Bridging Policy and Practice: Implementing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in an Ethnically Diverse Primary School in Yunnan, China

This study examines the policy–practice nexus in implementing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) in an ethnically diverse primary school in Yunnan Province, China. Through policy document analysis, interviews with eight educators (including the principal), and 20 classroom observations, we identify systemic gaps between provincial CRP policies (e.g., bilingual mandates, cultural curriculum, teacher training) and their enactment. Key barriers include rigid curriculum scheduling, resource shortages (e.g., lack of bilingual materials and trained teachers), and decontextualized professional development. While policies rhetorically endorse CRP, classroom practices remain episodic and symbolic, failing to structurally integrate minority cultures. Nevertheless, teacher-initiated adaptations, such as glossing Chinese vocabulary in Wa and embedding cultural artifacts (e.g., Kongming lanterns) into science instruction, measurably raised student engagement, suggesting that even bounded, episodic responsiveness can yield instructional gains within structural constraints. Drawing on James A. Banks’ Transformation Approach, we argue for systemic reforms: flexible curriculum frameworks, targeted resource allocation, and community-embedded teacher training. The study underscores the need to shift from additive cultural inclusion to transformative pedagogical redesign to achieve equity in Yunnan’s ethnically diverse context.