Raising scholastic achievement of diverse and struggling students as well as narrowing the academic achievement gap between students from mainstream and diverse backgrounds seems to be essentially dependent on educators’ personal knowledge, perspectives, and definitions regarding the terms multicultural education and equity pedagogy. Research studies confirm that addressing student’s culture, language, and social status with appreciation, inclusion, and sensitivity increases their academic successes. In classrooms, negative perceptions often maintained by educators about students perpetuate the false belief that diverse learners are unable to or struggle to grasp new learning. This ten-week qualitative study examined teachers’ perceptions as well as implementations of multicultural education and culturally responsive instructional practices as a means of addressing the literacy learning needs of diverse and struggling students in two primary classrooms in an urban Southeastern elementary school. Reading instruction observations provided insight into teachers’ self-descriptive beliefs and attitudes of multicultural education, how their perceptions of multicultural education differ from observed culturally responsive instructional practices, and how observed culturally responsive pedagogy align with multicultural education theories outlined by prominent researchers. All teachers and students come to school with personal backgrounds, languages, and attitudes concerning cultures and ethnicities. Their perceptions are formed by family members, prior experiences, and mainstream society. Frequently, teachers do not realize that personal and institutionalized perceptions, expectations, pedagogies, learning environments, curriculum and materials, grouping strategies, and assessment methods are at odds with learning needs of many students from diverse backgrounds. Findings of this study suggest that educators’ academic goals are often at odds with instructional policies and practices, as demonstrated by the persistent academic achievement gap. Tragically, many students perceive that learning struggles and failures are their fault. They may experience marginalization and develop feelings of inadequacy. Consequently, many students from diverse backgrounds express feelings of anger and frustration that may be exhibited by undesirable behavior. They may give up, drop out, abandon opportunities for citizenship participation and responsibility, or surrender to jobs in adulthood that are less than those they dreamt of. Finally, study findings suggest that teachers’ lack of cultural awareness, understanding of multicultural education, and knowledge of equity pedagogy prevent them from recognizing several negative personal perceptions and biases. As a result, they implement self-selected, school, and district policies and practices completely unaware that they are unintentionally posing learning obstructions and academic success limitations as well as fostering students’ frustrations. Demographics indicate that the predominantly Caucasian middle-class teaching population requires high levels of cultural awareness and extensive knowledge concerning multicultural education, equity pedagogy, and cultural awareness in order to address the literacy-learning needs of the increasingly diverse student population effectively.

Given the growing cultural and economic diversity of today’s students, this qualitative case study investigates how 4 social studies preservice teachers taught for critical multicultural citizenship during their student teaching semester. The tenets of critical citizenship emerge out of the intersection of critical pedagogy and multicultural education. These tenets for critical multicultural citizenship education include seeking out and challenging gaps in democracy, promoting critical reflection and consciousness, and advocating for collective action to transform institutional injustices. This case study traced perspectives held by participants about the nature of democracy and citizenship and explored how these preservice teachers enacted these views in their classroom teaching. Data collection measures included five observations, reflective journals, three interviews, and other assignments related to the participant’s student teaching coursework. Findings suggest that these participants, all preservice teachers of color, adopted views and teaching practices that aligned with critical multicultural citizenship; however, participants struggled to overcome constraints in their student teaching contexts in order to teach for this kind of citizenship. / text

The objectives of this study were (1) to examine the nature and extent of cultural diversity in Japan; (2) to ascertain the meaning of multicultural education in both the North American and Japanese contexts; and (3) to make judgements concerning the relevance of multicultural education to Japanese education. / It was determined that Japanese society is indeed a culturally diverse one, that the cultural minorities are relatively small in numbers and that the Japanese government has traditionally followed a policy of the cultural assimilation of minorities. / Using conceptual analysis to investigate the meanings of multicultural education, the study found that the concept as developed in North America includes such elements as intercultural education, multiethnic education, minority education, human rights education, anti-racist education, democratic education, political education, education for social justice and peace education. These supporting meanings were found to have both distinctiveness yet also overlapping value associations. / The study reached the conclusion that a qualified concept of multicultural education has relevance to Japanese society, but that the degree of relevance depends upon the extent to which the government follows policies that strengthen or moderate traditional cultural values, recognizes and supports the development of minority cultural communities and encourages openness in its immigration and refugee policies.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-174).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-174). Also available in print.

