Introduction
Schools represent a complex environment characterized by an abundance of interactions between students teachers, and other students. Furthermore, the complex environment is also sourced in the combination of students from many different cultures. Schools generally get used to treating all students equally to put them in similar conditions. However, schools also play an important role in preparing students for the requirements of the surrounding world. Thus, in this sense, the school must take into account the social context of students’ backgrounds and focus on providing equal opportunities for all students.
The multicultural education framework targets creating equal learning opportunities for students from different cultural backgrounds and social classes. I chose this specific framework for the theory-to-practice paper because it is important to preserve cultural individuality in the globalization age characterized by one culture’s dominance over others. Thus, by writing his paper, I want to develop my knowledge about the main elements and principles of the multicultural education framework. Furthermore, I have a personal connection with the theme because the multicultural education framework primarily focuses on the benefits of collaborative learning. While competitive learning may have short-term positive effects, collaborative learning provides the foundation for developing more profound and lasting knowledge and supports positive interactions between students and their peers. This paper will explain how the multicultural education framework fosters the development of positive attitudes among students and define how the framework will contribute to the creation of a civic community in the future.
Framework Definition and Principles
Firstly, defining the theory behind the framework is necessary for understanding its main goal and core principles. Multiculturalism theory is sourced from a combination of different political theories, such as critical pedagogy, critical theory, and critical race theory (Torres & Tarozzi, 2019). Multiculturalism defines society’s positive approach toward cultural diversity and suggests that different cultures can coexist and interact with each other while maintaining and respecting the traditions of other cultures. Thus, multiculturalism theory focuses on the benefits that cultural diversity provides for society’s development.
Multiculturalism theory addresses relevant issues in the current age of globalization. On the one hand, the popular Melting Pot theory suggests that cultures can mix through assimilation (Leslie et al., 2020). However, pressure from the dominant culture can disturb the assimilation process. On the other hand, the approach known as the Salad Bowl theory favors the mix of cultures while maintaining their characteristics. Thus, the multicultural education framework focuses on educating students about the benefit of preserving different cultures while addressing the issues of inequality and discrimination of diverse populations.
In general, there are five main dimensions or principles of the multicultural education framework identified in the existing body of knowledge. The framework with five elements was outlined by James Banks in 1988 (Freire & Valdez, 2021). The principles include the integration of content, the process of knowledge construction, the reduction of prejudice, equity in pedagogy, and empowerment in the school culture. The knowledge of the different dimensions of the framework allows an understanding of the framework’s scale and importance for the development of future society.
Thus, the first core principle of the framework focuses on content integration. The element allows the development of students’ knowledge about other cultures to reflect the importance of diversity. A common example of students’ exposure to integrated content is the inclusion of information about different historical figures or heroes from other cultural groups. One of the significant examples of content integration is the inclusion of learning materials about Dr. Martin Luther King in the curriculum. However, content integration requires careful execution because, with insufficient attention to diversity, the inclusion of additional content can result in the separation of cultural minorities from mainstream American culture. Furthermore, the content integration must avoid excessively focusing on one specific perspective in the curriculum. However, content integration is particularly useful for exploring such important historical issues as Indian removal. Therefore, content integration should be carefully executed with sufficient attention to relevant cultures and their traditions.
Furthermore, the next important element of the multicultural education framework is knowledge construction. The process focuses on students’ ability to understand and analyze different perspectives in the learning materials. Thus, the main objective of the educator in this principle is to help students define different cultural perspectives and assumptions. The application of the principle allows for exploring different perspectives in the curriculum instead of focusing on one dominant group. One of the common examples of multicultural knowledge construction is the inclusion of materials about Native Americans’ perception of European settlers. For students, the principle emphasizes the presence of different perspectives and biases within the same country, forming their image of a diverse nation. Therefore, the principle targets developing students’ respect for representatives of other cultures and the formation of students’ sense of belonging to the global community. Lastly, the principle allows students to interact with educational content in a new way, partially acting as knowledge producers.
The reduction of the prejudice principle in the framework allows the development of students’ positive approach towards representatives of ethnic minorities, cultivating students’ appreciation of democratic values. The principle also emphasizes the difference in how society perceives ethnic minorities and dominant social groups. In general, the principle is based on the theory that interactions between individuals from different cultural groups require knowledge of other cultures’ basic characteristics to reduce possible friction (Wagner & Raudsepp, 2021). Thus, supporting positive interactions between students will eliminate their prejudices in future communication with representatives of other cultures. For example, students’ limited knowledge of another culture may expose students from ethnic minorities to mockery and neglect. Exploring deeper aspects of culture can help to avoid the development of negative cultural stereotypes in students based on superficial knowledge.
