Culturally-sensitive learning practices

Abstract

In today’s global world, to provide meaningful education, teacher-librarians and their students need to become culturally competent: open to learning about other cultures and sharing one’s own culture, able to change personal perspectives, and able to communicate effectively across cultures. Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions provides a framework for examining culturally-sensitive library implications. Specific strategies are suggested to address language barriers, student-teacher relations, choosing resources, learning activities, technical issues, and assessment.