Cultural Diversity and the Challenges of Teaching Multicultural Classes in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

This study is a meta-analysis of the recent literature on teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Extant literature on this issue has shown that teaching students coming from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds seems to pose serious threats to teachers at different levels of education. Using a quantitative content analysis, this paper examines twenty studies and book chapters in the field of multicultural education so as to identify the major challenges of the multicultural classroom. The aim is also to identify and describe the most effective competencies that teachers need to be better equipped to survive in today’s “fast changing world”. The findings of this study show that teaching CLD students requires special training, extra competencies, and “culturally responsive” pedagogies. The findings can also be of help to university teachers as universities today are becoming more and more multicultural all over the world. Finally, the results can advance knowledge about the issue of teaching CLD students both in the university environment and in the field of research.