The best evidence syntheses (BESs) bring together research evidence about ‘what works’ for diverse (all) learners in education. Recent BESs each include a number of cases that describe actual examples of professional practice and then analyse the findings. These cases support educators to grasp the big ideas behind effective practice at the same time as they provide vivid insight into their application.
The pass rate for Aboriginal secondary school students in a culturally responsive social studies class was twice that of comparable students in a “traditional” class.
This case, situated in Canada, explains how important a culturally responsive teaching approach was to the success of indigenous learners from low socio-economic status communities. The case contrasts cultural discontinuity in teaching and learning with teaching that creates educationally powerful connections with indigenous learners’ cultural identities.