MULTICULTURALISM: TOWARDS BUILDING A PROTOTYPE CURRICULUM

FRAMEWORK THAT ADDRESSES DIVERSE CULTURES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Prepared by

Roderick M. Aguirre
Shaine D. Baccay
Honora Batham
Domingo Cordero
Arlen Gonzales
Milagros Penaflor

I. Introduction

Our country has been a melting pot of many cultures. History can attest to how widely
diverse our culture is and at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we have
acknowledged this fact but has not truly embraced it. We have cultures like Hiligaynon,
Waray, Cebuano, Tagalog, Ivatan, Bahasa Sug, Ilocano, Kinaray-a, and a lot more
which not only represent their dynamic languages but their rich cultures as well. These
cultures have their own unique beliefs, values, traditions, skills, and specialization (not
to mention the ever-growing awareness of gender equality, sexual orientations,
religions, and foreigners visiting, marrying and residing in the country) that should be
respected and cultivated in order to thrive and flourish.

These cultures, and subcultures, will become more diverse as we progress forward
into the twenty-first century and will definitely shape the Philippine culture as a nation
and a member of a global community. Unless educators are able to understand the
diverse needs of their learners, it will be difficult if not impossible to teach them
effectively (Gollnick and Chinn, 2006). Teachers must understand that every learner is
an individual who exists in their own social, political, historical, and economic contexts
(APA, 2002).

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II. Significance

In this paper, we will introduce a profile instrument that will provide our educators data
regarding the diverse cultural backgrounds of our learners. Also, we would like to
emphasize that educators can deliver an equitable education for all students; educators
cannot attack sexism without also fighting racism, classism, homophobia, and
discrimination based on abilities, age, and religion (Gollnick and Chinn, 2006). Our
schools can eradicate discrimination in their own policies and practices if educators are
willing to confront and eliminate their own racism and sexism. To rid our schools of such
practices takes a committed and strong faculty (Gollnick and Chinn, 2006) who are
interculturally literate with appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding and attitudes
needed to form relationships and collaborate with others across cultures (APA, 2002).
Educators must, more than ever, value, respect and explore cultural differences,
critically reflect upon varied cultural traditions (including their own) and participate fully
in cross-cultural interactions so that they are able to communicate effectively in contexts
both familiar and unfamiliar.

Ameny-Dixon (2004) outlines some of these long term benefits of multicultural

education.

1. Multicultural education increases productivity because a variety of mental

resources are available for completing the same tasks and it promotes cognitive
and moral growth among all people.

2. Multicultural education increases creative problem-solving skills through the

different perspectives applied to same problems to reach solutions.

3. Multicultural education increases positive relationships through achievement of

common goals, respect, appreciation, and commitment to equality among the
intellectuals at institutions of higher education.

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 4. Multicultural education decreases stereotyping and prejudice through direct
contact and interactions among diverse individuals.

5. Multicultural education renews vitality of society through the richness of the

different cultures of its members and fosters development of a broader and more
sophisticated view of the world.

III. Goals

Multicultural education is a progressive approach for transforming education that

holistically critiques and addresses current shortcomings, failings, and discriminatory
practices in education (Gollnick and Chin, 2006; APA, 2002; Paul Gorski, 2000). It is
grounded in ideals of social justice, education equity, and a dedication to facilitating
educational experiences in which all students reach their full potential as learners and
as socially aware and active beings, locally, nationally, and globally. Multicultural
education acknowledges that schools are essential to laying the foundation for the
transformation of society and the elimination of oppression and injustice (Gollnick and
Chinn, 2006).

Therefore, the goal of this paper is to:

1. Create and try-out a prototype student profile instrument that will outline their
individual cultural contexts.
2. Design a prototype conceptual framework for a multicultural curriculum that
that incorporates the following specific goals from Ameny-Dixon (2004).
a. Develop core values
b. Develop multiple historical perspectives
c. Strengthen cultural consciousness and strengthen intercultural
consciousness
d. Combat racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination
and build social action skills.

