Critical Multicultural Education Research Articles

‘문화적 지속성 교육(Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy)’의 한국 다문화교육에의 적용 방안 탐색

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the discourse surrounding multicultural education within the sociocultural context of South Korea, and to propose the application of culturally sustaining pedagogy within South Korean multicultural education.
 Methods This study aimed to introduce the concept of culturally sustaining pedagogy, a topic receiving significant attention in the United States, into the realm of critical multicultural education. It sought to explore the application of this theory within the South Korean sociocultural context and the backdrop of multicultural education. Consequently, this study was structured as a literature review, serving as a preliminary examination intended to guide future research and provide direction for educators to implement culturally sustaining pedagogy in educational settings. The research proceeded in three phases: First, it defined and conceptualized culturally sustaining pedagogy. Second, it involved understanding and analyzing the sociocultural context of South Korea to assess the existing discourse on multicultural education within the country. Third, the study examined the potential application of culturally sustaining pedagogy within South Korean multicultural education.
 Results First, culturally sustaining pedagogy advocates for a shift in multicultural education from assimilation to justice-oriented multicultural education. This is particularly pertinent in contexts like South Korea, where cultural minority groups exhibit a weaker sense of community, thus heightening the influence of assimilationism and underscoring the need for proactive measures to sustain these communities. Second, culturally sustaining pedagogy serves as a platform for initiating discussions on racism and racial inequality within the framework of South Korean multicultural education. Third, this approach emphasizes the attainment of academic success in a broad sense by promoting mutual appreciation for diverse cultures within educational contexts. It posits that this fosters not only the exchange of life itself but also aids in the process of discovering both personal and communal agency. Fourth, culturally sustaining pedagogy is dedicated to sustaining the communities of cultural minorities.
 Conclusions First, this study suggests a need for a shift in teachers' perceptions of cultural minorities, advocating for the systematic inclusion of professional development in multicultural education within the curriculum for teacher education. Second, it emphasizes the importance of providing students from cultural minorities with opportunities and spaces to express their voices and to develop as agents. Third, the study calls for a more comprehensive understanding of culture.

Beyond surface diversity: Unmasking the flaws of Multicultural education in the Afro-Colombian curriculum

In this study, I critically examine the Afro-Colombian ethno-educational curriculum, exploring its conception of multiculturality, pedagogical practice, and knowledge production. Utilizing Iterative Critical Discourse Analysis, the study investigates the 2006 “Curriculum Guidelines for Afro-Colombian Studies.” It reveals that despite its advances in addressing some of the issues of the multicultural question in Colombia, the curriculum is marred by essentialism, a celebratory approach, and Eurocentric biases that undermine the liberatory purpose of this multicultural approach to education in the country. These flaws reflect a superficial representation of Multicultural Education, perpetuating neoliberal mechanisms of domination and failing to challenge prevailing power structures adequately. This paper posits the necessity to re-envision ethno-education in light of these findings, recommending incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching, promoting self-reflexivity in the classroom, and developing Third Spaces for a more robust and transformative approach to Multicultural Education in Colombia. The study is theoretically grounded on Critical Multicultural Education and postcolonial and governmentality studies.

Does Mills’ epistemology suggest a hermeneutic injustice of White Afroscepticism?

Abstract Charles Mills posits an epistemology of ignorance that underwrites the complicity of Whites, or people of Western European descent, as signatories of the racial contract. There is prevailing discourse about the complicity of White persons in perpetuating racism and whether they can experience epistemic injustice. In this paper, the claim to hermeneutical injustice, in particular, makes a further assertion that moral blameworthiness is mitigated for a subcategory of White Americans because of being socialized into a White-dominant culture of caste-based Afroscepticism. I argue, based on Peirce's conceptualization of doubt, as against Descartes, that Afroscepticism is a totalizing belief system predicated on a racial group-based social epistemology and maintains a settled stance of questioning the commensurate citizenship of Blacks or American descendants of slaves. These perceived social costs warrant educational interventions that can dismantle its reasoning architecture. White Afroscepticism poses a barrier to the teacher’s efforts to cultivate the democratic habitus in students; however, educator preparation that takes its existence into account can build on the standard classroom practices of critical social justice that promote equity, critical multicultural education, and critical thinking.

