positive environments, improving student responsibility and success, encouraging parent and/or caregiver school relationships, and building strong community connections. It examines issues of power and privilege, calls-in educators to challenge the beliefs and assumptions about the students in their class and explores at a deeper level what is necessary to allow every student to be reflected in the curriculum and across the school day. Learn more about Considerations for program planning, Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education.
The Importance of Embedding Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy in Health & Physical Education
“The health and physical education curriculum promotes important educational values and goals that support the development of character. These include striving to achieve one’s personal best, equity and fair play, respect for diversity, sensitivity and respect for individual requirements and needs, and good health and well-being. These values are reinforced in other curriculum areas, as well as by society itself. Working together, schools and communities can be powerful allies in motivating students to achieve their potential and lead healthy, active lives.”
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2019). The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1–8, Health and Physical Education, pg. 8.
Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) is an approach that takes time and is a commitment to put the student first when striving to support high-quality learning in a way that is best suited to students’ individual strengths and needs. With the understanding and belief that all students can learn and be successful, the root of CRRP is the belief that every student has a story richly steeped in culture, and their stories are valued and validated within the Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum and beyond. Approaching the H&PE curriculum from a CRRP lens impacts the way educators think about how race, culture, identity, equity, and lived experiences and how it contributes to inclusive program planning and delivery in H&PE.
There are many ways to approach the H&PE program with a CRRP lens. The following strategies can help educators ensure that students feel safe and included within the teaching and learning environment:
- Talk to students individually about their preferences for how they want to be identified and model appropriate language (e.g., use of pronouns when greeting students, consult with the student privately and ask them how they would like to be identified).
- Be intentional with your own professional learning and find meaningful ways to embed examples of diversity into teaching to make movement meaningful and relevant (e.g., take the time to learn about the school culture, students’ cultural backgrounds, and incorporate it into the games, dances, and other activities in your H&PE program).
- Understand students’ backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds, preferences, and religious practices and rituals, to offer modifications or alternatives to the activities (e.g., provide a variety of ways for students to reach the curriculum expectations while respecting that some cultures have religious practices such as fasting, avoiding public physical contact/touch, etc.).
- Incorporate methods of teaching in lessons that allow opportunities for students to learn in ways familiar to them (e.g., involve students throughout their learning process and allow them to decide how they want to demonstrate their learning, take the time to understand students’ learning needs and styles).
- Create a physical environment that acknowledges the diversity of students in the H&PE class (e.g., provide visuals in the learning space that reflect the different backgrounds, abilities, interests, and learning styles of your students).