Multicultural Education

Multicultural education is a progressive approach for

transforming education and addressing current shortcomings,

failings, and discriminatory practices in education, teaching students to value the beliefs and practices of various cultural and

ethnic groups.

There Is a Growing Need for Multicultural Education

Percentage of Children Between 5 and 18 Years of Age.

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Goals of Multicultural Education• To promote student self-awareness• To transform schools and public education• To update societal views of culture • To learn how to evaluate knowledge from

different perspectives• To develop an ethnic, national, and global identity• To provide decision making skills and critical

analysis skills so the students can make better choices in their everyday lives

Basic Approaches to Multicultural Education

Contributions Approach Ethnic historical figures whose values and

behaviors are consistent with the American mainstream are studied; those who have challenged the dominant view are ignored.

Ethnic Additive ApproachEthnic Additive Approach

An instructional unit composed of concepts, themes, points of view, and individual accomplishments are added to the curriculum. These accomplishments are viewed through a mainstream perspective.

Transformation ApproachTransformation Approach

Assumes there is no one valid way to understand people, events, concepts, or themes. Rather, there are multiple views, and each has something valuable to offer.

What Does a Multicultural Curriculum Include?

• Race awareness• Gender sensitivity • Socioeconomic sensitivity• Age sensitivity • Religious tolerance• Sensitivity to native languages• Discrediting stereotypes• Respect for special education needs

groups

Is This a Complete List?

No, this list is ever-evolving and growing. Multicultural education must be an organic part of your curriculum growing to meet the make-up and needs of your classroom.

What Can We Do As Classroom Teachers?

• Demonstrate cultural sensitivity• Relate concepts to students experiences• Understand the impact of family culture• Foster collaboration and respect

between students• Integrate culture-specific curriculum• Individualize instruction• Use peer learning techniques

• Provide students with clear objectives• Provide immediate feedback• Enhance student self-esteem by having

classroom materials and practices that reflect student cultural and linguistic backgrounds

• Use small group cooperative learning groups

What Can We Do As Classroom Teachers?

What Do We Need From Our Schools?

• Whole school collaboration• Inclusion support that provides scaffolding

for staff and students• Inclusion specialists integrated to the

classroom system• Principals who encourage open

communication• Principals‘ involvement in all school

situations• Principals’ frequent presence in classrooms

Melting Pot Vs.

A melting pot indicates a loss of individual identity. A mixing of cultures into a

national mainstream where only one shared version of culture is respected.

Cultural PluralismCultural Pluralism

Cultural pluralism relies on three principles:

• Each culture has its own internal coherence, integrity, and logic

• No culture is inherently better or worse than another (ethnocentrism)

• Everyone is culture-bound to some extent

Socioeconomic Status Considerations

• Many Americans with low SES do not receive satisfactory healthcare

• Educationally disadvantaged students are more likely than middle class students to grow up in single parent families

Socioeconomic Status Considerations

• Many students of low SES have inadequate space for studying

• Educationally disadvantaged students typically have not been exposed to a wide variety of experiences

• Interactions between students of low SES and their parents lack mediation

Socioeconomic Status Considerations

• Often have low motivation to achieve

• Males especially place a low value on academic achievement

• Have no specific career plans after school and may be limited to low paying, dead-end jobs resulting in low self-esteem

The Pygmalion Effect

• Teachers’ expectations weigh heavily on student achievement

• Teachers’ low expectations can translate into a self-fulfilling prophesy for students who have either a low SES and/or are from an ethnic minority

Poverty Level Numbers

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Percentage of Families Below Poverty Level 1999

Test Bias

• Learners coming from different ethnicities may have difficulty taking tests created for youths in the cultural mainstream

Creating a Global Classroom

• Virtual field trips• Building relationships nationwide• Creating global classroom connections

through the internet and postal system

• Fostering personal relationships between students of different cultures

• Reconnecting children with their countries of origin

References

• Psychology Applied to Teaching, Coryell,P., Houghton Mifflin, 2003

• “Intercultural activities”, Gorski, P.,The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2003

• Circles of My Multicultural Self, Gorski, P., The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2003

• “Defining Multicultural Education”, Covert, B. 1996; EdChange.org, 2000

References

• “Multicultural Education”, National Association for Multicultural Education,www.nameorg.com, 2003

• CommerceNet. (2000). Worldwide internet population.http://www.commerce.net/research/stats/wwwstats.html

• Smerdon, B., Cronen, S., Lanahan, L., Anderson, J., Iannottie, N., and Angeles, J. (2001). Teachers' tools for the 21st century Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics.