Republic of the Philippines

Surigao del Sur State University

Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

Name: Abelgas, Ronan M.

Course and Year: BPED 3RD Year

Topic: 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.
History
Multicultural education emerged during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It
grew out of the demands of ethnic groups for inclusion in the curricula of schools, colleges, and
universities. Although multicultural education is an outgrowth of the ethnic studies movement of
the 1960s, it has deep historical roots in the African-American ethnic studies movement that
emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Initiated by scholars such as George Washington Williams, Carter G. Woodson, W. E. B.
DuBois, and Charles H. Wesley, the primary goal of the early ethnic studies movement was to
challenge the negative images and stereotypes of African Americans prevalent in mainstream
scholarship by creating accurate descriptions of the life, history, and contributions of African
Americans. These scholars had a personal, professional, and enduring commitment to the uplift
of African Americans. They believed that creating positive self-images of African Americans
was essential to their collective identity and liberation. They also believed that stereotypes and
negative beliefs about African Americans could be effectively challenged by objective historical
research that was also capable of transforming mainstream academic knowledge.
Carter G. Woodson–one of the leading scholars of the early ethnic studies movement–helped
found the Association for the Study of Negro (now Afro-American) Life and History in 1915.
The association played a key role in the production and dissemination of African-American
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

historical scholarship. In addition to writing numerous scholarly works and editing the
association's publications, Woodson initiated Negro History Week (now Black History Month)
to focus attention in the nation's schools on the life and history of African Americans.
In 1922 Woodson published a college textbook, The Negro in Our History, which was used in
many African-American schools and colleges. In response to public demand for classroom
materials, he wrote an elementary textbook, Negro Makers of History, followed by The Story of
the Negro Retold for senior high schools. Woodson also wrote, edited, and published African-
American children's literature. In 1937 he began publication of The Negro History Bulletin, a
monthly magazine for teachers and students featuring stories about exemplary teachers and
curriculum projects, historical narratives, and biographical sketches.
When the ethnic studies movement was revived in the 1960s, African Americans and other
marginalized ethnic groups refused assimilationist demands to renounce their cultural identity
and heritage. They insisted that their lives and histories be included in the curriculum of schools,
colleges, and universities. In challenging the dominant paradigms and concepts taught in the
schools and colleges, multicultural educators sought to transform the Eurocentric perspective and
incorporate multiple perspectives into the curriculum.
By the late 1980s multicultural theorists recognized that ethnic studies was insufficient to bring
about school reforms capable of responding to the academic needs of students of color. They
consequently shifted their focus from the mere inclusion of ethnic content to deep structural
changes in schools. During these years, multicultural educators also expanded from a primary
focus on ethnic groups of color to other group categories, such as social class, language and
gender. Although conceptually distinct, the key social categories of multicultural education–race,
class, gender, and culture–are interrelated. Multicultural theorists are concerned with how these
social variables interact in identity formation, and about the consequences of multiple and
contextual identities for teaching and learning.
During the 1970s a number of professional organizations–such as the National Council for Social
Studies, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the American Association of Colleges
for Teacher Education–issued policy statements and publications that encouraged the integration
of ethnic content into the school and teacher education curriculum. In 1973 the title of the forty-
third yearbook of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) was Teaching Ethnic
Studies: Concepts and Strategies. NCSS published Curriculum Guidelines for Multiethnic
Education in 1976, which was revised and reissued in 1992 as Curriculum Guidelines for
Multicultural Education. A turning point in the development of multicultural education occurred
in 1977 when the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) issued
standards for the accreditation of teacher education. The standards required all NCATE member
institutions (about 80% of the teacher education programs in the United States) to implement
components, courses, and programs in multicultural education.
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

Over the past two decades more ethnic content has appeared in the textbooks used in elementary
and secondary schools in the United States. An increasing number of teachers are using
anthologies in literature programs that include selections written by women and authors of color.
In addition, the market for books dealing with multicultural education has grown substantially,
and some of the nation's leading colleges and universities, including the University of California
at Berkeley and the University of Minnesota, have either revised their core curriculum to include
ethnic content or have established ethnic studies course requirements.
The Dimensions of Multicultural Education
James A. Banks's Dimensions of Multicultural Education is used widely by school districts to
conceptualize and develop courses, programs, and projects in multicultural education. The five
dimensions are:(1) content integration; (2) the knowledge construction process; (3) prejudice
reduction; (4) an equity pedagogy; and (5) an empowering school culture and social structure.
Although each dimension is conceptually distinct, in practice they overlap and are interrelated.
Content integration. Content integration deals with the extent to which teachers use examples
and content from a variety of cultures and groups to illustrate key concepts, principles,
generalizations, and theories in their subject area or discipline. The infusion of ethnic and
cultural content into a subject area is logical and not contrived when this dimension is
implemented properly.
More opportunities exist for the integration of ethnic and cultural content in some subject areas
than in others. There are frequent and ample opportunities for teachers to use ethnic and cultural
content to illustrate concepts, themes, and principles in the social studies, the language arts, and
in music. Opportunities also exist to integrate multicultural content into math and science.
However, they are less ample than they are in social studies and the language arts. Content
integration is frequently mistaken by school practitioners as comprising the whole of
multicultural education, and is thus viewed as irrelevant to instruction in disciplines such as math
and science.
The knowledge construction process. The knowledge construction process describes teaching
activities that help students to understand, investigate, and determine how the implicit cultural
assumptions, frames of references, perspectives, and biases of researchers and textbook writers
influence the ways in which knowledge is constructed.
Multicultural teaching involves not only infusing ethnic content into the school curriculum, but
changing the structure and organization of school knowledge. It also includes changing the ways
in which teachers and students view and interact with knowledge, helping them to become
knowledge producers, not merely the consumers of knowledge produced by others.
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