A Bibliometric analysis of multicultural education in international and Indonesian contexts using Vosviewer

The research aims to analyze and describe the theme of multicultural education more comprehensively and in-depth. The method in this study uses a bibliometric analysis approach. Data is sourced from the Scopus publication database. The data search on title-abs-key uses <em>“multicultural education”</em> with limited articles and reviews. Publication years between 2013 -2022 or the last ten years. Data analysis using VOSviewer software. The results of this study show that in the international and Indonesian contexts, the theme of multicultural education has received significant attention and will continue to grow along with the needs and advances of science and technology. In this theme, the United States has the most immense contribution at the international level, and Indonesia contributes the most in South East Asia. In the future, the theme of multicultural education will continue to evolve, especially in the following topics: model, critical multicultural education, multicultural competency, responsive teaching, teacher candidate, preservice teacher, ethnic minority student, self-efficacy, diverse student, multicultural content, responsive pedagogy, critique, intercultural education, peace, dan personality. The implications of these findings are for the development and improvement of future multicultural education research and publications.

A systematic approach to critical multiculturalism and teacher education in EFL context: An integrative research review

Critical multicultural education (CME) challenges power imbalances in society and calls for the equitable distribution of power. It aims to address biases based on gender, class, and race, and improve social, economic, and educational opportunities for all individuals. While there have been several studies conducted on CME in relation to teachers and teacher training, there is a need to examine its broader implications for teacher education. This study aims to investigate the implications of CME on teacher education by analyzing different studies on this subject and their findings in various contexts. 14 relevant articles were compiled, categorized, and coded based on their context and findings, and descriptive data analysis was conducted. The study compared and contrasted the findings of the different studies and made generalizations about the implications of CME on teacher education and how it can be applied in the EFL context. The study highlights the importance of understanding the potential impact of CME on teacher education and provides insights for educators to effectively integrate CME principles into their teaching practices.

Effects of Critical Multicultural Education on Preservice Teachers’ Multicultural Attitudes and Efficacy

The aim of this study is to find out the effects of critical multicultural education (CME) on preservice teachers’ multicultural attitudes and efficacy. In order to investigate the effects of critical multicultural education, a nine-week CME program is designed. The program is based on Banks’ (2015) multicultural education approaches and dimensions. For this study, the multicultural content is integrated into English Language courses of the preservice teachers studying at English Language Teaching (ELT) program. A total of 46 preservice teachers participated for the study and a quasy-experimental design with an experimental and a control group is employed. Before and after the application, Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES) is administered to all the participants (23 in control and 23 in experimental group). The MES is composed of two subscales; one is multicultural attitudes and the other one is multicultural efficacy. While in the control group the existing language program is applied, the experimental group is provided with critical multicultural education which is integrated into English courses. At the end of 9 weeks, the analysis of pretest and posttest results revealed that there is a significant difference in the multicultural attitudes and multicultural efficacy of experimental group before and after the program. Further, the posttest results showed that there is a significant difference between the experimental and control group in terms of preservice teachers’ multicultural attitudes and efficacy. As a result, CME applied in experimental group had significant and positive effects on preservice teachers’ multicultural attitudes and efficacy. Therefore, in order to increase preservice teachers’ multicultural attitudes and efficacy, CME can be provided for preservice teachers at teacher training programs at the collage and universities.

Multicultural education and the ESEA: the ebbs and flows of policy alignment between 1965-2015

ABSTRACT Since its ratification in 1965, the ESEA and its reauthorizations have shaped educational policy and funding in the US. However, while the ESEA has been positioned as a fundamental system of educational governance to ensure quality in the nation’s education system, it has been criticized for inconsistent support of diversity and the promotion of Americanization. This article utilizes discourse analysis methodology to analyse several key iterations of the ESEA through the lens of critical multicultural education to examine the policy’s commitment to the multicultural education agenda over that of the goal of Americanization. Findings reveal that the commitment to multicultural education has vacillated over time, and Americanization still influences policy framing. Recommendations include employing a critical approach by promoting meaningful inclusion of multiple stakeholders to interrogate and dismantle the conservative foundation upon which the US education system is built.

