Running head: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Multicultural education:
What affect has multiculturalism had on the educational system in regards to teachers beliefs
and teacher education programs?
Nicole D. Porter
Benerd School of Education, University of the Pacific

Applied Inquiry I: EDU 352

Dr. Ronald Hallett

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

What affect has multiculturalism had on the educational system in regards to teachers
beliefs and teacher education programs?

There is a fear or discomfort of teachers discussing and reflecting on their own personal
feelings about race and culture especially in the educational system (Howard, 2010). Addressing
diversity in the classroom requires teachers to think about how students learn and process
information based on their unique cultural and linguistic skills. This new way of evaluating and
accommodating diversity in the classroom can cause a disequilibrium which can bring about a
change and adaptation to the way teachers think. (Piaget 1896-1980). This literature review
explores what affect has multicultural education had on teachers beliefs and teacher education
programs. It is necessary to define and discuss the background of multicultural education to
establish a foundation in todays educational system as well as what has been developed to
further the development and knowledge of the multicultural educator. My research will define
terms used to describe multicultural education, explore teacher reflection and awareness;
describe formal education preparation; and conclude with next steps in the research.

Definitions
The articles used different terms to describe multicultural education such as culture
diversity, multicultural awareness, multiculturalism, culture competent, culture diversity,
diversity awareness, culturally responsive, and racial awareness. It is important to understand
that the origin of multicultural education was born from the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s
and has evolved to create full inclusion for all students and citizens (Banks, 1991).

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Multicultural education has been extensively defined to include studying the qualities and
attributes of different races and cultures; utilizing reflective practices to identify stereotypes and
biases; appreciating differences and incorporating new strategies to reach all students; and
developing strategies and systems to reduce race, class and gender divisions (Banks,1991);
(Smith,2013); (Muniz, Brady, and SooHoo,(2010). The National Education Association (2008)
defines multicultural education or culture competence as
the ability to successfully teach students who come from a culture or cultures
other than their own; it entails developing certain personal and interpersonal awareness
and sensitivities, understanding certain bodies of cultural knowledge, and mastering a set
of skills that, taken together, underlie effective cross cultural teaching and culturally
responsive teaching (p. 2 ).
In order to maintain continuity and consistency, I will utilize the term multicultural
education as defined above by the National Education Association throughout this paper. The
next section will provide insight to teacher attitudes and beliefs in regards to multicultural
education and teaching.
Teacher Beliefs
The journey for culturally competent teachers must begin with 1) identifying ones own
biases and beliefs; 2) evaluating how these may influence their expectations for behavior and
interactions with students; and, 3) learning what a classroom looks like when practicing
culturally responsive teaching(Metropolitan Center for Urban Ed,2008);(Banks,1991). Villegas
and Lucas (2002described teachers awareness with the term sociocultural consciousness,
(Peck and McDonald, 2014), understanding how race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic
status can influence ones thinking or thought process (Banks, 1991).

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

The articles examined, teachers shared that discussing differences amongst their
colleagues may be construed as discriminating against students of color and they dont want to
be looked at as being prejudice. It was also mentioned that teachers felt less prepared to work
with different cultures or not sure how to address and reach students of color (Gay, 2013).
The parallel to teachers expressing a feeling of unpreparedness were teachers who viewed
the world with rose colored glasses, not acknowledging feelings about differences or even the
diversity within their classrooms, this can also portray a negative impact on student learning
even if it is without malice (Assaf, Garza, Battle, 2010)
The literature discussed that this way of thinking is unrealistic especially since children
begin to notice differences even as early as the preschool years (Assaf, et al2010). Some
teachers stated that they dont acknowledge race and see all students as the same which based on
articles and studies is known as the color blind teacher which is actually more dangerous due
to the fact that by not acknowledging the issue keeps you from actually addressing the issues and
concerns (Assaf, et al 2010).
One study yielded teacher misconceptions about how they perceived students and their
families which allowed teachers to analyze their thoughts in a safe setting and implement
strategies to support diverse learners (Colombo, 2005). The first misconception is that all
children are the same. This led to teachers not acknowledging the differences and uniqueness
each child may bring to the classroom as well as creating an environment based on a deficit
model by trying to assimilate culturally diverse students with their mainstream peers.
Opportunities to interact with the child and family allowed the teachers to acknowledge different
strengths in each child which brought a richness and meaning to the class as a whole. The second
misconception is that culturally diverse families should be aware of school culture and

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

expectations. Teachers felt that families should engage and encourage activities to enhance
learning at school. Historically some families believe that teachers were to provide the academic
support and enrichment and didnt see this as a role for parents or families. Teachers realized that
better communication was needed to encourage learning at home (Roux, 2002).
Teachers also mentioned not taking in consideration families who immigrated to the
United States and have not had the experience or knowledge of schools and the culture of
schools. The third misconception was families dont care about their childs academic and social
success at school (Colombo, 2005). For example, school events for families and children were
provided during the day or early evening and only a few parents attended. Teachers forgot to
consider family dynamics in regards to work schedules, multiple siblings, community
obligations, time of events as well as if childcare is being provided. Teachers provided surveys
and asked parents for feedback about attending events. The last misconception is about language
development. Teachers did not value a familys home language and encouraged parents to only
speak English with their student (Colombo, 2005). Teachers were exposed to the benefits of a
child being fluent or proficient in their home language and conducted home visits to observe the
rich communication between parents and children.
The research also provided instructional components developed by (Banks, 2001) to
assist teachers in becoming multicultural educators. These detailed components included content
integration- teachers utilize the diversity of the classroom to infuse into their day to day
curriculum with students (Banks, 2001). For example, during subjects such as history/social
studies, teachers can study cultures which are represented in their classrooms making the
information meaningful as well as connecting content to culture. The second component is
knowledge construction process- teachers engage students in activities that develop critical

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

thinking and allow students to understand the meaning and ideas within a text or idea (Banks,
2001). The third component is prejudice reduction- teachers provide activities to allow students
to appreciate other cultures beyond just food tasting or listening to music but actually learning
customs, ways of thinking and contributions to the society as a whole from other cultures and
races (Banks, 2001).
The fourth component is equity pedagogy-teachers revise and develop instructional
practices that further academic achievement of all students regardless their backgrounds to
promote a unified school culture and even social culture (Banks, 2001). These components
implemented by teachers can create a powerful school culture built upon equity while engaging
multiple stakeholders to participate in the examination and reform of school practices (Banks
2001).
Teachers also expressed frustration with school administration in regards to pushing a
new agenda with the implementation of multicultural education programs or services. Many
teachers were unaware or lacking the knowledge and strategies to provide culturally reflective
teaching while feeling it was more of a violation of school curriculum making it an rebellious
activity and not relying on theory and practice to assist in delivering curriculum to reach every
child while leaving no child left behind (Muniz,et. al 2010). The articles provide a view of
ways teachers beliefs, experiences and misconceptions can either hinder multicultural education
or they can provide insight to addressing key issues in order to further education for all students.
The next section to discuss is teacher education programs.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Teacher Education Programs

The research expressed that field-based experiences connected to theory were very
crucial in providing opportunities to understand and implement multicultural education practices
(Assaf, et al, 2010); (Colombo, 2010).
Teacher educators expressed that opportunities to work with students in classrooms
allowed them to gain valuable knowledge about multicultural teaching and practices as well as
exposure to different cultures. This type of job training afforded opportunities for teachers to put
theory into real practice prior to entering the classroom to understand the diversity and
complexities of the classroom, especially with a seasoned teacher to provide support and
coaching (Assaf et al, 2010). These experiences also made teachers feel more prepared, aware
and responsive to the diverse needs of their student populations (Assaf, et al, 2010). Some of the
research provided from first year and student teacher interns brought up the issue of quality and
rigor in different teacher education programs. Class instructional hours as well as number of
classes needed to become a competent multicultural educator varied across programs prior to
teachers receiving their certification or degrees (Meier, 2005). There was also variances from
not only state to state but also teacher education programs within the same state with regard to
course development, requirements, instructional hours and requirements of multicultural
education goals and outcomes. Many institutions have one course which may last 16 weeks and
cover topics such as diversity in the classroom, race and equity, social justice and collaboration
and inclusion (Muniz et al, 2010).

