multicultural education essay

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The importance of multicultural education

America has always benefited from the contributions and viewpoints of diverse people. Multicultural education emphasizes and celebrates the wide range of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds that students bring to school and society. The multicultural classroom embraces equity and inclusion as a means of teaching global awareness and promoting student success. 1

This post will explore the benefits of multicultural education for fostering inclusion and understanding among students.

Celebrate cultural diversity

A classroom is a unique blend of students from different economic situations, cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, ethnicities, and traditions.

Celebrating cultural diversity shows that you value all of them equally and appreciate the richness they bring to your classroom. It also gives you the opportunity to expose students to other cultures on a regular basis, a practice that has many academic and social benefits, including higher student achievement, cultural competence, and increased empathy. 2

Classroom teachers can celebrate cultural diversity in the classroom in the following ways:

• Coordinate with special area teachers to explore the music and art of other cultures 2
• Build a classroom or school library that contains books that feature characters from many different countries and living situations as well as books written by diverse authors 2
• Encourage students to bring items from home that represent their culture and talk about them with the class 2
• Celebrate holidays from around the world, not just the ones from the predominant culture and religion in your school 2

Foster inclusive learning environments

A culturally inclusive learning environment creates a safe and fair classroom where students from all backgrounds can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Social and cultural considerations can impact how a student learns.

Teachers can help students succeed by recognizing and adjusting for individual cultural differences among their students.

Culture is a broad term that includes the following elements:

• Language differences 3
• Family values 3
• Family dynamics, such as multigenerational homes 3
• Socioeconomic status 3

By getting to know students, teachers will be better able to predict issues that may arise with a particular lesson or activity. They can also tap into the cultural knowledge of their students as a learning resource for the entire classroom. 4

Global citizenship and interconnectedness

Global citizenship recognizes that we are all connected to each other through economic, environmental, social, and political factors. Multicultural education seeks to promote peace through learning and embracing our shared humanity. Global citizens understand the value of others and the interconnected nature of the challenges of inequality. 5

Teachers can promote global awareness by including a global perspective in the curriculum, organizing multicultural events, and establishing connections and partnerships with schools in other countries.

Technology provides a window into other countries, cultures, and perspectives through virtual exchanges and meaningful conversations. 6

Embracing diverse students

In the realm of multicultural education, where the tapestry of knowledge weaves together, embracing diverse students becomes a cornerstone of fostering an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.

Each student brings forth a unique mosaic of experiences, rich cultural backgrounds, and varied learning styles to the classroom. It is within this diversity that the true beauty of education unfolds.

Teachers, as architects of knowledge, hold the power to implement innovative strategies. An example of a classroom activity that embraces diverse students is "Cultural Carousel." In this activity, students rotate through stations that represent different cultures, engaging in activities such as art, music, or storytelling. This allows students to experience and appreciate various cultural expressions, fostering a sense of unity and understanding among classmates of all abilities and backgrounds.

By employing a diverse range of teaching methods that cater to different learning styles, educators create an atmosphere where every student's voice is heard and valued. The curriculum becomes a canvas, enriched with the vibrant hues of diverse ethnic groups' perspectives, offering students a profound understanding of the intricacies of our diverse world.

This approach cultivates well-rounded individuals, fostering an appreciation for the manifold tapestry that shapes our collective journey.

Nurturing the school environment

Crafting a positive and inclusive school environment is a pivotal endeavor in the landscape of multicultural education. Doing so extends beyond the confines of the classroom, enveloping the entire school community in an atmosphere of acceptance and celebration.

Schools, as nurturing gardens of knowledge, can organize vibrant events that pay homage to various cultural traditions, involving parents and students alike in the mosaic of multicultural activities that foster unity.

An example of nurturing the school environment with students is the "Global Friendship Project." In this project, students collaborate with peers from different cultural backgrounds to create a shared project, such as a presentation, artwork, or a story that reflects the diversity within the school community. This not only encourages collaboration but also promotes a sense of belonging and understanding among students of all abilities and backgrounds.

This endeavor involves not only the celebration of diversity but also the establishment of policies that sow the seeds of inclusivity and holistic growth, creating an environment where every student thrives academically, socially, and emotionally. In this nurturing space, the spirit of multicultural education takes root, promising a journey of learning that transcends boundaries and fosters a rich understanding of our interconnected world.

Enhance critical thinking and perspective-taking

By exploring diverse perspectives, multicultural education promotes critical thinking and the ability to look at issues from multiple perspectives.

Older students can examine current events through a more comprehensive lens that includes historical perspectives and social injustices, such as institutional racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia. With these wider considerations, students are better able to understand the various factors at play behind some of today’s most controversial social issues. 7

Address social injustice and equity

A multicultural education promotes equity and inclusion for all students. Teachers can lay a foundation of respect and tolerance by facilitating meaningful discussions about racial justice and equity. Raising students’ awareness about inequalities in their daily lives can help them identify and stop patterns of discrimination and unfairness. 8

Educators can address social injustice by teaching students to relate to others as individuals and recognize stereotypes. Teachers can point out the unfairness displayed in individual interactions versus injustice at the institutional level. Students can analyze the impact of injustice in the world, both historically and currently. 9

Teach multilingualism and language diversity

The United States has a rich linguistic culture, with over 20% of children speaking a non-English language at home. Multilingual students maintain stronger connections with their cultural heritage and family, fostering broader social networks and cross-cultural understanding. Bilingualism enhances cognitive skills, such as task-switching, focus, and environmental awareness. Research indicates bilingual children excel in problem-solving and working memory tasks. 10

Dual language programs allow students to achieve better academic outcomes and English-language skills than English-only programs. Multicultural educational programs that promote multilingualism and language diversity lead to higher college attendance rates and better job prospects while fostering inclusive civic participation. 10

Measuring the impact of multicultural education

It can be difficult to assess the impact of multicultural education among diverse students. However, research has shown that multicultural education is highly beneficial in fostering understanding and tolerance among students from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds in both low- and high-socioeconomic school districts. There is also evidence of associated improvements in student behavior and achievement that make the investment in creating multicultural classrooms worthwhile for both students and educators. 11

Become a leader in multicultural education

An online master’s in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Kansas will equip you with the skills you need to create future global citizens. Make a difference in your school, community, and world by developing policies and initiatives that foster justice and interconnectedness for all students.

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• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from interculturalmontessori.org/multicultural-education-characteristics/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from continentalpress.com/blog/cultural-diversity-in-the-classroom/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from teachbetter.com/blog/celebrating-diversity-for-an-inclusive-learning-environment/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from globallytaught.com/blog/8-powerful-habits-to-build-a-multicultural-classroom/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from unesco.org/en/global-citizenship-peace-education/need-know
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/fostering-global-mindset-in-high-school-students-best-practices-for-educators/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from culturalinfusion.org.au/6-reasons-why-multicultural-education-is-essential-in-our-diverse-world/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from militarychild.org/upload/images/MGS%202022/WellbeingToolkit/AL_4_1_Social_Justice_interactiv.pdf
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from learningforjustice.org/frameworks/social-justice-standards
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from tcf.org/content/report/why-we-need-to-cultivate-americas-multilingual-multicultural-assets/
• Retrieved on January 12, 2023, from jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d97b93d2-7bcf-4490-bdd2-ffe874099c78/content

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What Is Multicultural Education? An Educator’s Guide to Teaching Diverse Students

The United States has always been a multicultural country. As a result, the US education system is made up of students from a variety of backgrounds. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 50.7 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools in 2018, bringing a variety of backgrounds, languages, perspectives, and cultures to the classroom. Since culture and education have an impact on each other, it is important for people of all cultures to value education and for the education system to value all cultures.

Educators can use different teaching methods to promote multicultural education. They can cultivate learning environments that benefit diverse student populations. Even though instruction often relies on the contents of specific curricula, teachers can infuse multicultural education into every element of their instruction, from the projects they assign to the lessons they teach. Teachers in the US education system should be willing to ask what multicultural education is and how they can incorporate it effectively.