abstract: Scholars have written about the emotional agitation among White students in response to race-based issues (Higginbotham, 1996; Tatum, 1994; Vasquez, 2006). Research has implicated the emotional experience of guilt with the anti-racist concepts of White racial privilege and Black racial oppression. However, methodological issues in the research raise questions about our current understanding of this issue, which has implications on the ability of educators to create effective course curricula and optimal learning environments. Grounded in a theory of guilt and shame and drawing upon tenets of modern forms of racism, I examined the effects of anti-racist education on White students. Specifically, I tested the effects of two factors on four dependent variables. The first factor, called the content factor, was comprised of three levels that exposed participants to statements conveying institutional forms of White racial privilege, Black racial oppression, and a control condition. The second factor, called the race factor, was comprised of two levels that represented the racial background of a confederate instructor: A White instructor and a Black instructor. Interventions (i.e., factor levels), which were embedded within a standardized lecture on racial inequality, were randomly assigned to participants. Exposures to interventions and data collection were facilitated by the use of laptop computers. Main effects and interaction effects among the six conditions on guilt, shame, negation, and racist attitudes were examined. Given the role of self-awareness in experiencing guilt and shame, identification with Whiteness as a moderating variable was also tested. A sample of 153, self-identified White students with a mean age of 21 participated in the study. They were recruited from three, large public universities located in the Western, South Western, and Mid Western United States. Categorical predictors were dummy coded and hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Findings suggest that the interventions of White racial privilege and Black racial oppression, as institutionally focused concepts, exert no effects on guilt, shame, negation and racist attitudes compared to a control condition. Findings showed a main effect for identification with Whiteness, but not a moderating effect. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Counseling Psychology 2012

abstract: The concept of multiculturalism in music therapy is becoming increasingly relevant in the United States. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze multicultural content in undergraduate programs approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and evaluate the Multicultural Counseling Competencies, in order to develop an educational tool to foster multicultural competency in undergraduate music therapy students. The research questions addressed in this analysis were: (a) what are the current multicultural education practices for undergraduate music therapy students in the United States, and (b) what aspects of multicultural counseling education can provide a framework for multicultural education in music therapy? Within music therapy education, there seems to be no standardized method of delivering multicultural content. Based on the findings of this content analysis, the author combined content from current multicultural music therapy and multicultural counseling education to develop a lecture series for undergraduate music therapy students. Results included the curricula of 68 AMTA-Approved undergraduate music therapy programs. 327 multiculturally related courses were identified. Coded course categories in order of frequency were ability, age, language, Non-Western music, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, spirituality, sexual orientation, religion, and general culture. These results are consistent with existing publications remarking on the state of multicultural education in music therapy. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Music Therapy 2017

The purpose of this descriptive study was to discover Texas middle school choir directors’ perceptions and applications of multicultural education in their classrooms. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1) What were middle school choir director’s perceptions about multicultural music education?; (2) How did middle school choir directors apply multicultural music pedagogy in their classrooms?; and (3) How did middle school choir directors perceive professional development opportunities in multicultural music education? Texas middle school choir directors perceived that the purpose of multicultural music was to expose students to different cultures and diverse worldviews through music. Teachers listed several social and musical benefits of studying multicultural music including broadening musical horizons, cultural appreciation, and expansion of student worldviews. Teachers consciously programmed multicultural music for most of their concerts, and some chose literature based on their students’ cultural backgrounds. Although most teachers tried to make multicultural music experiences genuine for students, authenticity was the foremost pedagogical concern regarding multicultural music pedagogy. Teachers tended to utilize a combination of music concept and sociocultural approaches when teaching multicultural music by comparing multicultural music to Western music and using classroom discussions to discuss social issues that lend context to the music. Professional development opportunities in multicultural music education were available through the state music organization (TMEA), but rarely at the district or the campus level. Teachers also reported opportunities at the national level for professional development.

