Challenges in Implementing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Tibetan Refugees in India and indigenous Bedouins in Israel/Palestine

• In Event: Refugee education: context, pedagogy, access and outcomes

Proposal

This paper explores the challenges of implementing culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in two unique communities: Tibetan refugees in India and indigenous Bedouins in Israel/Palestine. Despite differing contexts, we examine a) shared and unique practices and challenges in each locale, and b) ways to further develop CRP, Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT), and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) for communities in the Global South.
The objectives of this paper are twofold: a) to present and discuss the shared and unique challenges of implementing CRP among Tibetan refugees in India and Bedouins in Israel/Palestine, and b) to explore how CRP, CRT, and CSP can be further developed for communities in the Global South.
Tibetan refugees began crossing the Himalayan range in April 1959, following the Dalai Lama's flight into exile after the suppression of an uprising. Over the subsequent years, tens of thousands of Tibetans moved from villages and towns across Tibet to India, marking the beginning of an ongoing migration. Tibetan refugees live in settlements throughout India, establishing their own schools and monasteries to recreate a sense of common Tibetan identity. Currently, there are 62 Tibetan schools run by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, with around 15,155 students and 2,033 staff members.

The Bedouins are an indigenous community in the Negev region and one of the most marginalized communities in Israel/Palestine, comprising about 300,000 people. Traditionally semi-nomadic, their lifestyle has significantly changed, with about 30% living in unrecognized villages and 70% resettled in urban-style towns by the state in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite significant social, cultural, and economic changes, the Bedouin community remains at the bottom of educational ladder. In the 2021-2022 school year, about 80,000 students (grades 1-12) were studying in 143 schools.

Since their development by Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994, 1995, 2023) and Geneva Gay (1980, 2000, 2013), CRP and CRT have been widely implemented (Hanley & Noblit, 2009; Taylor & Sobel, 2011; Aronson & Laughter, 2020) and have undergone various updates and revisions, including the development of CSP (Paris, 2012). Although initially focused on African American and LatinX communities in the U.S., these theories have been adopted in many other contexts (Morrison et al., 2008; Aronson & Laughter, 2015). However, there is limited research on their implementation in the Global South, particularly among refugee and Indigenous communities. Notable exceptions include Biraimah’s (2016) work on CRP in Namibia, Joyce’s (2017) use of Maori metaphors for CRP, and Pena-Sandoval’s (2017) incorporation of grassroots youth culture and Indigenous knowledge into CRT in Chile. Building on this knowledge, we aim to expand on the challenges and benefits of implementing CRP in the two communities we studied.
Our findings are based on two Participatory Action Research (PAR) studies. One was conducted from 2014-2019 with 50 Tibetan refugee schools in India, involving 450 teachers. The other was conducted in 2022-2023 with a Bedouin high school in Israel/Palestine, involving six teachers. PAR methodology values participants' insights, positioning them as co-creators of knowledge and promoting social justice and emancipation. Acknowledging the two existing traditions for action research, Northern and Southern (Corderio et al., 2017), we build on the Southern tradition, which seeks to empower marginalized groups by advocating for control over their situation and promoting social justice and equitable power distribution. The PAR process aims to help participants become aware of the social constraints they face and work towards emancipation.

Data from the Tibetan refugee study include participatory meetings, documented materials, and curricula from 50 schools. The Bedouin study includes recordings of eight participatory meetings, semi-structured interviews, and alternative curricula and lesson plans. Both studies were conducted with official approvals and support from relevant authorities.
Despite different historical, cultural, and political contexts, some shared challenges emerged: a) lack of culturally relevant curricula, with both locations using official textbooks from India and Israel, b) inadequate culturally relevant teacher education programs, c) challenges in maintaining native languages (Tibetan and Arabic, both diglossic) while achieving literacy in the dominant language, and d) balancing traditional values with exposure to dominant culture, especially regarding gender equality and academic success. We will discuss strategies teachers used to address these challenges.
This study is significant for several reasons. It illuminates the challenges faced by communities in the Global South when implementing CRP, CRT, and CSP. It exposes the complexities of adopting educational theories developed in the U.S. and applying them in different sociocultural contexts, particularly for communities in transition. By highlighting the need for context-specific adaptations, this study contributes to the broader discourse on educational equity and the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy. Furthermore, it provides practical insights and strategies for educators and policymakers working with marginalized communities, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing the unique needs of these groups. This work also underscores the value of participatory research approaches in fostering inclusive and empowering educational practices.

Authors

• Assaf Meshulam, Ben Gurion University of The Negev

• Latika Gupta, Department of Education, Delhi University

• Fidaa Odi