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Multicultural education should be a field of study to increase educational equity and not
an afterthought or mandate based on a negative events or corrective action for something bad
that has occurred at a school or district (Banks, 1991). Additional research provided detailed
information from teachers after their first year of teaching in regards to the effectiveness school
had on their competence as a multicultural educator (Gandara, and Jolly, 2000); (Gallegos, ,
Tindall,, Gallegos,2008). This research reiterated the importance of field course work and
connecting theory to practice.
Teachers expressed a need for more rigorous and in-depth analysis of not just learning
about other cultures in the classroom but also learning how to self-reflect and identify personal
biases. This type of training should be implemented in the beginning of a new teachers
classwork to allow time to relate theory and practice together. Teachers should be allowed more
time to work with diverse students and classrooms. The minimum is a semester or quarter of
student teaching which means about 3-4 months to learn about curriculum while shadowing a
veteran teacher. Student teachers should be allowed to be placed for as long as possible in a
teaching situation of diverse learner population, and this practical experience should be backed
by a comprehensive theoretical component (Meier, 2005).
Many of the articles stated combining theory with practical skills however no one laid out
a map or plan of how this would occur or what this would actually look like, (Meier, 2005). The
research also addressed having student teachers rotate schools in order to work with different
students, teachers and families. This practice would hopefully increase experience working with
other cultures and decrease stereotypes and misconceptions (Meier, 2005).

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

According to the NEA policy brief, 2008 Only one-third of states require teacher
candidates to study some aspect of cultural diversity in their core preparation courses while
participating in a teaching practicum in a culturally diverse setting.
Some of the other recommendations include: a) recruiting and having a culturally and
linguistically diverse (TEP) faculty from diverse backgrounds; b) provide training with new
teachers and existing teachers to allow for networking and sharing best practices and strategies
(Russell and Russell,2014); (McDiarmid, andPrice,1990); c) advertising, recruiting a diverse
work force that is representative of the student body and community (Chou,2007); d) observe
quality teachers who have a proven track record and are experts in the field and practice their
craft with the supervision and reflective practice of the mentor/coach teacher (Chou,2007); and
e) teaching new teachers how to be self-reflective. These recommendations and strategies
provide a solid foundation for teacher education programs to produce competent multicultural
educators. The strategies also equip teachers to become more prepared to handle and assist a
diverse student body as well as bring different opinions and experiences into the classroom.
Teacher education programs should include in-depth and rich analysis of culture,
strategies and best practices to incorporate with students. This is not an ethnic issue but its
everyones issue, for teaching is a multicultural experience (Chou, 2007).
Conclusion
This literature review defined multicultural education and explored the affect it had on
teachers beliefs and teacher education programs. It was necessary to define and discuss the
background of multicultural education to establish an understanding of why this was necessary in
todays educational system and what has been developed to increase the culturally responsive
educator. The adoption of multicultural education was established based on historical events in