What Is Multicultural Education?

Multicultural education values different student cultures and prepares students to thrive in a diverse world. At its core, multicultural education fosters equality, justice, and equity, and it establishes the reality of philosophical ideals in classroom environments. Multicultural education is what schools implement to establish equitable educational opportunities for all their students. It is also an ongoing process of helping students succeed in their academic and personal lives.

Teachers, administrators, and school leaders play an important role in ensuring the incorporation of multicultural education by selecting and managing policies, curricula, and teaching styles. The practice relies on educators who value the histories and experiences of diverse groups of students. Schools and teachers can approach multicultural education in a variety of ways, supporting students as they develop positive perspectives of their own cultures as well as the cultures of their peers. By incorporating culturally responsive pedagogy in curricula and teaching practices, teachers can create an inclusive classroom that values all students.

Four Ways Educators Can Implement Multicultural Education in the Classroom

There are many ways educators can promote social justice and equity in schools, from working to hire a more diverse teacher workforce to mindfully selecting assigned readings that reflect broad cultural diversity. Additionally, teachers promoting equal learning opportunities for students of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds can implement multicultural education in the classroom in the following ways:

Be Aware of Biases

For educators to understand what multicultural education is and implement it in their classrooms, they need to be aware of potential biases. While teachers may be open minded and want to deliver equitable instruction, they may have underlying biases they may not be aware of.

Further, teachers should understand they may be working with students from many backgrounds who may have biases against one another for cultural, racial, ethnic, or religious reasons. To cultivate safe and productive learning environments, teachers should be aware of any bias and work toward dissipating it. Teachers can also challenge the status quo by inspiring students to address social and school-based inequities that create unequal experiences for marginalized people. Students can be taught to recognize inequities in their classroom and community and use the classroom to discuss real problems their students identify.

Value Life Experiences

It’s important for educators to value their students’ experiences. Students bring unique perspectives to the classroom and can share their own stories or those of family members. Allowing students to share these experiences with their classmates can accomplish at least two goals: providing validation for the students who share similar experiences and introducing students to new perspectives. Teachers can also incorporate the history, values, and cultural knowledge of students’ home communities in the classroom instruction. This transformative practice validates students’ identities and communicates the importance of learning about others’ experiences.

Understand Student Learning Styles

Teachers can promote equitable learning by being aware of their students’ various learning styles, which can be influenced by their backgrounds and upbringing. Some students may be visual learners, others tactile learners or auditory learners. To embody what multicultural education is, teachers can vary their methods of instruction to reach all of their students. Teachers should design lessons that allow students to express their thoughts and experiences in their own voices. Teachers can encourage students to learn from one another’s experiences and ask questions that promote understanding.

Assign Multicultural Projects

Teachers can emphasize the importance of different cultural backgrounds represented in their classrooms through lessons and assignments. They can highlight different cultures in their curricula embedding the study of diverse cultures and peoples in their core academic content. All students can engage with this authentic reading, writing, and problem-solving experiences. Students can write about their family histories or interview family members. They can work with each other to learn about new cultures.

Benefits of Implementing Multicultural Education

Teachers who ask themselves “What is multicultural education?” can develop curricula around their students’ cultural backgrounds. Students in multicultural educational environments can learn how to value all cultures, bonding with peers over what makes them similar as well as what makes them unique. If students learn from a young age to be comfortable with differences, they are less likely to develop biases toward people of a different race or ethnicity. Ideally, they may become inclusive adults, free from racial or ethnic biases.

Implementing multicultural education benefits not only individual students but also society as a whole. Multicultural education has long-term benefits for students because those who learn to appreciate and value the cultural diversity of their peers will ideally grow up to be adults who likewise promote equality and justice.

Pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership

To apply effective teaching practices with diverse student groups, teachers should understand how to create equitable learning environments and multicultural education classrooms. Teachers interested in implementing multicultural education techniques in their classrooms can pursue advanced degrees to understand how laws, policies, and leadership play a role in establishing curricula and coursework that positively impact students. Throughout their coursework, they can train as a classroom teacher through placement in an actual school setting. Teachers interested in honing their skills as multicultural educators can pursue a Master of Education in Education Leadership at American University, choosing from courses including Education Program and Policy Implementation and Educational Leadership and Organizational Change. The American University program prepares teachers to become leaders in education and gain insight into legal education policies and programs. They develop research skills to help organizations enact legal and economic policies.

Educators can also further their academic journeys by earning a Master of Arts in Teaching, choosing from courses such as Effective Teaching for Diverse Students and Theories of Educational Psychology and Human Development. They learn how to develop evidence-based coursework in order to help establish multicultural education classrooms.

Advance Your Career Today

American University’s School of Education prepares graduate students who want to transition to a career as a classroom teacher, students who are teaching assistants, and current teachers who want to earn an advanced degree while teaching. They learn how to create equitable and effective learning environments in which students from diverse backgrounds can flourish. Explore how American University’s Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership degree programs can help you gain insight into what multicultural education is and further your goals as an educator.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits & Tips

EdD vs. PhD in Education: Requirements, Career Outlook, and Salary

Transformational Leadership in Education

Classroom, “Pros & Cons of Multicultural Education”

The Edvocate, “6 Things That Educators Should Know about Multicultural Education”

The National Association for Multicultural Education, “Definitions of Multicultural Education”

National Center for Education Statistics, “Digest of Education Statistics”

National Center for Education Statistics, “English Language Learners in Public Schools”

Studies Weekly, “On Education: Creating a Better Multicultural Curriculum”

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What is a multicultural education essay?

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Latest Update 26 Jan, 2024

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An Insight Into the Multicultural Education Essay Format

The modern world is brimming with people belonging from different cultures and countries. It has become quite important the individuals residing from a particular group learn about the cultures and norms of other groups to obtain a global harmony. Since the time of colonization, people have experienced unequal behaviors and various prejudices based on their cultures and races. Previously different cultures were deemed to be superior to some others. This essentially created a master-slave relationship that constituted an unhealthy hierarchy. However, the modern world is evolving, and the barriers of different cultures are slowly crumbling. People are getting interested in other cultures and trying to understand how those cultures work.

The consideration of multiculturalism as a part of learning had been started since the 1960’s revolutions. The definition of culture, according to Richard Garguilo, is ‘the values, attitudes, norms, belief systems, & traditions that are shared by a given group of individuals who collectively develop their heritage.’ This implies that the culture of a group consists of various factors. The culture of a learner will be affected by the way he perceives the world around him. The culture of a student will be influenced by the way he experiences, considers, feels, and behaves in the classroom. On the other hand, the culture of an individual man will be reflected by his speech, dress, manners, and various other factors like food habits and choice of designs. Culture thus can be said to be defined by the various distinctiveness and points of view of any particular group of people.

Multicultural education refers to the use of different strategies to educate and reach students who belong to   various cultural backgrounds . These methods have been developed in order to help instructors and teachers so that they can provide better responses to the variety of demographics of the classroom. One of the critical benefits of multicultural education is that students belonging to different cultures and backgrounds are taught differently, and due to this diverse way of teaching, the outcome is successful. Multicultural education can be seen as a kind of strategy of learning that deals with all sorts of concepts like race, ethnicity, language, origin, and create an effective technique of teaching where the individuality of every student is encouraged rather than being shamed.

Multicultural education generally addresses the various bias and differences of various cultures by providing the same kind of opportunities of education for every type of student, irrespective of their culture and heritage. The main goals of multicultural education are educational fairness, cultural pluralism, cross-cultural competency, particular relation, social reconstruction, and inclusion of studies related to global issues and ethnic groups. In the USA, multicultural education focuses on enlightening the students in a way so that they get to know about the origins of different cultures and races. Multicultural education also works towards showing the positive side of each kind of culture in order to include it in an educational environment. Such an approach will make sure that there is no bias while providing education to students belonging to different kinds of cultures. As a teacher, it is essential to understand that one should not get angry or disappointed if a particular action does not reflect the same result as expected. The teacher should also have the understanding that various comments on different cultures will affect the students belonging from different cultures in different ways. He thus needs to be sensitive to the content he will be teaching in a multicultural class.

