Exploring cultural diversity in Chinese classrooms: Can classroom environments cater for the needs of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong?

Many Hong Kong schools are concerned with the growing number of enrolments of ethnic minority students. This article examines teachers’, students’ and parents’ views of the cultural diversity of the classroom in Hong Kong schools, its influence on the performance of these students and how the diverse learning needs of these students were addressed, in terms of effective teaching and assessment. Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews with thirty-two teachers from three secondary schools. This study shows that teachers struggle to conceptualize a new rationale for responding to cultural diversity. They develop a sense of cultural harmony, promote cultural responsiveness to teaching and assessment, and strengthen the interpersonal relationship among school practitioners. This article argues that, like students, teachers simultaneously engage in a cross-cultural process through which they make sense of cultural diversity and learn the culture of ethnic minority students, re-learn their own culture and re-examine the relevant rationale underlying cultural responsiveness.