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 e. Increase awareness of the state
3. Outline multicultural education approaches that curriculum designers and
educators can use in designing their own multicultural curriculum and
classrooms.

IV. Conceptual Framework

The research team designed a prototype student profile instrument (see appendix A) to
outline students’ cultural contexts and be able to meet consider these contexts inside
the classroom. Then the team tallied and made a summary of the results of the try-out
(see appendix B) and presented them through a graph (see appendix C). The results
then became the bases for coming up with the prototype framework for a multicultural
education framework that can later on be used to create a multicultural curriculum to
effectively address the mission, vision and goals of the K to 12 Philippine Basic
Education. Below is the conceptual framework that summarizes the procedures the
research team charted.

Phase 1: Creation and Try-out of the prototype Student Profile Instrument

STEP 6. Administration of the STEP 1. Research existing

edited and revised student student profile instruments in
profile instrument the Philippines and abroad

STEP 5. Editing and revising

STEP 2. Create an outline of
the student profile
cultural contexts to be
instruments based on the
yielded (serves as TOS)
initial try-out.

STEP 3. Adaption of the chosen

STEP 4. Initial try-out of the student profile from STEP 1 to
adapted student profile incorporate the created TOS in
instrument. STEP 2.

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 Phase 2: Conceptualization of the prototype Multicultural Education Framework

Content Integration Knowledge Construction

Li
M fe a
a
Sc th nd
gy IC ien em Ca
lo
cio T ce a re
tic er
Equity Pedagogy So s Prejudice Reductio
es c d S ki
niti usi y an ll s
a g
m d M lo
Hu t an ropo
Ar th Multicultural
An and Functional
Filipino with
the 21st
Lo century skills
M gic
Sc ath an
IC ien em d S s ue
T ce a c i age ong
tic en u T
s ce ng r ge
s La othe o ua
M lipin h ang
Fi glis n L
En reig
Fo
Assessment Assessment

Empowering School Culture and Social

Structure

The framework incorporates James A. Bank’s (1998) five multiculturalism’s dimensions.

1. Content Integration. According to Banks (1998), this is the heart of multicultural education
because this is how teachers start multicultural awareness to learners. Learners are made aware
that knowledge is not exclusive to cultures and disciplines. In fact, knowledge permeates to all
aspects life, culture, and disciplines.

2. Knowledge construction. The knowledge construction process moves to a different level

because here educators help learners to understand, investigate, and determine the implicit
cultural assumptions and frames of reference and perspectives of the discipline they’re teaching.
In other words, we help kids understand.

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 3. Equity Pedagogy. By equity pedagogy, educators change their methods to enable learners from
diverse racial groups and both genders to achieve. In other words, the metaphor of the
multicultural atom captures the essence of equity pedagogy.

4. Prejudice Reduction. Notice that by the time we get to equity pedagogy and prejudice reduction,
all educators can be involved. All educators—whether you teach math or physics or social studies
—should work to reduce prejudice in the classroom. And research indicates that adolescent
prejudice is very real, and that learners come to school with prejudices toward different groups.
That’s something that all educators should be sensitive to. And all educators should use methods
to help learners develop more positive racial attitudes.

5. Empowering school culture and social structure. The total school culture should embody
multiculturalism and not just in the classroom level. What does the school staff look like
racially? Who are the teachers? Who are the leaders? Are they diverse? In other words, the school
members (both internal and external stakeholders) have to walk the talk.

V. Multicultural Education Approaches

Multicultural education is an approach to teaching and learning that is based on democratic

values that affirm cultural pluralism within culturally diverse societies in an interdependent world.
The global perspective of multicultural education recognizes cultural pluralism as an ideal and
healthy state in any productive society and promotes equity and respect among the existing
cultural groups (Gollnick and Chin, 2006; APA, 2002; Paul Gorski, 2000). Below are four
multicultural approaches that Gibson (1984) proposes as expounded by the American
Psychological Association (2002).

