What is Multicultural Education?

From its inception, the United States of America has been a country where all were accepted. But this acceptance came with its fair share of discrimination, ethnocentrism, and bigotry. Education is one of the many institutions that display inequitable variables in this country. They should implement an education system that exposes the teachers and students to a curriculum that promotes the awareness of all cultures and cultivates learning environments that benefit diverse populations. Teachers, administrators, districts, and other stakeholders should operate an educational paradigm that effectively incorporates everyone into the fold.

What Is Multicultural Education?

Multicultural education holds dearly to principles that focus on all student cultures and prepares both students and teachers to open their perspectives, ideologies, attitudes, and behaviors that complement a diverse world. Multicultural education cultivates equality, justice, and equity. Multicultural education is a natural progression for schools that want to implement equitable educational practices for all their students. It focuses on academic and personal improvement.

Teachers, administrators, staff, district leaders, politicians, and other stakeholders all play a role in ensuring the policies, curriculum, and instruction that stimulate the diverse cultures we are enmeshed in and the beauty in all those who are served. Most importantly, implementation depends on the ability of educators to understand the value of the less-dominant cultures, histories, languages, and experiences of diverse people. There are many schools of thought on multicultural education approaches. Encompassing culturally responsive pedagogy and teaching practices allows teachers to build relationships and create an all-inclusive classroom that values all students.

What Multicultural Education Is Not?

Multicultural education has been deemed controversial due to the misconceptions about its’ meaning, aim, and objectives. There is no disagreement over the need for programs and practices that incorporate all learners. It is also not a mystery that minority students are struggling academically and behaviorally in various schools around the country. The misconception of multicultural education prevents the essential implementation of an inclusive approach by teachers serving populations not included in the curriculum. Most individuals do not understand what multicultural education entails and can often stereotype it as a racial and immigration issue. One general misconception about multicultural education is the fact that it is mistaken for an ethnic movement that seeks to eradicate the European-American dominant structure. It is quite the opposite; it seeks to be inclusive of all people and enriches all students as they become enmeshed in a real world that is more global and diverse.

Multicultural education has also been falsely accused of being a divisive approach. Multicultural education intends to form part of the solution geared towards helping everyone see the benefits of diverse cultures. Multicultural education is not a burden to curriculum change, but it can be a comprehensive approach integrated throughout the school culture. Schools that lack properly trained teachers who dedicate themselves to the well-being of each student in their classroom are encouraged to embrace a gradual process toward the goal.

All identical people do not originate from the same culture, not to mention that a student’s background is not an accurate way to learn about their culture. Stereotypes are used for purposes of immediate stratification. This is not effective in education because the ability to learn effectively is impacted by differences. The goals of multicultural education are to ensure that all students combat prejudice and encourage the appreciation for all cultures and providing the same opportunities for all students in the school/classroom environment.

Three Simple Ways Multicultural Education Can Be Implemented in the Classroom

The great thing about multicultural practices is their flexibility. We all can do our part in promoting social justice and equity in schools. Teaching is a regular career with an attractive reward, but we cannot assume that every teacher knows how to ensure the success of their student. There are basic ways teachers can implement equal learning opportunities for students of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Become Emotionally Aware of Biases

Most teachers are open to equitable instruction that provides a larger context for many learners. Unfortunately, we may be ignorant of our biases and the emotional toll it could cause. We all have unintentional biases. Yet, when those biases creep into our instruction and dialogue, we act against the interest of most students who come from backgrounds that are misrepresented and misunderstood. Multicultural education helps to create a safe learning environment and work towards dissipating those biases by learning facts about different cultures. Students and teachers can both learn to recognize the shortcomings in the classroom and community and use the classroom as a platform to discuss real problems.

Know That We All Learn Differently

Learning styles are nothing new to education, but they are essential tools when developing an equitable learning environment. Their backgrounds and nurture often influence this. Multicultural teachers can alter their instruction by educating themselves on the difference between the male and female learning styles and what styles make up the majority of the classroom. Student voices are critical to encouraging students to learn from their personal experiences and ask questions that promote understanding, and the ability to adapt is key to effectively managing a classroom, particularly in a diverse classroom.

Pinpoint Other Cultures Intentionally

Teachers are empowered and can choose to emphasize different cultural backgrounds in the text through lessons and assignments. Even if the text, lesson, or assignment does not specifically address a different culture, the teacher can introduce a question or spark a dialogue that adds to the lesson. Students need to engage in authentic reading, writing, and problem-solving experiences. Students can write about their family histories or interview family members. They can work as a team to learn about new cultures. And as a teacher, a consistent passion for learning is imperative.

Why Multicultural Education?

Teachers and students alike can benefit from a multicultural educational environment. They can learn how to value all cultures and bond with peers over their similarities and differences. We all understand that we are different, but we do not understand how to relate to one another in different environments. The educational system is responsible and obligated to teach students what the world has in store for them. If students learn to be comfortable with differences from a young age, they are less likely to develop biases toward people of a different race or ethnicity. Implementing multicultural education benefits society, as young people will eventually become adults who will fight for equality and justice for all.