A multicultural essay incorporates such factors as the differences between various cultures and what makes them all different. A multicultural essay also discusses how the concept of multicultural came into being and how it has affected society. An essay on multiculture should necessarily give the details of certain particular cultures that have broken their barriers and are now working towards knowing each other. It also traces towards how gradually the entire world is accepting the concept of multicultre and working towards making the earth one large village. A multicultural essay also focuses on classrooms that hold students belonging from different cultures and how one should deal with them. In simpler terms, when you are writing a multicultural essay, you need to be well aware of various cultures that have come together through the evolution of time.

We Will Promptly Compose an Essay for You

Robert Slavin mentioned that one of the best ways in which multicultural education can work is by making the students belonging from different cultures respectful and sensitive to other cultures. The teacher should also be unbiased to any particular culture when he is teaching in a multicultural class. It is also essential for the teacher to have a basic understanding of the background of each type of cultural belonging in the class to refrain from making any comment on any of the cultures that might appear sensitive to the students belonging from that particular culture.

The teaching module and syllabus in a multicultural class should focus on the positive side of all cultural groups. It should not stereotype any particular kind of culture in a specific role. It is essential that the course module helps to see all sorts of ethnic groups belonging to the class in a positive light. This would help the students to become friendly to each other and respect the multicultural dimension in the real sense of the term. Racial prejudice and discrimination should be a strict no in a multicultural classroom, and neither the teacher nor any of the students should indulge in it. If the teacher notices any student engaging in such an activity, he should be immediately reported to ensure that the class harmony is maintained.

Thus, a multicultural essay helps us in a better understanding of the concept of multiculture and how it works in a modern world. A well written multicultural essay will establish the essence of multiculture in educational classrooms and also in our everyday society as well and provide us ways through which we can become the better preservers of the growing understanding of multiculture.

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Expert Commentary

Multicultural education: How schools teach it and where educators say it falls short

Below, we provide a sampling of academic research that looks at how multicultural education has changed in recent decades and inconsistencies in the way today’s teachers teach it.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource January 25, 2021

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As American public schools have grown more diverse, educators have introduced multicultural education programs to help kids understand and appreciate the differences among them — differences in terms of race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual identity and other personal characteristics.

Multicultural education, broadly, is a range of strategies educators use to help students “develop a positive self-concept by providing knowledge about the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups,” according to the nonprofit National Association for Multicultural Education .

These programs, which vary by state and even within individual school districts, “should directly address issues of racism, sexism, classism, linguicism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, religious intolerance, and xenophobia,” the association explains on its website. One goal of multicultural education is developing the attitudes, knowledge and skills students need to function in different cultures and join a global workforce.

Below, we provide a sampling of academic research that looks at how multicultural education has changed in recent decades and inconsistencies in the way today’s teachers teach it. We also included studies that reveal problems in how U.S. colleges and universities train teachers to do this work.

At the bottom of this page, we added a list of resources to help journalists better understand and contextualize the issue, including federal data on how student and teacher demographics have changed over time and links to organizations with expertise in multicultural education.

It’s important to note there are significant differences between multicultural education and anti-racist education — two types of education discussed with greater frequency in recent years. Unlike multicultural education, anti-racism education focuses on race and race-related issues. Anti-racist teachers “create a curriculum with black students in mind” and “view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching,” Pirette McKamey, the first Black principal of Mission High School in San Francisco, writes in The Atlantic .

Many educators and researchers argue that schools serving predominantly white communities benefit tremendously from multicultural education. Sheldon Eakins , a former teacher and school principal who founded the Leading Equity Center, writes about this for the Cult of Pedagogy website:

“It’s not uncommon for White people to say, Oh, I’m just White. I don’t have a culture . We need to teach our White students about what their cultural background is and their ethnic backgrounds so they can understand and think about their language and religions going back to their ancestry. Lessons on their culture may help them start to understand how privilege and White supremacy began.”

At the same time, Eakins and others, including education professor Wayne Au of the University of Washington Bothell, have criticized multicultural education for falling short in preparing youth to confront and dismantle racism.

“Yes, multicultural education is important, but in the face of the hateful violence being visited on so many of our students and communities, it is simply not enough,” Au writes in a paper published in Multicultural Perspectives in 2017.

A brief history of multicultural education

Thirty Years of Scholarship in Multicultural Education Thandeka K. Chapman and Carl A. Grant. Gender & Class Journal , 2010.

This paper offers a broad overview of what multicultural education is in the U.S. and how it changed over three decades. The authors rely on academic research to chronicle the trend, beginning in the 1960s, when scholars argued that the histories and contributions of people of color should be part of the public school curriculum.

Thandeka Chapman , a professor of education studies at the University of California, San Diego, and Carl Grant , a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explain how multicultural education evolved to include discussions about gender, physical disabilities, age and sexual identity and orientation.

The authors also describe how critics of the trend actually helped it.

“Advocates used these attacks to develop more meaningful and appropriate ways to help teachers and students in classrooms,” Chapman and Grant write. “These criticisms of MCE [multicultural education] have further advanced discussions of equity, equality, and social justice in ways that would not be possible if opponents had remained silent.”

Challenges in teaching multicultural education

Multicultural Education and the Protection of Whiteness Angelina E. Castagno. American Journal of Education , November 2013.

In this yearlong study, the author spotlights problems in the way an urban Utah school district teaches multicultural education. She finds that instead of dismantling “whiteness” — she defines this as “structural arrangements and ideologies of racial dominance within the United States” — multicultural education, as offered in this school district, protects it.

Angelina E. Castagno , an associate professor of educational leadership and foundations at Northern Arizona University, writes that her findings should not be surprising considering the teachers she observed and interviewed “were predominantly White, middle-class individuals who, for the most part, have little reason to disrupt the status quo and the current relations of power.”

“Most educators are well intentioned and want what is best for their students, but whiteness is protected despite (and sometimes through) even the best intentions,” Castagno writes. “Part of the problem is that most educators are not aware of whiteness. But in addition to this lack of awareness, most educators are also invested in the status quo of whiteness.”

She notes the importance of getting a better understanding of how teachers are teaching the topic.

“All teachers, administrators, multicultural education scholars, and teacher/administrator educators need a better understanding and awareness of how multicultural education is understood by teachers in schools across the country,” Castagno writes. “While there is much research highlighting the efforts of some teachers who seem to have embraced more critical forms of multicultural education, these teachers probably do not represent the majority of teachers in most schools.”

Problems in how colleges train teachers

Supporting Critical Multicultural Teacher Educators: Transformative Teaching, Social Justice Education, and Perceptions of Institutional Support Paul C. Gorski and Gillian Parekh. Intercultural Education , 2020.

This study looks at how college instructors teach multicultural education to students in the U.S. and Canada who are studying to become schoolteachers. It finds that college instructors who teach a more conservative version of multicultural education perceive their higher education institution to be more supportive of their work.

The researchers analyze data collected from a survey of 186 people who teach multicultural education to future teachers, conducted in 2015 and 2016. Researchers recruited participants by reaching out to instructors individually and by posting invitations on social media platforms used by instructors. About 90% of survey participants taught at institutions in the U.S.

Instructors answered questions related to the ideological approach they took in their multicultural teacher education courses — whether they took a conservative, liberal and critical approach.

The authors explain that the conservative form of multicultural teacher education, or MTE, “is assimilationist; it prepares teachers to help marginalized students conform to ‘mainstream culture and its attending values, mores, and norms.’” Meanwhile, liberal MTE “prepares teachers to celebrate diversity but, like conservative MTE, fails to prepare them to understand or respond to ways power and inequity are wielded in schools,” write Paul Gorski , founder of the Equity Literacy Institute, and Gillian Parekh , an assistant professor of education at York University. “Critical MTE prepares teachers to participate in the reconstruction of schools by advocating equity, confronting issues of power and privilege, and disrupting oppressive policies and practices.”

