Culturally Responsive Teaching in Multilingual Indian Classrooms

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Sangeeta Iyer

Independent Researcher

Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract
Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in multilingual Indian classrooms represents a transformative pedagogical framework that foregrounds students’ linguistic and cultural assets to foster deep, equitable learning experiences. Originating from critical pedagogy and sociocultural theory, CRT emphasizes validating learners’ cultural identities, integrating community knowledge, and using students’ home languages as cognitive tools. In India’s richly multilingual contexts—where 22 scheduled languages and hundreds of dialects coexist—traditional monolingual instruction often fails to engage diverse learners, leading to disengagement, lowered self‐esteem, and achievement gaps. This expanded study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 250 teachers and the engagement and perceptions of 600 students across five strategically selected schools representing urban government, urban private, rural government, rural private, and semi‐urban contexts. Employing a rigorous mixed‐methods design, researchers administered structured questionnaires, conducted ten focus‐group discussions, and performed thematic and statistical analyses to triangulate findings. Results indicate that while 84% of teachers demonstrate conceptual awareness of CRT principles and 91% acknowledge its motivational benefits, only 44% regularly implement linguistically and culturally relevant strategies. Key barriers include large class sizes, insufficient multilingual resources, constrained instructional time, and limited leadership support. Conversely, students consistently report enhanced comprehension, participation, and identity affirmation when instructional materials and classroom interactions reflect their cultural backgrounds. Qualitative themes further reveal that CRT practices reduce language anxiety, foster community integration, and empower learners to co‐construct knowledge. Drawing on these insights, the study recommends comprehensive policy reform to mandate mother‐tongue instructional scaffolding, targeted professional development modules to build teacher efficacy in CRT, the development of culturally attuned curricular materials, and leadership initiatives to incentivize inclusive practices. By systematically illuminating the disconnect between CRT ideals and classroom realities, this research contributes actionable guidance for educators, policymakers, and curriculum designers seeking to enact sustainable, scalable change in India’s multilingual educational landscape.

Keywords

Culturally Responsive Teaching, Multilingual Education, Indian Classrooms, Teacher Perceptions, Student Engagement

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