A. Approach One: Education of the Culturally Different or Benevolent

Multiculturalism. The purpose of this approach is to equalize educational opportunity
for culturally different students. The conditions giving rise to this approach are, first, the
continuing academic failure of students from a certain minority ethnic group whose
school performance continues to lag behind national norms, and second, the rejection of
cultural and genetic deficit hypotheses regarding students' school failure.

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 B. Approach Two: Education About Cultural Differences or Cultural Understanding.
The second approach differs from benevolent multiculturalism in that its target
population is all students; all need to learn about cultural differences. Further, its focus is
education about cultural differences rather than education for the so-called culturally
different. In this case, the purpose of multicultural education is to teach students to value
cultural differences, to understand the meaning of the culture concept, and to accept
others' right to be different.

C. Approach Three: Education for Cultural Pluralism. Anthropologists have used the
term as a tool to differentiate among various types of multi-ethnic societies. In
anthropology, the concept has been used most frequently in connection with social
stratification theory to analyze relationships among ethnic groups in former colonial
countries and to distinguish a plural society from the homogeneous or heterogeneous
society (M. Smith 1965; Rubin 1960; Despres 1968; Benedict 1962 in APA, 2002).

D. Approach Four: Bicultural Education. The term bicultural education is used most
frequently in conjunction with bilingual education programs. Many, if not all, of these
programs contain elements of the three approaches presented thus far. They seek to
foster or maintain pride in the native culture, to develop a fuller understanding of one's
heritage and traditions, to strengthen identity, to increase motivation and academic
success, to reduce prejudice and discrimination, to increase educational opportunities
and social justice. When attached to bilingual programs, bicultural or multicultural
education programs obviously are aimed also at developing language competence.

VI. References

1. Gollnick, Donna M., and Chinn, Philip C. Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society
(7th Ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education, Inc. p

2. Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational

Change for Psychologists. Approved as APA Policy by the APA Council of
Representatives, August, 2002.

3. Ameny-Dixon, Gloria M. 2004. Why Multicultural Education is more Important in Higher

Education Now than ever: A Global Perspective. McNeese State University.

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4. Approaches to Multicultural Education in the United States: Some Concepts and
Assumptions Author(s): Margaret Alison Gibson Source: Anthropology & Education
Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1, Special Anniversary Issue: Highlights from the Past (Spring,
1984), pp. 94-120 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the American
Anthropological Association

5. Education for Global and Multicultural Citizenship. A Strategy for Victorian Government
Schools 2009 – 2013. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Published by the Student Learning Programs Division Office of Government School
Education Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Melbourne.
Published March 2009.

6. Higbee, Jeanne L., Lundell, Dana Britt, Duranczyk, Irene M. (editors). 2003.
Multiculturalism in Developmental Education. University of Minnesota: Center for on
Developmental Education and Urban Literacy, General College, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN.

7. An Integrated Approach to Multicultural Education. The Academic Senate for California

Community Colleges. Spring 1995. This paper was developed jointly by the Educational
Policies Committee and the Affirmative Action/Cultural Diversity Committee, 1991-1995.

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APPENDIX A: Prototype Student Profile Instrument

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APPENDIX B: Summary of Result

PROFILE DATA SHEET

Name: Prepared by Honora D. Bathan for MCEd group

Year/Section: Regular Curriculum (2 low sections from 36 Grade 8 classes)- 25 respondents
Special Science Curriculum (2 sections from 2 Grade 8 classes) – 25 respondents
Address: Residency:
a. Resettlement Area – mostly informal settlers whose families came from NCR;
immigrants from provinces (mostly Bicol, Quezon, Visayas region)
b. Non-area – subdivision dwellers whose parents work in NCR but bought houses in
Dasmarinas; some belong to the native residents of Dasmarinas who have ancestral
homes in the town proper.

School: DASMARINAS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Originally a school created to accommodate the informal settlers of NCR.
Has 3 curriculums –Regular curriculum, Special Science Curr., Open High School, ALS, & Sports Academy

DIRECTIONS:
Circle the number in column B that corresponds to your answer.