Gorski and Parekh find that multicultural teacher education classes “tend to have a conservative or liberal orientation, focused on appreciating diversity or cultural competence, rather than a critical orientation, focused on preparing teachers to address inequity.” That might be because instructors believe their institutions are less supportive of courses that take a critical approach, the researchers write.

“Our results indicate that multicultural teacher educators’ perceptions regarding whether the values they teach in their MTE courses are supported by their institutions is correlated with the criticality with which they design and teach those courses,” Gorski and Parekh write.

Instructors who take a conservative approach “pose no real threat to the injustices MTE ought to disrupt, perceive significantly greater institutional support for the values they teach in their MTE courses,” according to the authors. “Contrarily, those who employ a critical approach perceive significantly less institutional support.”

What We’re Teaching Teachers: An Analysis of Multicultural Teacher Education Coursework Syllabi Paul C. Gorski. Teaching and Teacher Education , 2008.

This study, which Gorski also authored, looks at course syllabi to see how U.S. colleges were teaching multicultural education to future teachers. Even though it is an older study, it offers insights into how colleges approached the issue at the time. The gist of Gorski’s findings: “The analysis revealed that most of the courses were designed to prepare teachers with pragmatic skills and personal awareness, but not to prepare them in accordance with the key principles of multicultural education, such as critical consciousness and a commitment to educational equity.”

Gorski analyzed 45 class syllabi from college courses designed to train teachers in multicultural education. Of them, 30 were undergraduate courses and 15 were graduate courses. Gorski finds that “only twelve syllabi (26.7%) seemed designed to prepare teachers to be what might be called authentic multicultural educators.”

Social Foundations and Multicultural Education Course Requirements in Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States Richard Neumann. Educational Foundations , Summer-Fall 2010.

In this study, Richard Neumann , a professor of education at San Diego State University, looks at whether teacher colleges in the U.S. require students to complete coursework in multicultural education. The key takeaway: At the time, fewer than half of the 302 universities studied required students wanting to become teachers to take a course in multicultural education.

Among programs that train students to work as elementary school teachers, 45% required at least one course in multicultural education. For programs that train secondary school teachers, 45% required students to complete at least one multicultural education course. Neumann learned that a larger percentage of public university programs required a multicultural education course than did programs offered at private universities.

Self-Efficacy and Multicultural Teacher Education in the United States: The Factors That Influence Who Feels Qualified to be a Multicultural Teacher Educator Paul C. Gorski, Shannon N. Davis and Abigail Reiter. Multicultural Perspectives , 2012.

This paper looks at which educators feel most qualified to teach multicultural education to students studying to become teachers. The analysis, based on a survey of 75 college instructors, indicates that Black educators tend to feel less qualified to teach multicultural teacher education courses than their counterparts of other races and ethnicities.

Heterosexual educators felt more qualified to teach multicultural teacher education courses than their LGBTQ counterparts, according to the paper, of which Gorski is the lead author. The other two authors are Shannon N. Davis , director of the PhD program in sociology at George Mason University, and Abigail Reiter , an assistant professor in the sociology and criminal justice department of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

The study also indicates that instructors’ experience working in schools — as elementary, middle or high school teachers — or their work as education activists “had no significant influence on their feelings of being qualified to teach MTE [multicultural teacher education] courses.”

Key resources

• This May 2020 report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows how student demographics have changed over time and are predicted to change by 2029.
• This February 2019 report from NCES finds that in fall 2015, the majority of white public school students were enrolled at schools where minority students comprised 25% or less of the student population.
• This September 2020 report from NCES examines public school teacher demographics. More than three-fourths of teachers working in U.S. public schools — 79% — were white as of 2017-18, the most recent academic year for which the federal government has complete data.
• Here is a list of the country’s top education schools , ranked by U.S. News & World Report .
• Kansas State University’s Tilford Group is a research organization that focuses on multicultural education.
• The National Education Association , one of the nation’s largest teacher unions, offers educators various types of training through its Center for Social Justice .
• The nonprofit National Association for Multicultural Education provides a range of relevant resources. The organization’s president is Lisa Zagumny , who also is the dean and director of doctoral studies at Tennessee Technological University’s College of Education.

About The Author

Denise-Marie Ordway

Created by the Great Schools Partnership , the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. | Learn more »

Multicultural Education

Multicultural education refers to any form of education or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds. At the classroom level, for example, teachers may modify or incorporate lessons to reflect the cultural diversity of the students in a particular class. In many cases, “culture” is defined in the broadest possible sense, encompassing race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, and “exceptionality”—a term applied to students with specialized needs or disabilities.

Generally speaking, multicultural education is predicated on the principle of educational equity for all students, regardless of culture, and it strives to remove barriers to educational opportunities and success for students from different cultural backgrounds. In practice, educators may modify or eliminate educational policies, programs, materials, lessons, and instructional practices that are either discriminatory toward or insufficiently inclusive of diverse cultural perspectives. Multicultural education also assumes that the ways in which students learn and think are deeply influenced by their cultural identity and heritage, and that to teach culturally diverse students effectively requires educational approaches that value and recognize their cultural backgrounds. In this way, multicultural education aims to improve the learning and success of all students, particularly students from cultural groups that have been historically underrepresented or that suffer from lower educational achievement and attainment.

Instructionally, multicultural education may entail the use of texts, materials, references, and historical examples that are understandable to students from different cultural backgrounds or that reflect their particular cultural experience—such as teaching students about historical figures who were female, disabled, or gay (a less common practice in past decades). Since schools in the United States have traditionally used texts, learning materials, and cultural examples that commonly—or even exclusively—reflect an American or Eurocentric point of view, other cultural perspectives are often absent. Consequently, some students—such as recently arrived immigrants or students of color, for example—may be placed at an educational disadvantage due to cultural or linguistic obstacles that have been overlooked or ignored.

The following are a few representative ways in which multicultural education may play out in schools:

• Learning content: Texts and learning materials may include multiple cultural perspectives and references. For example, a lesson on colonialism in North America might address different cultural perspectives, such as those of the European settlers, indigenous Americans, and African slaves.
• Student cultures: Teachers and other educators may learn about the cultural backgrounds of students in a school, and then intentionally incorporate learning experiences and content relevant to their personal cultural perspectives and heritage. Students may also be encouraged to learn about the cultural backgrounds of other students in a class, and students from different cultures may be given opportunities to discuss and share their cultural experiences.
• Critical analysis: Educators may intentionally scrutinize learning materials to identify potentially prejudicial or biased material. Both educators and students might analyze their own cultural assumptions, and then discuss how learning materials, teaching practices, or schools policies reflect cultural bias, and how they could be changed to eliminate bias.
• Resource allocation: Multicultural education is generally predicated on the principle of equity—i.e., that the allocation and distribution of educational resources, programs, and learning experiences should be based on need and fairness, rather than strict equality. For example, students who are not proficient in the English language may learn in bilingual settings and read bilingual texts, and they may receive comparatively more instructional support than their English-speaking peers so that they do not fall behind academically or drop out of school due to language limitations.

Multicultural education evolved out of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Although it began with the African-American community, the movement soon expanded to include other cultural groups who were subject to discrimination. In recent years, as student populations have grown more diverse, multicultural approaches to education are increasingly being used in public schools.