The knowledge construction process helps teachers and students to understand why the cultural
identities and social positions of researchers need to be taken into account when assessing the
validity of knowledge claims. Multicultural theories assert that the values, personal histories,
attitudes, and beliefs of researchers cannot be separated from the knowledge they create. They
consequently reject positivist claims of disinterested and distancing knowledge production. They
also reject the possibility of creating knowledge that is not influenced by the cultural
assumptions and social position of the knowledge producer.
In multicultural teaching and learning, paradigms, themes, and concepts that exclude or distort
the life experiences, histories, and contributions of marginalized groups are challenged.
Multicultural pedagogy seeks to reconceptualize and expand the Western canon, to make it more
representative and inclusive of the nation's diversity, and to reshape the frames of references,
perspectives, and concepts that make up school knowledge.
Prejudice reduction. The prejudice reduction dimension of multicultural education seeks to help
students develop positive and democratic racial attitudes. It also helps students to understand
how ethnic identity is influenced by the context of schooling and the attitudes and beliefs of
dominant social groups. The theory developed by Gordon Allport (1954) has significantly
influenced research and theory in intergroup relations. He hypothesized that prejudice can be
reduced by interracial contact if the contact situations have these characteristics: (1) they are
cooperative rather than competitive; (2) the individuals experience equal status; and (3) the
contact is sanctioned by authorities such as parents, principals and teachers.
An equity pedagogy. An equity pedagogy exists when teachers modify their teaching in ways
that will facilitate the academic achievement of students from diverse racial, cultural,
socioeconomic, and language groups. This includes using a variety of teaching styles and
approaches that are consistent with the range of learning styles within various cultural and ethnic
groups, such as being demanding but highly personalized when working with American Indian
and Native Alaskan students. It also includes using cooperative learning techniques in math and
science instruction to enhance the academic achievement of students of color.
An equity pedagogy rejects the cultural deprivation paradigm that was developed in the early
1960s. This paradigm posited that the socialization experiences in the home and community of
low-income students prevented them from attaining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed
for academic success. Because the cultural practices of low-income students were viewed as
inadequate and inferior, cultural deprivation theorists focused on changing student behavior so
that it aligned more closely with mainstream school culture. An equity pedagogy assumes that
students from diverse cultures and groups come to school with many strengths.
Multicultural theorists describe how cultural identity, communicative styles, and the social
expectations of students from marginalized ethnic and racial groups often conflict with the
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

values, beliefs, and cultural assumptions of teachers. The middle-class mainstream culture of the
schools creates a cultural dissonance and disconnect that privileges students who have
internalized the school's cultural codes and communication styles.
Teachers practice culturally responsive teaching when an equity pedagogy is implemented. They
use instructional materials and practices that incorporate important aspects of the family and
community culture of their students. Culturally responsive teachers also use the "cultural
knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse
students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them" (Gay, p. 29).
An empowering school culture. This dimension involves restructuring the culture and
organization of the school so that students from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and
language groups experience equality. Members of the school staff examine and change the
culture and social structure of the school. Grouping and labeling practices, sports participation,
gaps in achievement among groups, different rates of enrollment in gifted and special education
programs among groups, and the interaction of the staff and students across ethnic and racial
lines are important variables that are examined and reformed.
An empowering school structure requires the creation of qualitatively different relationships
among various groups within schools. Relationships are based on mutual and reciprocal respect
for cultural differences that are reflected in school-wide goals, norms, and cultural practices. An
empowering school structure facilitates the practice of multicultural education by providing
teachers with opportunities for collective planning and instruction, and by creating democratic
structures that give teachers, parents, and school staff shared responsibility for school
governance.
FATHER OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
James A. Banks, considered the “father of multicultural education,”
Four Approaches in Multicultural Curriculum Reform:
The Contributions Approach
This approach reflects the least amount of involvement in multicultural education approaches.
This is incorporated by selecting books and activities that celebrate holidays, heroes, and special
events from various cultures. For example, spending time reading about Dr. Martin Luther King
in January is a common practice that falls into this category. In this approach, culturally diverse
books and issues are not specified as part of the curriculum (Banks, 1999).
The Additive Approach
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

In this approach content, concepts, themes, and perspectives are added to the curriculum without
changing its basic structure. This involves incorporating literature by and about people from
diverse cultures into the mainstream curriculum without changing the curriculum. For example,
examining the perspective of a Native American about Thanksgiving would be adding cultural
diversity to the traditional view of Thanksgiving. However, this approach does not necessarily
transform thinking (Banks, 1999).
The Transformation Approach
This approach actually changes the structure of the curriculum and encourages students to view
concepts, issues, themes, and problems from several ethnic perspectives and points of view. For
example, a unit on Thanksgiving would become an entire unit exploring cultural conflict. This
type of instruction involves critical thinking and involves a consideration of diversity as a basic
premise (Banks, 1999).
The Social Action Approach
This approach combines the transformation approach with activities to strive for social change.
Students are not only instructed to understand and question social issues, but to also do
something about important about it. For example, after participating in a unit about recent
immigrants to North America, students may write letters to senators, Congress, and newspaper
editors to express their opinions about new policies (Banks, 1999).
Reference: Banks, J.A. (1999). An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2nd ed.). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
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
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

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
 Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Rosario, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph

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.