The Role of Critical Consciousness and Inclusive Curricula in Adolescents and Young Adults' Wellbeing: A Call for Critical Multicultural Education

Education is one of the most influential determinants of health. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights holds that education is a human right of every child and adolescent and should “be directed to the full development of the human personality and to strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms” [1]. The receipt of quality school-based education and curricula is associated with positive health and wellbeing. The completion of high school, trade school, or college and above is associated with higher employment and income opportunities, leading to an increased access to resources essential for healthy living such as quality food, housing, health insurance, and quality healthcare [2].

Fostering Pre-Service Teachers’ Antiracist Expectations through Online Education: Implications for Teacher Education in the Context of Global Pandemics

The increase in online education programs, accompanied by the current COVID-10 pandemic, has led universities to reconsider alternative ways to prepare teachers for social justice. One under-researched area in this conversation is the need for teacher candidates to examine their racialized expectations that often negate students of color in TK-12 classrooms. This self-study describes one faculty member’s digital critical race praxis (DigitalCrit praxis) as a mediator of her expectations to prepare pre-service teachers for social justice. Research findings have implications for critical multicultural education, digitally based instruction, and teacher preparation.

Examining Field Experiences of Teacher Candidates During COVID-19: Systemic Inequities Unveiled for Underserved English Learners in K-12 Grades.

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 challenged schools and credential programs to adjust pedagogy, but rapid changes impeded equitable practices to K-12 grade English Learners (ELs). The framework stems from critical multicultural education. Data represented 81 credential candidates across three universities. Study confirmed that ELs lacked access to online learning, active engagement with peers/teachers, and differentiated instruction due to rapid changes and uncertainties to their programs.

International Graduate Students’ Positionality in a U.S. Critical Multicultural Education Course

This study describes the experience of four international students after taking a class in critical multicultural education at a predominantly white institution in the Midwest, U.S. Utilizing narrative inquiry and narrative coding to analyze students’ positionality papers, the researchers found two overarching themes: (1) Prior Experiences and (2) Perspectives on multicultural identities, with several sub-themes. The first overarching theme, prior experiences, has three sub-themes that reflect students’ identities in relation to their sociocultural backgrounds: (a) origin and national identity (b) family background and exposure (c) education and sociocultural experiences. The second overarching theme, perspectives on multicultural identities has five sub-themes that emerged from students’ personal learning and through socialization: (a) race and ethnicity (b) religion (c) gender and sexuality (d) class and privilege, and (e) culture shock. We conclude with a discussion of the findings and implications for this work.

The Limits of Justice-Informed Research and Teaching in the Presence of Antiblackness and Black Suffering: Surplus of Transformation or (Un)Just Traumatic Returns?

In this conceptual article, I examine the turn of justice-oriented research and teaching from transformative to traumatic and its relationship to antiblackness. I consider the affordances and limits of research and teaching that makes antiblackness visible while simultaneously citing potentially traumatizing portraits of Black suffering. Drawing from critical multicultural education and social justice scholarship, alongside Black intellectual thought in literary studies, visual studies, Eastern philosophy, and participatory and ethnographic research, I ask whether and how researchers should engage justice-informed research and teaching. I offer insights to consider when seeking either to capture antiblack injustice or to share it as curriculum.

Student Articulations of Critical Multicultural Education Concepts from One Study Abroad Experience in New Zealand

This study examines how six teacher candidates in one U.S. based teacher preparation program articulate understandings of critical multicultural education concepts after a field experience in a study abroad program in New Zealand. Teacher candidates were interviewed about their understandings of culture, privilege, and social inequality. Field placements were in high poverty elementary schools with high numbers of linguistic and ethnic minority students. Teacher candidate responses revealed development of cultural appreciation but a lack of engagement with issues related to privilege and social inequality. Teacher candidates further had difficulty articulating issues of power and systemic privilege enacted either in the New Zealand context, or in their home cultural context in the United States. This study calls for more explicit support for teacher candidates as they grapple with recognizing and practicing a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in order to realize the potential of diverse study abroad field experiences for teacher preparation.

