Fostering multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers through multicultural curricular transformation

Abstract

Schools today represent students from diverse racial, linguistic, and other cultural backgrounds. Teacher-preparation institutions have the responsibility of providing prospective teachers with the skills necessary to meet the intellectual, social, and personal needs of these diverse learners. This article examines the rationale for a multicultural curricular transformation in Teacher Education programs. The author maintains that contrary to the single-subject approach that obtains in many institutions, pedagogical approaches should be re-conceptualized to embrace diverse perceptions in content, methods and assessment tools across all disciplines. The leadership in teacher training institutions also has the responsibility of creating positive environments where multicultural initiatives can thrive. Such transformative approaches will foster multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers and provide them with the competences necessary to effectively meet the challenges of the changing school demographics.