The Use of Multicultural Education - Research Proposal Example

Culture can be defined as a learned, shared, integrated way of life (NesSmith, 1995). In the Unites s culture plays a vital role due to the fact the country has a multicultural society. Teachers have to be aware that culture influences the behavior of students. Race and ethnicity are also variables that must be considered by teachers. In most cultures across the world education is very important due to the fact that education helps people increase their skills and capabilities. Due to the diversity of the population of the United States multicultural education has become a hot topic in the academic community.

“Multicultural education is a philosophical concept built on the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, equity, and human dignity” (Nameorg, 2003). The use of multicultural education can help dissipate tensions in classroom settings because the pedagogical approach associated with the concept encourages the use of an environment that is familiar for the students and in which creativity and individuality are encourage by the teachers. It is imperative for teachers to treat all students as equals independent of their cultural background.

In America’s educational system there is zero tolerance for teachers that are culturally biased. The principals of schools must ensure that their staff is well educated in cultural matters. A practice that can help teachers prepare themselves for an upcoming semester is to learn the cultural profile of all students enrolled in their classes. If the teacher lacks knowledge on the culture of any student it is the responsibility of the teacher to learn about the culture. A good database that has information about most cultures of the countries around the world is CultureGrams.

“Multicultural education is intended to decrease race, ethnicity, class, and gender divisions by helping all students attain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills” (Intime, 2002). Multicultural education can improve the classroom environment by empowering teachers to become better educators. Cultural bias can be reduced by integrating cultural activities within the classroom setting. Teachers have to abide by certain principles to lower the cultural differences and decrease overall cultural bias.

Six of the principles that must be followed by teacher are: building cultural programs, showing appreciation of differences, avoiding stereotypes, acknowledging differences in children, discovering the diversity within the classroom, and avoiding pseudomulticulturalism (Fish, 2010). A lot of the things that I believed were important in regards to the impact of culture on education and how to prevent cultural differences and bias were relevant based on the research I performed. Teachers that are bilingual or speak several languages are in high demand.

An organization that represents bilingual teachers is the National Association for Bilingual Education (Nabe, 2009). In the United States educational system the government expects its teachers to have sound knowledge about culture and diversity topics. The application of multicultural education concepts can help reduce the division associated with gender, ethnicity, and race. Research shows that students react better to teachers that have adequate cultural training. Cultural training enhances a teacher’s ability to handle a classroom that composed of a diverse student body.

Cross-cultural training is utilized in the educational system of hundreds of countries around the world. Knowing more than one language can be very useful for a teacher. One of the top cultural barriers in classrooms is language. “A teacher who tries to learn the native tongue of her or his students, if only a word or two, will convey respect for the culture of his or her students and increase their potentially suffering self-esteem.” (Fish, 2010). The history of the United States is full of injustices and discrimination due to racism and a lack of understanding of cultural matters.

Major breakthroughs occurred in the 1960’s due to the civil rights movement. Today in the 21st century America has to continue to move forward. Our children are the future and the implementation of a multicultural educational strategy can foster a healthy environment in which our youth will learned the value of equality and justice for all. It is the responsibility of the teacher to intervene when cultural tensions manifest themselves in the classroom setting. The teacher is supposed to mediate the situation.

Parent involvement is necessary when these circumstances occur. The lines of communication between the teachers and the parents must always be open. Active listening skills can help teachers understand students better. I believe that a lot of progress has been made in America’s educational system to emphasize the importance of multicultural education. This is truly important because once our children become adults they will encounter a workforce that is more diverse than ever and in which globalization has become a critical success factor.

References Fish, L. (2010). Building Blocks: The First Step for Creating a Multicultural Classroom. Retrieved September 15, 2011 from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/buildingblocks.html Intime.ini.edu (2002). Multicultural Education Introduction. Retrieved September 10, 2011 from http://www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/intro.htm Nabe.org (2003). Welcome to NABE. Retrieved September 10, 2011 from http://www.nabe.org/ Nameorg.com (2003). National Association for Multicultural Education.

Retrieved September 10, 2011 from http://www.nameorg.org/resolutions/definition.html NesSmith, W. (1995). Social Sciences: An Introduction. Forth Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.