“I Think I’m the Bridge”: Exploring Mentored Undergraduate Research Experiences in Critical Multicultural Education

Although mentored undergraduate research has been shown to deepen student engagement across various disciplines, this type of extended learning opportunity is not a prominent feature of research and practice in teacher education. Our article addresses this gap by analyzing the experiences and growth of a group of five preservice teachers engaged in a mentored undergraduate research experience in several sections of an introductory critical multicultural education course. Specifically, we examined how pre-service teachers’ personal, academic, and professional engagement with critical multicultural education is impacted when they are positioned as researchers and receive additional training outside the traditional class format. Our findings indicate that their involvement as student co-researchers fostered a new awareness, sensitivity, and emotional investment in issues of social justice beyond what they gained in their introductory multicultural education course. Pre-service teachers described navigating personal relationships with new awareness and sensitivity and adjusting future plans in accordance with their deeper understanding and commitment to educational equity. We argue that mentored research opportunities are an innovative way to address professor/student power differentials in teacher education research and offer a unique model of critical multicultural teacher education that promotes deep engagement with issues beyond the classroom setting.

Africa in Irish Primary Geography Textbooks: developing and applying a Framework to investigate the potential of Irish Primary Geography textbooks in supporting Critical Multicultural Education

When pupils learn geography they are extending their world view and reshaping it. This paper analyses representations of Africa and African countries and cultures in Irish primary geography textbooks and assesses to what extent these textbook portrayals facilitate or repress multicultural education, specifically critical multicultural education (CMCE). Here, this paper argues that primary geography can and should play a critical role in challenging societal issues of inequality, racism, prejudice and stereotypes, particularly pertaining to perspectives of the ‘Other’. This paper devises a framework for critical multicultural geography education (CMCGE) and applies this to Irish primary geography textbooks. While some textbooks can demonstrate capacity in fostering multiple perspectives, appreciation for diversity, development of critical thinking and enquiry, and making connections; in the main, textbooks present stereotypical, oversimplified accounts of issues, peoples and places which can result in feelings of superiority amongst dominant groups and more entrenched feelings of ‘Otherness’ amongst minority groups.

‘Refugees here and Finns there’ – categorisations of race, nationality, and gender in a Finnish classroom

ABSTRACT Schools represent a central meeting place where societal inequalities are reproduced and questions of social justice become important. This study focuses on categorisations related to race, nationality, and gender in interactions in Finnish teaching environments, as well as teacher reflections on these situations. We discuss the implications of the categorisations on social justice and the role of the teacher in these situations. We conducted video observations of a sixth-grade teacher in a Finnish primary school. The study employs both critical multicultural education approaches and Conversation Analysis. Results show that the pupils use categories race, nationality, and gender in ways that limit the agency and positioning of some of the pupils. The extensive and intersecting categorisation in teaching situations makes it demanding for teachers to address and challenge unequal norms attached to the categories. Results also indicate that teachers need an understanding of othering and normativity in order to allow spontaneous critical discussion and problematising categorisations that pupils use. Also, the results highlight the importance of involving pupils in the process of questioning norms that do not provide all pupils with the same agency or sense of belonging.