The following are few representative ways in which multicultural education may intersect with efforts to improve schools:

• Curriculum design: In teaching materials and learning experiences, the backgrounds and perspectives of previously excluded subcultures are increasingly being represented in school curriculum . In addition, learning standards —brief descriptions of what students are expected to learn and be able to do at particular ages and grade levels—are evolving to reflect greater cultural diversity (for example, the Common Core State Standards intentionally consider the educational experiences of English-language learners and students with special needs). In addition, there are now educational programs, such as ethnic and gender studies, that focus on specific cultural groups, and school learning experiences and social-justice programs may also encourage students to investigate and address cultural bias in their school or community.
• Student instruction: The way that educators teach is also changing to accommodate increasing diversity in public schools. For example, students with moderate disabilities and students who are not proficient in English are increasingly being moved into regular classes (rather than being taught in separate classes), where they may receive specialized assistance, but where they learn the same material as their peers. In the classroom, teachers may also employ “culturally responsive” instructional strategies (such as those described above) that reflect the cultural identity of individual students.
• Learning assessment: Proponents of multicultural education tend to argue that “one-size-fits-all” approaches to assessing student learning could disadvantage students from different cultural backgrounds—e.g., when students are not fluent in the language used on a test, when assessment questions are phrased in a way that could be misinterpreted by students (because the students are unfamiliar with American slang, customs, or cultural references), or when a testing situation does not make sufficient accommodations for students with disabilities. One alternative to standardized tests , for example, is to measure student learning progress using a wider variety of assessment options, such as teacher-created tests, oral presentations, and various demonstrations of learning that give students more opportunities to show what they have learned. Generally speaking, proponents of multicultural education tend to advocate that students from different cultural backgrounds should be held to the same high expectations as other students, but that schools should adopt more flexible and inclusive ways of teaching them and measuring what they have learned. For related discussions, see test accommodations , test bias , and stereotype threat .
• Teacher education: Multicultural education has also affected the preparation of teachers. Beginning in the 1980s, accrediting organizations and state departments of education started requiring teacher-education programs to include multicultural coursework and training. States such as California, Florida, and Massachusetts undertook ambitious efforts to train teachers in multicultural education and English as a second language.
• School staffing: Districts and schools are also being more intentional or proactive about hiring educators of color from diverse cultural backgrounds. While proponents of multicultural education would not claim that teachers of color are more skilled than other teachers, they are likely to argue that staffing decisions reflect a school’s fundamental values and that students will benefit from having educators and role models from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.
• Legislative and legal issues: The rise of multicultural education has also coincided with a number of legislative and court actions. Laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974, and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1974, among many others, increased the visibility of multicultural education and led to the widespread adoption of more multicultural approaches to education in American public schools. Federal, state, and district policies, in addition to major legal decisions related to desegregation ( Brown v. Board of Education , 1954), the education of bilingual students ( Lau v. Nichols , 1974), and fairness in school finance ( San Antonio v. Rodriguez , 1973), for example, have also had a major effect on multicultural education in schools.

As demographic changes in the United States have significantly increased the cultural diversity of student populations in public schools—many urban districts, for example, are already “majority minority” districts—multicultural policies and practices have become important and sometimes contentious issues.

At the center of many debates about multicultural education is the question of whether such approaches might actually serve to divide rather than unite Americans, and whether certain strategies are fundamentally fair to all students. In the view of some educators, parents, and others, increasing emphasis on diversity and multiculturalism in schools has shifted attention toward economically disadvantaged students of color, and away from white students from wealthier and more educated families. For example, strategies such as “heterogeneous grouping”—the grouping of students with different abilities, backgrounds, and levels of preparation in a single class—often leads to concerns about whether the practice disadvantages higher-performing students who may not be sufficiently challenged in the courses.

While the debates about multicultural education are both numerous and nuanced, many center on differing interpretations of equity—what is fair and just—and equality—what is applied, allocated, or distributed equally (for example, a school might choose to allocate resources—funding, teachers, staff time, etc.—equally among all students). Another source of debate stems from the conception of America as a meritocracy in which anyone, if they work hard enough, can succeed and prosper. Those who believe in and prioritize meritocracy may perceive unequal educational allocations, accommodations, or compensations to be unfair (because some students are being given an unfair advantage, which may diminish opportunities for other, possibly more deserving, students). Others, who don’t perceive America to be a true meritocracy, may argue that the unequal distribution of educational resources is the only fair way to level the playing field and ensure that every student has an equal—or equitable—opportunity to succeed. For a more detailed discussion of these debates, see equity .

The following list describes a few representative examples of multicultural education giving rise to debate:

• Affirmative action: While affirmative action  policies are frequently misunderstood—e.g., they are often misrepresented as quota systems for minorities, for example—the practice of giving certain minority groups preferential treatment in school admissions has been a source of ongoing debate in the United States, and it has led to charges of reverse-bias (some even refer to the practice as “positive discrimination”). While proponents of multicultural education would argue that affirmative action is motivated by the desire to counterbalance a legacy of systemic, institutionalized bias and to expand educational opportunities for all students, critics tend to argue that students should be admitted to schools based solely on academic performance and other objective measures of merit and worthiness.
• Resource allocation: As states, districts, and schools increase funding for specialized teachers, resources, and accommodations for minority, lower-income, and special-needs students, concerns and debates about fairness often follow. For example, a district and school may decide to hire more teachers with specialized expertise in English as a second language or in special education (often to comply with state or federal requirements) despite budgetary cutbacks and staffing reductions in other teaching areas. Such decisions can be particularly contentious if a school district decides to hire a private school, organization, or business, often at higher cost, to provide these specialized services.
• Assessment and testing: While there is broad agreement in the education community that all students should be held to the same high academic expectations , practices such as standardized testing and high-stakes testing are common sources of debate. Since all students—regardless of their ability, English proficiency, or cultural background—may be required to take the same test, debates about fairness can arise, particularly in those cases in which students may be at a clear disadvantage when taking the test—e.g., recently arrived immigrant students who are not yet proficient in the English language or in American customs and cultural references. Proponents of multicultural education may argue that students should be assessed using a variety of measures, while critics may contend that using a single test is the only fair and objective way to evaluate learning acquisition and academic progress.
• Curriculum and instruction: Critics of multicultural education may express concern that some texts and learning materials, for example, overemphasize culturally diverse content while giving insufficient attention to important topics or historical events. Proponents of multicultural education may argue that learning should address multiple cultural viewpoints, and that students from different cultural backgrounds should see their cultural groups represented in the lessons and content taught in public schools. Similar concerns are often expressed about instruction, and some educators and parents may argue that schools are spending too much time and too many resources on some students at the expense of others.

Alphabetical Search

What is Multicultural Education

This essay about multicultural education discusses its role as a guiding light in creating diverse and inclusive educational settings. It emphasizes the appreciation and integration of various cultures, languages, and histories to enrich collective learning. The text highlights the importance of cultural competence and responsive teaching, advocating for collaborative learning and community partnerships to achieve educational equity. Multicultural education is portrayed as essential for fostering respect, empathy, and a deeper understanding among students, shaping a future where diversity is viewed as a strength.

How it works

Multicultural teaching serves a headlight, guiding we through the number tilled various variant, lights up a road despite one contain academic settlements, where organ every type hears he and every only prospect enriches our collective understanding. It educational access outstrips mere pedagogical strategy; she incarnates philosophy, that estimates an array prosperous man, difficult, deep-seated experience and identical.

In his heart, multicultural teaching approves a coincidence cultures, languages, custom, and historical capitals well-assorted in borders educational place, transforming they in a tapestry points look various prosperous.

It separates he from one does not import what singular, homogeneous stallion, celebrates a mosaic as it, that a variety brings prosperous, encourages enseigne environment, where distinctions actively celebrated instead of that simply overcooked.

In an ecosystem multicultural teaching, students actively attract despite a trip self-discovery and the tilled research, understands their net capitals, grows a compassion and consideration, because dig them in cultures other. This process encourages, for them investigated groups their identical propre with other’, cultivating value variety unit between.

Central despite multicultural teaching is a concept the competence, tilled inclination to estimate and navigate the distinctions tilled deferentially, understands, and obedience. It includes more than undertakes only; it entails after an obligation to continuous talks, examination the preconceived ideas, and directs he despite prejudices, to encourage truly contains society.

However, multicultural justice school champions and main shareholder public in borders educational possession, pushes for politics and practices, these move educational barriers and student organs historically weigh minor group. It is a preventive appeal despite pedagogics, to direct he despite systematic injustices the nearest future and, to prepare educational environments, where whole students repose he fanciful and capable despite gets success. Pedagogics, hire tilled responsive teach strategies, create greeting espaces, where students can see itself in material, that study them, repose he interested, to discover anymore from the world, and appear he the future consideration and mutual understanding.

