Managing Rural-Urban Divide Inside University Classrooms: A Way Forward to Promote Positive Classroom Climate

Abstract

A positive classroom climate is as an integral part in motivating students to engage in meaningful learning. It is a strong contributor of students’ academic achievement. One of the important parts of classroom climate is students within a class. A teacher has to manage the classroom in such a way that it may encourage students of all backgrounds to freely express themselves. Owing to such importance of classroom climate, the present study aimed to explore the relationship in terms of how do they get along in university as class fellows between rural and urban learners. In total, 24 students (rural=13, urban=11) were interviewed. The data from interviews was analysed using constant comparative method. The major findings show that the rural and urban learners find themselves different than each other. In particular, rural learners feel more challenges in adjusting in the university curriculum, in university life and to settle relationship with their urban counterparts. The present study suggests teachers to be sensitive about the cultural and educational backgrounds of the learners. These findings offer implications for any public sector university where learners of different backgrounds study together. It may inform teacher education as well by informing them about the need of addressing the issue of creating harmonious relationship between all learners.