Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Indigenous Contexts: A Framework for Enhancing Learning in Malaysian Orang Asli Primary Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/sh.v18n3.2289Keywords:
culturally responsive teaching framework, Indigenous knowledge, Orang Asli education.Abstract
This study examines the development of a culturally responsive teaching framework for Orang Asli primary schools in Malaysia. Despite significant educational reforms, Orang Asli students continue to face persistent challenges including low academic performance, high dropout rates, and a misalignment between mainstream pedagogy and their cultural realities. While global scholarship emphasizes the value of culturally responsive teaching in enhancing learning outcomes for marginalized and Indigenous learners, limited empirical work exists in Southeast Asia, particularly within the Malaysian context. This research therefore seeks to identify the needs for such a framework, explore teachers’ instructional practices, and examine the integration of Indigenous knowledge in classroom pedagogy. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving ten participants (teachers and administrators) across four Orang Asli school zones in Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, and Selangor. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti revealed three critical insights: first, teachers expressed the urgent need for a structured culturally responsive teaching framework due to the lack of contextualized resources, training, and professional development opportunities; second, teachers demonstrated adaptive and contextualized instructional strategies shaped by their creativity, cultural sensitivity, and responsiveness to students’ backgrounds; and third, Indigenous knowledge emerged as a vital pedagogical resource that supported engagement, relevance, and continuity between home and school. The study concludes with a proposed culturally responsive teaching framework that integrates Indigenous knowledge, contextualized pedagogy, and institutional support. The findings provide new insights into culturally responsive pedagogy in Southeast Asia, contributing to local policy debates, informing teacher training, and offering a foundation for future curriculum development and enhanced learning outcomes in Indigenous education contexts.
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