Partners teach stands so as the key limits multicultural teaching, pulls out a dialogue and collaboration through tilled divides. These transforms student in helpers, that stéréotypes a sporting contest, preventive and build bridges association. Do them his the manoeuvres to estimate a variety so as treasure force and innovation.

Draws out after walls school, multicultural teaching attained in society, one build terms and wedding rings, that increase educational goes for a walk vast. Families, community groups, and the tilled centers become the most general partners in aspiration for educational main shareholder, creates a side sideways pedagogics, to forge successes roads for whole students.

In eventual addition, multicultural teaching is a walk research, lights up, and evidential delegation, cuts the borders tilled and celebrates a variety a man complements experience. These invite us the future defenders for inclusivity, pioneers change, and defenders main shareholder, inhales to create the future, where a variety is accepted not only, and and knew so as asset, and where encourage, for each person attained them much better whole.

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Multicultural Education Essay Samples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Diversity , Students , Emotions , Education , Stereotypes , Communication , Multiculturalism , Culture

Words: 2500

Published: 03/17/2020

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Introduction

Multicultural education is a constructive way of pedagogical education and education for tolerance. It is intended to help students understand their culture, the role of stereotypes in the communication between different cultures, aware of his “I”, to answer the question “Who am I?” The student population is very diverse with regard to language, ethnicity, religion, culture and socioeconomics. However, the faculty and administration are homogeneous. Faculty and administration recognize that there may be a cultural disconnect between students and teachers (including administration). The board of trustees has given a mandate to the administration that there must be a push for multicultural education in the school. Multicultural education focuses on developing skills of interaction with people on the basis of understanding and acceptance of cultural differences, which allow realizing the essence to comprehend the reality, look for the causes and meaning of what is happening around, critically reflect contemporary realities of life. Formation of a critical way of thinking involves training depth and comprehensive analysis of the received information in order to identify the extent of its truth, which largely contributes to the formation of tolerant worldview (Koppelman, 2013). Implementation of multicultural communication involves not only a person’s willingness to accept the representative of another culture with all its national and mental features, but also the ability to change you. Learning a foreign language in all its diversity, students are faced with linguistic and cultural phenomena and compare them with those in their native language. For example, learning the lexical and grammatical system of a foreign language, students must turn to the knowledge gained in the classroom of the native language to highlight the similarities and differences in the field of linguistic phenomena and their use. The study of foreign language culture also leads the student to the need to appeal to the cultural and historical facts of his country. Thus, learning a foreign language and engaging in multicultural communication, the student comprehends his native language and culture deeper.

Embracing Characteristics of Multicultural Education

Moving the school toward embracing characteristics of multicultural education include affirmation, solidarity, critique and culturally responsive teaching. So, in the process of mastering foreign language students learn the material that illustrates the operation of the language in a natural environment, verbal and nonverbal behavior of native speakers in different communication situations and reveals behaviors associated with folk customs, traditions, social structure, and ethnicity. First of all, it comes with using authentic materials (original texts, audio, video), which are the regulations in terms of language processing and contain the information of linguistic and cross-cultural nature. It is important to know national and cultural features of the behavior of a foreigner in order to avoid potential conflicts with international communication. Thus, learning a foreign language, the student must not only learn his lexical, grammatical and syntactic features, but also learn to adequately respond to the situation replicas of native speakers, it is appropriate to apply the facial expressions and gestures, use the formula of speech etiquette and know the cultural and historical features of the language spoken (Banks, 2009). Multicultural education is different from other educational areas by several parameters. The main difference is that the necessary knowledge and skills are acquired primarily through direct cultural contacts. This requires often full or partial abstraction from the usual interpretation of various cultural phenomena and entails significant cognitive and affective changes. These changes can be demonstrated by the example of the culture of taste representations: on a cognitive level, it is considered that the proposed unusual dishes of other cuisine must be tried. On an emotional level, this proposal could cause a violent emotional reaction and lead participants in the communication of balance. Obstacles of this kind in the majority of cases occur suddenly, often in a collision with elements of another culture. Therefore, facing their own experience with the similarities and differences of other cultures, students learn to mutually accept and respect each other.

Identifying Bias in the School Curriculum

There are many approaches how people can study about other people’s cultures and create relations simultaneously. The following steps, which are first listed, can be taken and then developed upon one at a time. - Make mindful decision to build friendships with citizens from other cultures. - Get together in situations of meeting people of different cultures. - Inspect biases about populace from different cultures. - Request populace issues about their cultures, traditions, and views. - Listen to people tell their stories - Notice dissimilarities in contact styles and principles; don’t suppose that the majority’s approach is the correct approach - Risk doing faults - Train to be a friend. Many people face propaganda and typecasts about populace in dissimilar cultures. Particularly, when being young, people learn such information in bits and pieces from TV, communicating with other people, and from the traditions at large. This doesn’t mean that people are bad because they acquired this; nobody asked for being deceived. But with the intention of building relationships with citizens of unusual cultures, people should become responsive to the propaganda they acquired. An outstanding approach to become responsive to own stereotypes is to choose groups that people simplify about and write down defined opinions. Once people have, inspect the thoughts that came to their mind and where people got them. Another approach to become responsive to stereotypes is to speak about them with other citizens who have comparable cultures. In such locations people can talk about the propaganda they got without being unpleasant to people from an exacting group. People can have a meeting with a friend or two and speak about how they got stereotypes or doubts of other dissimilar people. The following questions can be answered, namely (Community tool box, 2014): - How did student’s relatives feel about dissimilar cultural, national, or spiritual groups? - What did student’s parents converse to the person with their procedures and words? - Were student’s parents’ communicating with people from many dissimilar sets? - What did people study at school about an exacting group? - Was there a short of data about several people? - Are there any people whom people can shy away from? Why?

Adapting Curriculum for Multicultural Classrooms

For example, the following game can help to adapt for multicultural classrooms. Its purposes are to simulate the situation of intercultural communication, to consider the aspect of linguistic diversity in multicultural interaction, to analyze the possibilities of non-verbal communication, to contribute to the emergence of interest and sympathy for the culture of others and to help develop the communication skills of participants. The number of participants should be 15-25 people.

Proceedings include:

1. The teacher divides the participants into equal groups. The number of groups depends on the total number of participants. For example, if there are 16 participants, four groups of 4 are formed. 2. The Group is offered over 10 minutes to come up with its own language, which must be different from all known languages and does not contain any elements of them. The language should consist of four words, namely hello, bye, any noun (e.g., apple) and any adjective (e.g., fluffy). Thus, through the allotted amount of time each group should have its own language. 3. Then the teacher asks the participants to form a new group, which will meet in one of the languages of each carrier. From this moment the participants allowed to talk only in their new language. The use of other languages or their elements is unacceptable, as record keeping. At this stage, before each task it is given 15-20 minutes to train new partners to its language and, in turn, “mastering” their languages. 4. At the end of the allotted time, participants returned to their original groups, which have the opportunity to exchange experiences.

1. What are the emotions experienced by participants at different stages of the game (inventing the language of the original group; teaching others their language, learning the language of other groups, returning to the “home” group)? 2. Which of the stages of the game was the most difficult? Why? 3. What are the difficulties experienced by participants in the game? 4. Have all participants to learn languages of partners? 5. What helped complete the task? 6. What game situation resembled any real life situations? 7. What conclusions can be drawn by analyzing the experience of participation in an interactive game?

The optimum for this method is that amount of participants in which the number of people in groups on the first and second stages of method is the same (e.g., 16 (4 groups of 4) or 25 (5 of 5) members). But it is quite acceptable if the group has a different number of people. For example, if a group of 15 participants at the first stage is formed by three groups of five human, and the second – 3 groups of 5 persons. Desirably, the number of members was divisible by three, four or five, otherwise, it is difficult to use this method. Typically, the method is very active and emotional. For another sometime after the end of the game participants can actively share their experiences and emotions. This is especially important to take into account (and use) the planning of programs and finding a place for this method.

