Year: 2025 | Faculty: FIP
Activity date status: Exact activity date not available in the accessible spreadsheet/public sources
Verification note: Only year 2025 is available in the spreadsheet.
Source metadata: PKM: Bridging Cultures and Classrooms: A Professional Development Program in Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching in Collaboration with SOKOLA RIMBA | Tim: Dr. Destina Wahyu Winarti, Faradillah Haryani

Mathematics is often seen as universal, but the way it is taught is always shaped by culture, language, and classroom experience. UIII’s professional development program in culturally responsive mathematics teaching, conducted in collaboration with SOKOLA RIMBA, addressed the need to connect mathematical learning with the lives and contexts of learners.

The Faculty of Education team approached teacher development as a bridge between cultures and classrooms. Culturally responsive teaching recognizes that students bring knowledge, practices, and ways of thinking from their communities. When teachers acknowledge these resources, mathematics can become less intimidating and more meaningful.

Collaboration with SOKOLA RIMBA gives the project a distinctive social dimension. The organization is associated with education for communities whose learning needs may not fit conventional school models. This makes the project especially relevant for discussions about inclusion, equity, and the adaptation of pedagogy to local realities.

For UIII, the activity demonstrates how educational research can support teachers who work in diverse settings. It also aligns with the idea that quality education must be responsive, not one-size-fits-all. A mathematics lesson that respects learners’ contexts can improve both understanding and confidence.

A feature story can highlight the meeting point between academic pedagogy and community-based education. It should include the training activities, teacher participants, and examples of culturally grounded mathematics tasks. The strongest editorial message is that inclusive education is built when teachers learn to see students’ cultural worlds as assets for learning rather than obstacles to be overcome.