Furthermore, the principle provides the foundation for collaborative working skills, which allows for solving problems in a group rather than competing with each other. Moreover, cooperative work in the education framework will contribute to students’ perception of people from other cultures as equal in status. The research conducted by Akcaoglu (2021) suggests that the application of a multicultural education framework can even reduce teachers’ prejudices. Thus, the reduction of prejudice aspect in the multicultural education framework presents an important element in creating a future built on the collaborative efforts of society.
Next, the element of equity pedagogy in the framework refers to the educators’ role in facilitating academic progress for students with diverse backgrounds. In this case, the educator’s goal is to use different teaching styles and tools to provide equal learning opportunities for ethnically diverse students. The learning materials can also be changed or altered to meet different cultural needs and improve the efficiency of the learning process for students from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. For example, one of the common examples of equity pedagogy is facilitating the academic progress of English-language learner students. In this case, the educator can alter the learning materials for the students to ensure that they understand the theme. The article written by Powietrzynska et al. (2021) describes the experience of teachers who implemented equity pedagogy principles to overcome the difficulties in students’ learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explain that the positive experience allowed them to understand the importance of equity pedagogy and influenced their decision to prioritize equity pedagogy to support trustful relationships and positive communication with students.
Lastly, empowering school culture in the multicultural education framework refers to the measures that school staff can take to maintain a positive climate that supports diversity and equality. Thus, the core principle suggests that the framework should be reflected on the scale of the overall school system. This element of the multicultural framework focuses on improving the quality of interactions between students and staff and across different ethnic and cultural groups through the school’s norms, goals, and practices. Furthermore, an important example of using the framework’s principle is giving everyone the right to hear their opinion, including students, teachers, school staff, and parents. Therefore, the empowering school culture should prepare students for how they will behave in society in the future.
Thus, exploring the different principles of the multicultural education framework allowed for defining several essential points that should be considered in applying the theory to practice. Firstly, multiculturalism as a theory opposes the process of assimilation, which can result in negative consequences for cultural identities. Next, the paper explained that the theory of multicultural education proposed by James Banks includes five prominent dimensions or principles. Exploring the principles identified that the application of multicultural education framework should carefully approach content integration and knowledge construction to avoid the separation of diverse cultures from mainstream culture. Lastly, the close inspection of the framework emphasized its role in developing the civic community in the future by instilling the values ​​of equality, collaboration, and respect in students.
Multicultural Education Framework Application to Practice
Conclusion
In conclusion, a multicultural education framework fosters the development of positive attitudes among students and contributes to the creation of a civic community in the future by promoting equality and collaborative work. The paper explained how each of the primary aspects of the multicultural education framework influences the development of students’ global citizenship and respect for different cultures. Thus, exploring the theory and applying it to practice allowed me to better understand the importance of a multicultural education framework for protecting Indigenous cultures from the pressure of dominant mainstream culture.
References
Akcaoglu, M. O. (2021). The effect of a multicultural education course on teachers’ attitudes towards multicultural education and prejudices. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(5), 1486-1502. Web.
Freire, J. A., & Valdez, V. E. (2021). The holistic analysis of multicultural teaching framework: Capturing teachers’ pauses and their hybrid and fluid multicultural practice. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 23(2), 127-144.
Leslie, L. M., Bono, J. E., Kim, Y. (S.), & Beaver, G. R. (2020). On melting pots and salad bowls: A meta-analysis of the effects of identity-blind and identity-conscious diversity ideologies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(5), 453–471. Web.
Library of Congress. (2022). Native American boarding schools. Web.
Powietrzynska, M., Noble, L., O’Loughlin-Boncamper, S.m Azeez, A. (2021). Holding space for uncertainty and vulnerability: reclaiming humanity in teacher education through contemplative | equity pedagogy. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16, 951–964. Web.
Torres, C.A., & Tarozzi, M. (2019). Multiculturalism in the world system: towards a social justice model of inter/multicultural education. Globalization, Societies and Education, 18(1), 7-18. Web.
Wagner, W., & Raudsepp, M. (2021). Representations in intergroup relations: Reflexivity, meta-representations, and intersubjectivity. RUDN Journal Of Psychology And Pedagogics, 18(2), 332-345. Web.