Engaging Equity Pedagogy in Virtual French Courses

Engaging Equity Pedagogy in Virtual French Courses Jerry L. Parker Teaching online is a labor of love that allows career educators to further develop their skills as technological artists. 2020 reaffirmed that diversity in our teaching is an absolute must if we want to ensure an equal, equitable, and fair education to all students. Best practices advise that teachers constantly re-adjust their teaching strategies, methods, and approaches to accommodate students from all races, socioeconomic levels, genders, and exceptionality groups. By doing so, they create and re-create learning spaces driven by acceptance and respect that is conducive for all. In French language and culture courses, the question of how to engage diverse groups of learners has never been fully answered. This article seeks to contribute to the conversation by viewing language teaching through the lens of critical multicultural education with a specific focus on instructional practice. I argue equity pedagogy as a best practice for teachers who seek to provide students of French with an equitable learning experience and maximize their success. I also argue that equity pedagogy is particularly relevant at a time when generalized distance learning has become the norm and will forever alter best practices of technology integration in all areas of education. Equity Pedagogy The term "equity pedagogy" was created by James Banks, father of the multicultural education movement. Banks (Introduction) observed that although it is convenient for teachers to replicate the same teaching strategies in each unit of a course, when teaching diverse groups of learners, it is important to engage all students with the course content by utilizing a number of different teaching strategies that facilitate academic success for everyone. Equity pedagogy stands on the notion of "equity," which means giving individuals specifically what they need to be successful, as opposed to "equality," which means giving everyone the same tools for success. Equity is person-centered and varies by the individual. To engage equity pedagogy denotes that a teacher is constantly using various teaching techniques, strategies, approaches, and methods that facilitate the academic [End Page 87] achievement of students from diverse backgrounds. This is in response to the fact that students come to the classroom with specific cultural frameworks, various learning styles, and numerous ways of showing their intelligence. Teachers ideally want to capitalize on all possible ways for students to succeed by presenting information to them in various ways and by assessing their understanding in an assorted number of manners. As suggested by Adams ("Toward"), instructional strategies for fostering student engagement in a virtual environment are critical to the learner's strategic ownership of the knowledge. By varying techniques, strategies, approaches, and methods all students are afforded the opportunity to learn content in a way that makes the most sense to them. While some students may be challenged by the fluctuating of teaching styles, everyone is allowed the opportunity to show their understanding via their preferred style at some point. Challenging the students' learning is likewise productive in the long term because as they evolve emotionally and cognitively, they are also learning to think in different ways and further understand what does and does not work for them. Designing effective instruction goes beyond systematically executing various steps within an instructional design model (McLeod). Among a host of considerations, effective instructional design should take into consideration the theoretical bases in which it is grounded. Understanding learning theories is important because they direct attention to variables that are crucial in helping all learners to succeed. Equity pedagogy, among many things, is rooted in the belief that it is more effective to integrate multiple learning theories into the class to provide students with a wide variance in their learning of the content. At the surface level, equity pedagogy is best engaged via a consistent alternation between three main learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The following section will provide a summary of these three approaches. Theory to Practice When designing any world language course, the central focus should always be on integrating the 5Cs (Culture, Communication, Connections, Community, Comparisons) in the best way possible as suggested by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Each lesson needs to be built around Culture...

Breaking the Mold of Liberal Multicultural Education in Thailand through Social Studies Lessons

Multicultural education aims for social justice and a democratic society in that education should eradicate structural inequality and unequal power among majority and minority groups. These critical aims of multicultural education have been toned down when it comes to practice. In many parts of the world, multicultural education is often implemented in the form of recognition of visible elements of culture. Similar to other countries, schools in Thailand prefer the liberal form of multicultural education over the radical and critical ones. This study originated from dissatisfaction with how multicultural education has been implemented in Thailand and concern with its effects on students and the society at large. As part of the study, five social studies lessons were redesigned to challenge the liberal form of multicultural education. The lessons were taught in 5th and 6th grade classrooms in six participating schools. This article describes how the lessons were designed and delivered in the actual classrooms. The conceptual framework underpinning this study is critical multicultural education which views education as a hegemonic tool. In order to balance power among majority and minority groups, education should help students discern distorted power structures in society. In these lessons, “culture” was not regarded as static practices or artifacts but, rather, as the lived experiences of students and their families. In all the lessons, inquiry-based instructional methods were used. The instructional techniques used were cooperative learning, role playing and collaborative problem-solving.

Commentary: Teacher Candidates' Responses to Examining Personal Privilege: Nuanced Understandings of the Discourse of Individualism in Critical Multicultural Education

Commentary: Teacher Candidates' Responses to Examining Personal Privilege: Nuanced Understandings of the Discourse of Individualism in Critical Multicultural Education

Leading the multicultural school: Some insights from dedicated school leaders

Perturbed by a racially motivated homicide in his homeland and a more recent murder (under investigation at the time of writing) in the United States, the author makes a strong case in favour of Social Justice Educational Leadership. The exploratory investigation examined the following questions: (1) What leadership processes are school leaders adopting to ensure equity and social justice in multicultural schools? (2) What strategies are school leaders providing their staff to continue supporting quality education for all students, irrespective of cultural background? The research sought to extend the debate between educational leadership processes and the ongoing quest towards social justice as embodied in schools in Malta. A qualitative approach emanating from literature review on critical multicultural education was used in the study. Three school leaders known for their stance on issues of race, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, and marginalisation offer their valuable insights on leadership practices inundated with successful processes leading towards more socially just schools. Findings advocate for a wider discussion on the possibilities for effectively addressing the challenges of leading and managing the multicultural school, based on justice and equity principles.