WHAT IS MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION?

Jasleen L. Intal

 Multicultural education refers to any form of education or teaching that

incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from
different cultural backgrounds. At the classroom level, for example, teachers may
modify or incorporate lessons to reflect the cultural diversity of the students in a
particular class. In many cases, “culture” is defined in the broadest possible
sense, encompassing race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, class,
gender, sexual orientation, and “exceptionality”—a term applied to students with
specialized needs or disabilities.

[EXP: What is Multicultural Education? It is the form of education or teaching that

incorporates history, text, values, beliefs and perspectives ng mga taong galing sa iba’t-
ibang kultura o lugar. Kapag ang teacher eh ini-incorporate niya sa kanyang pagtuturo
ang kasaysayan, mga teksto, paniniwala, atbp. ay nagaganap ang multicultural
education. Halimbawa, sa klase maaaring i-modify ng guro ang paksa o ‘di kaya mag-
incorporate siya na makatutulong para matutuhan ng mga bata ang tungkol sa kultura.]

 Generally speaking, multicultural education is predicated on the principle of

educational equity for all students, regardless of culture, and it strives to remove
barriers to educational opportunities and success for students from different
cultural backgrounds. In practice, educators may modify or eliminate educational
policies, programs, materials, lessons, and instructional practices that are either
discriminatory toward or insufficiently inclusive of diverse cultural perspectives.
Multicultural education also assumes that the ways in which students learn and
think are deeply influenced by their cultural identity and heritage, and that to
teach culturally diverse students effectively requires educational approaches that
value and recognize their cultural backgrounds. In this way, multicultural
education aims to improve the learning and success of all students, particularly
 students from cultural groups that have been historically underrepresented or
that suffer from lower educational achievement and attainment.

[EXP: In simple terms, multicultural education removes the barrier or the discrimination
brought by the cultural diversity and differences of the students. Education is for all
regardless of the culture or ethnicity of the students. Ganoon naman dapat, as a
teacher we should not let our students to be left behind because they are aetas,
igorots, or etc. Even us Kapampangans, ‘di ba kapag nag-aaral tayo sa ibang lugar lagi
tayong napapansin na walang “h” lalo na ng mga kaklase. As a teacher, we should not
let that to happen. Multicultural education aims to improve the learning and success of
ALL STUDENTS, particularly students from cultural groups that have been historically
underrepresented or that suffer from lower educational achievement and attainment.]

Approaches to Multicultural Education

 Dr. James A. Banks, educator and author of over 20 books on multicultural

education, has identified four approaches that teachers can use for integrating
multiculturalism into their curriculum. Let's look at each approach, one at a time:

[EXP: Nag-identify si Dr James A. Banks na isang guro at manunulat ng 4 na

approaches na maaaring gamitin ng mga guro para ma-integrate ang multiculturalism
sa kanilang pagtuturo.]

1. Contributions

 Teachers using this approach provide examples of the relevant contributions and
heroic accomplishments of people from different races and cultures, without
changing the lesson plan or goals of the unit being taught. For example, in a
science unit students could learn of the contributions of scientists from different
countries or American ethnicities.

[EXP: First approach is CONTRIBUTIONS. Here, the teacher will provide examples of
relevant contributions and heroic of people from different races and cultures nang hindi
niya binabago ang lesson plan. Ibig sabihin, ituturo ng guro ang mga mahalagang
kontribusyon at kabayanihan kahit pa saan nanggaling ang mga ito. Halimbawa nga, ‘di
ba naaalala niyo na sa Science pinag-aaralan natin ‘yung mga contributions ng mga
Scientist kahit pa taga-ibang bansa sila like Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, si Galileo
Galilei etc. Kasi mahalaga ‘yung mga contibutions nila at hindi mahalaga ‘yung race
pinanggalingan nila. Pati mga bayani, bayani sa ibang bansa pinag-aaralan natin ‘di ba?
Sa Local na lang, ‘yung mga bayani ng Pilipinas ‘di ba pinag-aaralan natin silang lahat
kahit saan pa sila nagmula sa Pampanga man, Cavite, Bulacan o kung saan pa.]

2. Additive

 This approach requires adding cultural realities that traditionally are left out of a
curriculum that focuses on a traditional holiday, like Independence Day or
Thanksgiving. Providing stories about how Native Americans were involved in the
first Thanksgiving celebration would be one way to add a multicultural element.
The Additive approach does not change the overall curriculum.

[EXP: Next is ADDITIVE, sa approach natin from the word itself, mag-add ang
teacher. Ang idadagdaf niya ‘yung mga wala sa kurikulum na sa tingin niya ay dapat
matutuhan ng mga estudyante niya. Halimbawa, magkwento siya about certain event
ganyan. Kung napapansin natin, ‘yung mga teachers natin minsan magkukwento na
lang bigla ayun ‘yung additive. Hindi binabago ang curriculum, dinadagdagan lang.]

3. Transformation

 The transformation approach seeks to change the attitudes about cultural

differences by using a different curriculum, one that encourages students to view
problems and concepts from the perspective of different cultures. For example, if
students were studying the American Indian wars, they would consider the views
of the settlers, soldiers, and also the native peoples.

[EXP: The third one is TRANSFORMATION, dito naman ang gagawin ng teacher
bubuksan niya ‘yung isip ng mga estudyante niya. The teacher will change the attitudes
of the students about certain event making them to view the problems and concepts
from the perspective of different culture. Sabi nga sa halimbawa, kung pinag-aaralan
ang American-Indian War, hindi lang isang point of view ‘yung iisipin ng mga students
dapat lahat gaya ng mga settlers, mga soldiers pati mga taong nangadamay sa
digmaan na ‘yon. Ano ba lahat ng point of view ng mga ‘yon? Dito tinuturuan ang
students na huwag maging biased.]

4. Social Action

 The social action approach uses the concepts from the transformation curriculum
and takes it a step further, where students take action for social change. After
acquiring the necessary knowledge about something in their community that
needs change, students get involved in activities that may effect that change,
such as writing letters to senators or taking the time to reach out and befriend
students of different races or ethnic backgrounds.

[EXP: Last ‘yung SOCIAL ACTION, etong approach na ito ‘yung next step doon sa
TRANSFORMATION APPROACH. If you remember, sa transformation approach
tinuturuan nating ma-realize ng mga students ‘yung point of view lahat ng taong
involve sa topic at huwag maging biased. Sa Social Action, after the students acquired
the knowledge about something in their community ayun na ‘yung time niya para
kumilos para sa pagbabago. Halimbawa na lang ‘di ba may sigalot kung sino ba talaga
unang president si Aguinaldo ba o si Bonifacio? Hindi naman kikilos ‘yung mga taong
nakikipaglaban sa isyung ‘yan kung wala silang natutuhan o na-realize sa school.]