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

10

order to increase equity practices and address strategies to decrease the achievement gap.
Teachers provided great insight and were very candid in sharing their misconceptions as well as
overall feelings about race and culture. While the beginning may have been uncomfortable for
teachers to acknowledge their personal biases it was also a much needed self-reflective activity
to bring not only awareness but ways to address and overcome those feelings. This process
seemed to enlighten teachers to do more self-reflection as an individual as well as part of a
culture within the educational system. The research described I various strategies and practices
that have been implemented over several decades and still educators are researching and
providing valuable data to increase knowledge, practice and reform in regards to multicultural
education. I also acknowledge the depth of research in regards to the field of education. This
made me identify and one unique aspect to review and provide a detailed analysis based on
interest and ways to further the investigation of multicultural education in regards to teachers
beliefs and teacher education programs. I think the most impactful studies that I read were
teacher reflections on how they felt in the classroom as well as working with diverse learners. I
kept thinking that the researcher truly developed a great rapport and trust in order to allow
teachers to open up and candidly share their feelings and beliefs without judgment. While I
valued teacher reflections and perspectives I also felt that the research failed to include
administrators, teachers obtaining higher degrees, school support staff and other educational
professionals. This feedback or information could have provided insight to changing school
culture instead of looking at just the teacher as the conduit of multicultural education. The
research is also missing the effectiveness of multicultural education training for new and existing
teachers as well as how does cultural responsive teaching decrease student behaviors and
minimize student suspensions and expulsions. There is also a need for additional research to

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
evaluate teacher education programs from beginning classes, graduation and working in the
educational system. Furthermore, I also feel that in order to provide a good research it is
necessary to include the family and student perspective on multicultural education from
preschool to higher education in order to further the broad field of education.

11

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

12
References

Assaf, L., Garza, R., Battle, J. (2010). Multicultural Teacher Education: Examining the
Perceptions, Practices, and Coherence in One Teacher Preparation Program. Teacher Education
Quarterly, Pages 115-135.
Chou, H. (2007). Multicultural Teacher Education: Toward a Culturally Responsible Pedagogy.
Essays in Education. Pages 139-162.
Colombo, M. (2005). Reflections from Teachers of Culturally Diverse Children. Beyond the
Journal, 1-8.
Banks, J. (2001). Citizenship Education and Diversity: Implications for Teacher Education.
Journal of Teacher Education, Pages 5-16.
Banks, J. (1991). Multicultural Education: For Freedoms Sake, Educational Leadership Pages
32-36
Gallegos, J., Tindall, C., Gallegos, S. (2008). The Need for Advancement in the
Conceptualization of Cultural Competence. Advances in Social Work. Pages 51-62
Gandara, P., Jolly, J. (2000). Preparing Teachers for Diversity. Santa Cruz: Center for the Future
of Teaching and Learning.
Gay, G. Teaching to and Through Cultural Diversity. Curriculum Inquiry, Pages 48-70.
Gaynor, T. (2013).Through the Wire: Training Culturally Competent Leaders for a New Era.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, Pages 369-392.
Howard, T.C (2010). Closing the Achievement Gap in Americas Classrooms, Chapter 6. New
York: Teachers College Press. Copyright 2010 by Tyrone C. Howard.
McDiarmid, G. W., & Price, J. (1990). Prospective teachers' views of diverse learners: A study of
the participants in the ABCD Project.
Meir, Corinne. (2005). Addressing Problems in Integrated Schools. South African Journal of
Education, Pages 170-177.
Muniz, A., Brady, J., SooHoo, S. (2010) What Do Graduates Say about Multicultural Teacher
Education? Issues in Teacher Education, Pages 85-108.
Peck, C., McDonald, M. (2014). What is a Culture of Evidence? How Do You Get One? And..
Should You Want One? Teachers College Record. Pages 1-27.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

13

Roux, J. (2002). Effective Educators are Culturally Competent Communicators. Intercultural

Education. Pages 37-48
Russell, M., Russell, J. (2014). Preservice Science Teachers and Cultural Diversity Awareness.
Journal of Science Education. Pages 1-20.
Smith, S. (2013). Almost Everything I Need to Know about Multiculturalism I Learned on Jury
Duty. Multicultural Education, Pages 40-42.
Villegas, A., Lucas,T. (2002). Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers:Rethinking The
Curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education, Pages 20-32.