Racism and Prejudice at the Individual and Institutional Levels

Considering cultural differences in thinking, opinions, attitudes, and behavior, it is easy to succumb to cognitive and emotional reactions to the material, begin to generalize, to form negative stereotypes about other people and even in advance to make a judgment about these differences and others, which is inherent in this behavior, before people really understand what lies at its core. These processes and reactions are common in today’s world, and to describe them the term ethnocentrism, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination are often used. Unfortunately, these terms are often used without a clear idea about them that only exacerbates the problems that they have to clarify. Some of today’s most pressing social issues connected with these processes, as the boundaries between countries and cultures are becoming more permeable as a result of the development of means of communication, technology and business. It is impossible to pick up a newspaper or magazine or turn on the television news program and see the information about problems relating to ethnocentrism or racial and ethnic stereotypes. These problems range from international business to violence and wars caused by racial and ethnic differences. These issues are expected to become even more relevant in the future when technological progress more closely unite the diverse cultures of the world. Institutional or structural racism means as the public, financial, instructive, and political forces or procedures that work to promote discriminatory results or provide penchants to participants of one group over others, obtains its origin from the genesis of race as a concept (de Silva & Clark, 2007). One of the most important ways of making efforts to reduce discrimination (in addition to the recognition of ethnocentrism and stereotyping and to think critically about the shortcomings of these stereotypes) is learning how to control emotions. People need to learn to regulate their negative emotions when they arise, as well as its positive, reinforcing emotions when they are challenged. Just like learning to regulate emotional processes, people can do the exercises on critical thinking, studying the possible distortions in thoughts, feelings and actions and adjusting them accordingly. Without the ability to regulate emotions, such higher-order thought processes are not possible.

One of the first steps to improve understanding of intergroup relations is a better understanding of culture – particularly the impact of culture on the basic psychological processes, as well as the formation and maintenance of ethnocentrism and stereotyping. However, the improvement of understanding of culture and its influences is only the first of many steps along this road. It is necessary to probe own culture, to find out the reasons why certain stereotypes persist and how conservation can go to the benefit of culture. It is required to recognize the existence of substantial individual variability within groups and cultures, as well as the shortcomings of their cultural ethnocentrism and malevolent, limited stereotypes. The study of culture shows the importance of cultural environment, education and heritage, as well as their influence on behavior. The recognition of the contribution of culture in action, behavior and the reasons behind them helps people to understand, respect and evaluate these differences, when they see them in real life. Several studies conducted over the years have highlighted the potential contribution of the extended cross-cultural experience in reducing the number of inflexible ethnocentric attitudes, fixed stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. Many of these studies have directed attention to the multicultural experience gained through the travel of participants and their living in other cultures than those to which they have joined. And what if people were the victims of prejudice and discrimination? One of the first countermeasures is to see the flaws and sources of such thoughts, feelings and actions in others. Unfortunately, more often people have few means to combat deficiencies of thoughts and actions of others, because people change only when they want to do it.

Banks, J. A. (2009). Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives. Wiley. Community tool box (2014). Chapter 27. Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence de Silva, E. C. & Clark, E. J. (2007). Institutional Racism & the Social Work Profession: A Call to Action. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/institutionalracism.pdf Koppelman, K. (2013). Understanding Human Differences: Multicultural Education for a Diverse America, 4th edition, Pearson. Nieto, S. Bode, P. (2010). Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical context of multicultural education. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Spring, J. (2010). Deculturalization and the struggle for equality. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. T-kit 4: Intercultural learning. Retrieved from http://pjp-eu.coe.int/ru/web/youth-partnership/t-kit-4-intercultural-learning

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Multicultural Education in the Classroom Problem Solution Essay

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Introduction

Prejudice and stereotyping, recommendation for change.

Stereotyping is creating a mental image of a group of people basing on certain opinions with disregard of the differences among individuals. Prejudice, on the other hand, is negatively judging a particular group of people or having views about the group without the knowledge of the facts (Walter, 1999). This is prejudging someone without actually knowing the person. This paper will address the issue of stereotyping and prejudice in schools, look at how they occur and provide recommendation for improvement.

I believe that people tend to think that stereotyping and prejudice only occur in adults because one might not imagine a seven-year-old do such a thing. However, research has indicated that it even occurs in elementary schools (McKown & Weinstein, 2003). Children of this age have been recorded to show awareness and have even suffered from stereotyping by fellow classmates.

Research has also shown that adults may be affected by stereotypes. The feeling of being judged based on stereotypes may negatively affect the performance of the individual. These effects include poor performance in academics (Walter, 1999).

McKown and Weinstein (2003) proposed a particular time in the lives of children when they become aware of stereotyping. They proposed that it begins at a tender age of between six and ten. They begin with no prior information about stereotyping. As they develop, they start to get the idea when someone has a stereotype. They later start talking about the stereotypes themselves (McKown & Weinstein, 2003, p. 506).

In the three classrooms visited for the exercise, several observations were made. Firstly, the Latino and the African Americans had been greatly affected by the stereotypes held against them. Basing from the comments from the victims, the stereotypes held against them concerning their performance had caused them to develop negative attitudes towards cognitive tasks that were meant to measure their ability.

However, when the same task was described as a problem-solving task, they performed much better. This only proved that their low self-esteem that came about with the stereotypes concerning their academic ability had negatively affected their perceptions and attitudes towards tasks measuring their ability.

In a particular classroom, prejudice had led to the formation of groups of students that were problematic. However, it was unfortunate that some teachers seemed to have little or no knowledge of how to handle diversity in the classroom. It had also been reported that prejudice had resulted in violence, bullying and conflict in a particular classroom in the preschool visited.

It should be understood that stereotyping is not a strange phenomenon in preschools (as observed). This is because of the nature of the children’s cognition or development process. Therefore, it is important that teachers in schools understand that their students are very likely to develop stereotypes. The teachers and parents should be on the forefront in this venture (Bennett, 2007). They should also discourage name-calling and make it a routine in order for the children to get accustomed to such positive behavior.

One of the models that helps combat the issues of stereotyping and prejudice is the model of multicultural education. According to the model, the activities performed by students should be virtuous. They should promote respect, show appreciation and promote tolerance.

Teachers should make the children understand that stereotyping is not allowed in the classroom. They should also encourage those who are affected to feel good about themselves. This would reduce the tension that exists. This would also lead to the decrease in the cases of discrimination in class.

Stereotyping and prejudice are vices that exist in the society. They exist in preschools and they also affect adults. Schools face the challenge of trying to eliminate them in the system. Teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills required to handle such issues. They should promote harmony in the classrooms in order to eliminate prejudice and stereotyping in the schools.

Bennett, C. (2007). Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice (6 th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

McKown, C., & Weinstein, R. (2003). The development of stereotype consciousness in middle childhood. Developmental Psychology, 74(2), 498-515.

Walter, S. (1999). Reducing prejudice and stereotyping in schools: Multicultural education series . New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

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Essay on Multicultural Education in the US

Alghamdi, Y. (2017). Multicultural Education in the US: Current Issues and Suggestions for Practical Implementations.

Multicultural education is any form of learning or teaching that incorporates histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives from diverse cultural backgrounds. Countries that are enjoying the post-industrial era have high numbers of immigrants who come searching for work and freedom. Classrooms in the United States have students from diverse cultural backgrounds. There is a need to examine multicultural education, its historical background, key dimensions that encompass the phenomenon, dilemmas that are hampering developments in the sector, and practical suggestions to spearhead changes in the education system (Alghamdi, 2017). To fit the requirements of the research, the paper chooses to offer a critique of the article “ Multicultural Education in the US: Current Issues and Suggestions for Practical Implementations .” The article is appropriate for the study since it offers insight into the topic of discussion. Also, the author has given an in-depth analysis of challenges that have paralyzed successful multicultural learning in the United States. The research for critique offers an overview of the critical dimensions encompassing multicultural education, significant issues that affect the same, dilemmas associated, and practical suggestions.

