Transforming Classrooms with the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm®

Abstract

The Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm® (MALP®); is a model of instruction that addresses the needs of learners who come from collectivist cultures (especially LESLLA learners and those with limited or interrupted formal education) and encounter obstacles with Western-style formal education based on their different cultural expectations, values, and beliefs (Hofstede, 2001; Lurhmann, 2014; Triandis, 1995; Watson, 2010). This paper reports on the implementation of MALP® at a community-based organization in a New York City suburb. During the course of this project, cultural dissonance was reduced, learners developed literacy skills, created a learning community, engaged in academic tasks, and became more actively involved in taking responsibility for their own learning. Additional examples of MALP® practices in other settings illustrate how this model can be incorporated within curricula to transform classrooms and produce successful outcomes for learners.