An Observational Study of Multicultural Education in Urban Elementary Schools
| Author (s) |
Saldana, D.C. & Waxman, H.C. |
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| Year of Publication |
1997 |
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| Publication Type |
article |
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| Name of Periodical |
Equity & Excellence in Education |
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| Volume |
30 |
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| Issue |
1 |
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| Page Numbers |
40-46 |
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Address |
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| Available From |
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| Suggested Audience |
- Teachers
- Teacher educators
- Administrators
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| Descriptors |
- Cultural awareness
- Urban youth culture
- Elementary schools
- Diversity
- Multicultural education
- Curriculum
- Teacher roles
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Content Abstract
According to the authors, one of the major educational problems of urban schools is that the curriculam and teaching practices in schools have not reflected the diversity within the population. There is often a mismatch between the culture of the home and the school culture. Multicultural teaching is supposed to address the mismatch between the goals and the mission of schooling and students’ individual needs and concerns. This article presents an observational study of multicultural educational practices within 12 elementary schools in a major metropolitan area of the south central region of the United States. Additionally, the authors reveal the use of the Multicultural Teaching Observation Instrument (MTOI) in measuring teacher support of students, classroom equity, and integration of students’ culture within a multicultural education setting. Results evidenced that teachers were observed respecting individual students and recognizing individual differences among their students, without expressing special treatment to any one student or groups of students based on gender or ethnicity. The Integration of Students’ category showed that while teachers are using materials which are culturally appropriate, they generally do not use examples of other cultures when explaining or demonstrating concepts or ideas. (excerpts from article and ERIC Clearinghouse #UD519990)
Methodological Notes
Approximately six teachers from each school were randomly chosen to be observed during either a reading, mathematics, or social studies class. Each teacher was observed twice using the MTOI, an instrument used to assess the types of multicultural teaching that occurred in these classrooms as well as the quantity or amount of multicultural instruction observed. Descriptive analyses were then used to summarize the amount of time various indicators were observed in these classrooms. (excerpts from article)
Additional Comments
Reviews and Commentary by the Field
