Building Trust and Recreating Community in Online Classrooms through Cultural Responsivity

Benjamin Boison; Anne Burke

doi:10.53103/cjess.v5i1.291

Authors

Benjamin Boison Memorial University of Newfoundland; Aurora College, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1248-3698
Anne Burke Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7678-0849

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v5i1.291

Keywords:

Trust, Cultural Responsivity, Cultural Historical Activity Theory, Online Learning Community

Abstract

This paper investigates how five elementary school teachers established trust and recreated community for their online learners via cultural responsivity during the COVID-19 lockdowns in St. John’s, NL. The study adopts the Cultural Historical Activity Theory as a theoretical lens for this qualitative case study. The elementary school teachers in this sub-study are part of the Canadian section of the larger ADVOST project that promotes young children's inclusion and agency via culturally relevant arts and digital media. The research findings from analyzed interviews show that the elementary school teachers successfully fostered trust and emotional connections with their online students by creating inclusive, culturally responsive environments that foster collaboration, communication, and family involvement. Consequently, the researchers recommend adopting culturally responsive pedagogical practices and undertaking professional training on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) with provisions for building trust and connection among online learners.

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