Orientador: Renato Eugenio da Silva Diniz / Coorientadora: Joelma Cristina Parente Monteiro Alencar / Banca: Renato Eugênio da Silva Diniz / Banca: Claudio Emidio Silva / Banca: Luciana Maria Lunardi Campos / Banca: Silvia Regina Quijadas Aro Zuliani / Resumo: Esta tese de doutorado é resultado de pesquisa do tipo qualitativo realizada na Terra Indígena Mãe Maria, Aldeia Gavião Kỳikatêjê, com o objetivo de identificar as características do conhecimento tradicional do povo indígena Gavião Kỳikatêjê e os significados que atribuem à educação escolar indígena, com foco na possibilidade de construir coletivamente uma perspectiva intercultural para a disciplina de ciências no currículo da Escola Indígena Tatakti Kỳikatêjê. A pesquisa volveu o olhar para os saberes tradicionais do povo indígena Gavião Kỳikatêjê; para o projeto societário da aldeia Kỳikatêjê; para a situação da disciplina de ciências na Escola Tatakti Kỳikatêjê; para a visão dos professores sobre a disciplina de ciências e o que consideram importante ensinar na disciplina de ciências em uma escola indígena. Identificamos que os sábios da aldeia têm profundo conhecimento sobre a floresta e se valem desse conhecimento para prover alimentos, cuidar da saúde e desenvolver manifestações culturais. Identificamos também que as lideranças querem uma aldeia com autonomia para decidir e construir seu futuro, no qual a escola e a disciplina de ciências têm papel de construir as pontes entre os saberes tradicionais do povo Gavião Kỳikatêjê e os saberes científicos do não indígena, mesmo que no momento a disciplina de ciências não atenda o desejado no projeto societário da aldeia. O estudo se caracteriza como estudo de caso do tipo etnográfico. A constituição dos dados obedeceu a múlti... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This doctor degree thesis is result of qualitative research realized in the Mãe Maria Indigenous Land, Gavião Kỳikatêjê Village, with the objective of identify the characteristics of traditional knowledge of the Gavião Kỳikatêjê indigenous people and the meanings attributed to indigenous school education, focusing on the possibility of building collectively an intercultural perspective for the discipline of science in the curriculum of the Tatakti Kỳikatêjê Indigenous School. The research turned the look to the traditional knowledge of the Gavião Kỳikatêjê Indigenous people; to the societal project of the Kýikatêjê Village; to the situation of the science discipline at Tatakti Kỳikatêjê School; to the teachers' vision about the situation of the discipline and what is considered important to teach in the science discipline in an indigenous school. We have identified that the sages of the village have profound knowledge about the forest and use this knowledge to provide food, health care and develop their cultural manifestations. We also identified that the leaderships want a village with autonomy to decide and build their future, in which the school and the discipline of science have the role to build bridges between the traditional knowledge of the Gavião Kỳikatêjê people and the scientific knowledge of the non-indigenous, even though at the moment the discipline of science does not meet the intended in the societal project of the village. The study is characterized as a case... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 1997. / Socio-political changes have brought about major changes in the education system of South Africa. Many teachers who were accustomed to teaching at monocultural schools are suddenly confronted with the reality of having to cope with pupils of other cultural groups in their classrooms. Most of these teachers were not prepared for these changes. This unpreparedness has led to many problems being experienced by teachers in the multicultural classroom setting. The aims of this study are: * To determine if teachers are effectively trained to teach in a multicultural classroom setting. * To establish if teachers are conversant with the complex needs of children in a multicultural classroom setting. * To establish certain guidelines according to which accountable support can be instituted to equip pre-service and inservice teachers to deal with possible problems that they may encounter in a multicultural classroom setting. Initially multicultural education in England, the USA and South Africa was reviewed. In all three cases a short historical overview of the development of multicultural education was given. Acts that were introduced in regard with the provision of education in these countries as well as certain acts that gave course and direction to the evolutionary process of multicultural education were briefly discussed. Certain advantages and disadvantages of multicultural education as envisaged by certain educationists were also highlighted. In order to understand teaching in a multicultural classroom it was necessary to examine the life-world of the teacher and the teacher-pupil relationship. The life-world of the teacher constitutes his relationships with himself, others, things and ideas and God. Research with regard to this study was conducted as follows: * A literature study of available, relevant literature. * An empirical survey comprising a structured questionnaire to be completed by secondary school teachers in the North Durban region. A likert- type scale questionnaire with three response categories; viz. Agree, Disagree, Unsure, was constructed. The three response categories ensured that the respondents' selections fell into one of the categories enabling the measurement of the direction and the intensity of their perceptions of problems experienced by teachers in a multicultural classroom setting. * In addition to the empirical survey, personal interviews with teachers were conducted. One hundred and eighty teachers were targeted from six randomly selected multicultural secondary schools in the North Durban region. With the aim of administering the questionnaire to the teachers of these schools, it was necessary to first obtain permission from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. Permission was also obtained from the Circuit Inspector of the North Durban region. Only after such permission was granted, was the researcher able to conduct this study. The primary data was in the form of a response to one of the three response categories (Agree, Disagree, Unsure). Scores of the responses to each of the three categories were calculated. The descriptive technique was employed for the quantitative analysis of the data. The investigation has the following value: * It will provide a reliable picture of teachers' perspectives of multicultural education; * The most lasting value of this investigation is that it will enable education planners and other relevant bodies to plan and provide professional teacher training programmes in multicultural education. Anticipated dissemination of the research findings: * The problems experienced by teachers in multicultural classrooms can be a topical issue of discussions during seminars and workshops at schools, colleges and universities. * Findings from the research can be useful in the planning of suitable methods (workshops, videos, etcetera) to assist teachers to meet the educational needs of children in multicultural classrooms. * The topic lends itself for further research by interested stakeholders regarding the teaching of children in multicultural classrooms.