In the article, the author introduces the topic of multicultural education by defining the concept as a process that delivers basic education that is suitable for all in the society. Diverse students seeking to learn in the United States need recognition by incorporating principles of multiculturalism. The research notes with concern that the existent differences in cultural practices within the United States is due to immigration that has seen many people move to the US (Alghamdi, 2017). As such, the divergent cultural origins necessitate that the education system accommodates everyone regardless of their cultural background. Fostering education requires an inclusive and understanding environment. Five significant dimensions encompass the concept of multicultural education, namely, content integration, knowledge construction, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and empowering of social and school structures.

Educators in schools should be able to apply content integration to address the issue of multiculturalism within institutions. For instance, incorporating basic examples from all races during learning can help many feel included. Immigrant students and blacks are the victims of circumstances in many cases within the United States (Alghamdi, 2017). The author of the article notes with concern that curricula in schools should encompass diversity in a bid to promote fairness within the learning environment. Generalizations and principles that are vital to the understanding of various concepts can be drawn from diverse cultural backgrounds. Teachers should reflect on diversity when selecting curriculum materials for use in institutions.

Second, knowledge construction is a critical dimension of multicultural education. The author of the article notes that learners need to develop skills on how to make decisions, examine, view, or analyze matters that can build knowledge construction (Alghamdi, 2017). In his work, the author has explained the essence of knowledge construction and the possible implications of ignoring it in a multicultural society vividly. Through the learning of societal norms, values, and biases, a leaner can know their conformity standards within a setting. Obstacles that challenge successful knowledge construction among learners should be addressed to achieve the meaning of a multicultural education system.

The third dimension that is important in the understanding and fostering of multicultural education is prejudice reduction (Alghamdi, 2017). The author of the article notes that educators should train learners on how to develop democratic racial attitudes for mutual co-existence within the learning environment. Teachers are meant to change the perception of learners on others from diverse racial backgrounds. The research asserts that the role of teachers is to ensure that students develop positive ethnic and racial attitudes for a better society in the future. Failure to adhere to prejudice reduction in institutions can hamper any effort to promote multicultural education.

Equity pedagogy is another crucial dimension that the article highlights. Teachers should consider the fact that students have different cognitive abilities. Cognitive abilities are a significant measure of a learner’s capability in education. As such, teachers must acknowledge the fact that there are students who take longer to understand while others require no much time. Incorporating the family lives of learners from different cultural backgrounds can help foster the equity pedagogy. The article mentions that it is the role of teachers to ensure that equity is ploughed among learners for better grasping of concepts in class.

The last and essential dimension of multicultural education in the United States is empowering school and social culture. Schools have learners from diverse cultural backgrounds, and it is their role to shape behavior among students (Alghamdi, 2017). Opportunities within the learning environment should be accorded in a free and fair manner. For instance, an institution that favors whites over blacks does not promote equity among all races. Racial discrimination hampers efforts that are made to promote multicultural education within the United States. Learning strategies that foster good relations and reduce racism or bigotry should be put in place to ensure set objectives are achieved.

The article notes the advantages of fostering multiculturalism within the society and how they have impacted learning. Multicultural education reduces the educational gap between the white students and minority groups (Alghamdi, 2017). Notably, there is a difference in the cognitive abilities of students from different races. However, it is the work of multicultural education to ensure that the gap is reduced for equality and understanding. This can be done by organizing special programs that can boost their knowledge. Also, multicultural education systems reduce racial attitudes among learners as instilled by cultural backgrounds. Through multicultural education, students can learn various concepts, which prove to be crucial in their life within the society. Learning in an environment that has colleagues from other cultural backgrounds might prove resourceful for individuals within the United States, as asserted by the author in the article.

Multicultural education creates an engaging and socialization classroom climate, which is essential to learners in a diverse setting. Classrooms offer much the chance to engage others and discuss issues that might be challenging to a learner. By so doing, one gains more insight and conceptual understanding within any setting (Alghamdi, 2017). Multicultural education promotes cognitive thinking kills of a learner and improves their creativity. The author of the article has examined the role that multicultural education plays to ensure that students improve their critical thinking. A multicultural educational program develops confidence and friendship among learners and educators. For instance, one can bond with their teachers, which promotes academic performance in class. As such, multicultural education is seen to be important in fostering social conformity and understanding.

The article discusses the key issues that are challenging the successful enrollment of multicultural education within institutions in the United States. Different cultural backgrounds pose a significant challenge to the execution of operations related to education. Learners from different backgrounds have un-equal understanding abilities, as mentioned in the research (Alghamdi, 2017). The blacks and other immigrant groups are disadvantaged regarding cognitive abilities, but institutions should help boost their understanding to promote equality. Learners must drop their cultural identity in favor of multiculturalism. According to the article, many should undergo assimilation and embrace what other backgrounds can offer regarding culture and learning. Educators who have failed to recognize cultural differences in learning institutions are also a challenge to multicultural education. It is the role of an educator to promote positive racial attitudes among learners.

Another challenge that has derailed the successful implementation of multicultural education is the failure of educational organizations to address diversity. Application of a similar strategy to address challenges that are facing both minority and majority groups proves to be futile since cultural diversity plays a role. Strategies used to teach bright students should be accommodative of those with lower IQs. Other challenges, as contributed by learning institutions, include the same test measure, marginalized performance, and bias towards uniformity (Alghamdi, 2017). For instance, a teacher in a multicultural institution should incorporate strategies that advocate for diversity in any learning institution. The issue of impoverished blacks and other minorities poses a significant challenge to achieving targets of multicultural education. The perception of black students being weak in class should be considered to devise better mechanisms for their improvement.

The article presents essential suggestions that can help change the face of multicultural education within the United States. Professional and diverse teachers should be employed to provide the required guidance in the sector (Alghamdi, 2017). Employing teachers who are specialized in one area might hurt efforts to improve, hence the need for professionals. Implementation of any educational policy is dependent on the set strategies to achieve the required standards. Improper implementation will paralyze the delivery of content in institutions of learning.

The author recommends that teacher education programs should be put in place. Such programs aim to increase the educator’s ability to deliver content that promotes multiculturalism among students. Teachers should be taught on how to incorporate diversity in all learning models for a better understanding among learners. Institutions of learning within the states need to play their roles appropriately. A school as a social institution should train learners on how to live with others and maintain high conformity standards. Learning institutions should acknowledge the existence of diversity, as evidenced in the United States’ cultural background. Institutions should be at the forefront of supporting reforms to embrace multicultural education (Alghamdi, 2017).

Research work conducted in the article “Disability in Multicultural Theory: Conceptual and Social Justice Issues”, highlights disability in a multicultural context (Anastasiou, Kauffman & Michail, 2016). In what seems as a critique for the work conducted by Yahya Alghamdi, the article examines the concept of those disabled and how easily one can differentiate between disabilities in minority groups. The article gives detailed information on reasons why the disabled are facing difficulties in education, especially in a multicultural setting. The study exposes Yahya’s work for failing to capture the issue is disabilities in a multicultural context (Anastasiou, Kauffman & Michail, 2016).

To sum it up, the article presents crucial information on the progress that multicultural education has made in the US history. It highlights dimensions that encompass the concept of diversity and education. The dimensions of multicultural education recognized in the research include content integration, knowledge construction, equity pedagogy, prejudice reduction, and empowering social and school structures. The study also mentions the advantages associated with multicultural learning. The article is resourceful in directing those who are carrying out a background check on multicultural education and its impact in the United States. The suggestions that the author lists can help change the face of multicultural education. However, the article concentrates much on the historical background, rather than issues that encompass the phenomenon.

Anastasiou, D., Kauffman, J. M., & Michail, D. (2016). Disability in multicultural theory: Conceptual and social justice issues.  Journal of Disability Policy Studies ,  27 (1), 3-12.

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