Using Cultural Relativism and Universal Human Rights to Define Early Childhood Teacher Quality in Belize

• In Event: 43.042 - Reexamining Teacher Efficacy and Politicized Curriculums Through Postcolonial and Decolonizing Lenses

Abstract

Objective
Cultural relativism theory embraces the belief some moral rules and social institutions are culturally unique and exempt from outside criticism (Donnelly, 1984). Universal human rights theory holds that some moral rules and social institutions are the rights of every human being regardless of culture (Donnelly, 1984). Efforts to guide teaching practices may influenced by cultural relativism and universal rights theory (Donnelly, 1984) because teaching children is shaped by age appropriateness (universal factors), individual appropriateness (universal and cultural factors), and cultural appropriateness (NAEYC, 2009). Successful educational efforts are dependent upon teacher quality that addresses all three factors.
We used cultural relativism and universal human rights tenets to re-examine the findings of a previous study of definitions of teacher quality by practicing early childhood (EC) teachers in Belize. The original research questions were: What do Belizean teachers believe are the most important behaviors for EC teachers to use? To what degree do Belizean EC teachers agree with the guiding standards as directed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2009)? To these, we added: Was our study considerate of cultural relativism and universal human rights?

Theoretical Framework
We emphasize postcolonial theory (McLeod, 2000) and focus on Brock-Ute’s (2002) call that indigenous knowledge and language be a basis for education. Our original study designed to understand factors of teacher quality in Belize, focused on the concept that a teacher’s belief system is based upon his/her individual conceptions about desirable methods or practices for teaching and how students best learn (Beijaard,1998; Rokeach, 1976). Additionally, theories from cultural relativism and universal human rights were used because both cultural and universal truths contribute to beliefs regarding the components of quality teaching (Reichel & Arnon, 2009; NAEYC, 2009).

Methods and Data Sources
Focus group interviews and questionnaires administered to 13 early childhood (EC) teachers in a Belizean city provided data for the original study. The Teacher Perception of Quality Questionnaire had 22 open-ended and Likert-items and was created from NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation Programs guidelines (NAEYC, 2009). This reanalysis includes examination of the questionnaire and teachers answers to decide if cultural factors were incorporated.

Results
Analyses revealed teachers believed quality teachers need good teaching knowledge and skills, good personable qualities, and be able to build strong relationships with parents. Teachers agreed overall with NAEYC standards; however, most strongly agreed that families should not have an opinion in classroom practices, contrasting with NAEYC standards. Questionnaire items were analyzed for allowance of cultural values, and all items were determined to allow for cultural differences as the NAEYC reflect age, individual, and cultural appropriate practices.

Scholarly Significance
Belizean teachers are mostly in agreement with NAEYC standards for quality teaching. Only in regard to family involvement were there significant difference is a culturally relevant norm (Mapp, 2004, pp. 53–54). These conclusions are valuable because they are constructed upon culturally-relevant evidence based upon Belizean teachers’ beliefs and also include a basis of universal human truths, and thus, could be used in future decision-making in educational matters.

Authors

• Erin Casey, University of Oklahoma

• Cynthia Fontcuberta DiCarlo, Louisiana State University