What is Multicultural Education?
As we know, the education industry has changed in a way that means learning is now achievable through a number of different perspectives - perspectives which might be different from conventional schooling. In this article we are going to be asking 'what is multicultural education?' and what this means to you.
The classes you can see in American schools can be rich and representative of the different nationalities, faiths and even social classes which we see in this country. However, some experts believe that placing them all into one group for learning is unfair and that it doesn't provide ethnic minorities with the equal chances of success that they deserve.
If anything, multicultural education has been needed because of how some teachers have been finding it difficult to relate the curriculum to the children they teach. This might be because in cities and towns, an educator is far more likely to teach larger levels of children who are from a multicultural background. Experts believe this type of education would be progressive, preventing young people from being made the victim of assumptions that can denote them as unprivileged just because they are ethnically diverse.
In a lot of the activities which teachers promote in class for their students, the aim is not only aid understanding of the topic at hand, but to develop the study skills which allowed them to get this far. This can include problem-solving and critical thinking which can be useful to students when making decisions. In multicultural education, there can be more of an emphasis on diffusing any of the prejudice or misinformation that one student might have about their ethnically-diverse classmates. This can allow teachers and students to celebrate the diverse culture that America is based upon.
Through being challenging and interesting in lesson plans, teachers can help students to grasp an understanding regarding culture. Even if there are few or no ethnic minority students in an elementary school, this situation can change for many students in the next step forward in their educational career. Through the use of music from other countries, an emphasis on geographic knowledge that stems outside of America, and through celebrating events which are non-American, awareness of culture can be sought which could be greatly beneficial to young students. From here, they can see the advantages of culture and of the different purposes it has.
There has been a lot of academic research conducted into the concept of multicultural education, and this has been brought into line with different groups who are trying to push forward new educational methods which are more thought out with ethnic minorities in mind. There are fears that the perceived social gap between ethnicities could worsen if multicultural children are put at a disadvantage in the classroom.
It is a fascinating topic, and the message which it conveys is quite easy to get across to those who are looking to make a difference with the people they teach. It is all about being open to new ideas, and sharing this with students.
Go Deeper Into Our Multicultural Education Categories
Multicultural Education Basics
- Center for Multilingual Multicultural Research
- National Association for Multicultural Education
- Network of Educators on the Americas