Column A Column B Reg Curr SSC TOTAL

GENERAL INFORMATION Residency -
-Resettlement Area -20 Area – 3
-Non-Area -5 Non-Area – 22 50

25 25

SEX 1. Male 5 11
2. Female 25 14

25 25

GENDER 3. Heterosexual 17 25
4. Lesbian
5. Gay 8
6. Bisexual
7. Transgender
NATIONALITY 8. Filipino 25 24

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 1
9. Others______________ (Australian
)
25
ETHNICITY & 10. Agutaynen (Palawan) 1
MOTHER 11. Akalanon
TONGUE 12. Bikol 2 1
13. Cebuano 2
14. Chabacano
15. Hiligaynon
16. Ibanag
17. Iloko
18. Ilonggo 1
19. Itawes (Cagayan)
20. Ivatan
21. Kapampangan 1
22. Kinaray-a
23. Maguindanaoan
24. Maranao
25. Pangasinense
26. Sambal
27. Surigaonon
28. Tagalog 20 19
29. Tausug 1
30. Waray 1 1
31. Yakan
32. Others:__________
25
25

33. Christian/Catholic 19 18
34. Christian/Non-Catholic
a. Iglesia Ni cristo 1 3
b. Mormon 1
c. Jehovah’s Witness 1 1
d. Seventh-Day Adventist
e. Ang Dating Daan 1
f. Pentecostal –Born 2 1
Again 1
g. Baptist
h. Methodist
i. Iemelif
j. Evangelical
k. Anglican
l. Christian Scientology 1
35. Muslim
36. Buddhist
37. Hindu 25
38. Jewish 25

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 39. Orthodox Christian or
Russian
EDUCATION
FATHER’S 40. Elementary graduate 8 1
Highest 41. High school graduate 11 1
Educational 42. College graduate 6 20
Attainment 43. Master’s degree 2
44. Doctor’s degree 25 1

25

MOTHER’S 45. Elementary graduate 4 1

Highest 46. High school graduate 14 12
Educational 47. College graduate 7 10
Attainment 48. Master’s degree 2
49. Doctor’s degree
25 25

SES
FATHER’S 50. Doctor
Occupation 51. Lawyer 1
52. Accountant 1
53. Engineer 12
54. Teacher
55. Police Officer 2 3
56. Nurse
57. Office Staff 3
58. Electrician 1
59. Mechanic 1
60. Welder
61. Machine Operator
62. Driver 2
63. Security Guard
64. Messenger 1
65. Sales Agent 2
66. Factory worker 5
67. Vendor 2
68. Baker 1
69. Butcher
70. Carpenter 4
71. Caddy 1
72. Others:________
- Farmer 2
- Delivery boy 2
- Business man 1 1
- No job 2

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 25 25

MOTHER’S 73. Doctor

Occupation 74. Lawyer
75. Accountant 6
76. Engineer 1
77. Teacher 1 3
78. Police Officer 1
79. Nurse 3
80. Office Staff 1 5
81. Machine Operator
82. Driver
83. Security Guard 1
84. Messenger
85. Sales Lady
86. Factory worker 1
87. Vendor 2
88. Baker 1
89. Beautician 1
90. Vendor 4
91. House Helper 2
92. Caddy
93. Others
Housewife 10 3
Businesswoman 4

25 25

Residing with 94. Parent/s 16 23

my 95. Mother 4
96. Father
97. Grandparent/s 1 1
98. Uncle/Aunt 3 1
99. Brothers 1
100.Alone
101.Own family
102.Friends/acquaintance
25 25

No. of people 103.2-4 5

living in your 104.5-7 3 20
household 105.8-10 18
106.11 and above 4
25
25
Our house is 107.Owned 13 22
108.Rented 12 3

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 25 25
Most Favorite 109.English 8 2
subject in 110.Math 11 7
school 111.Science 2 16
112.Social studies
113.Filipino 2
114.Values 2
115.TLE
116.MAPEH
25 25
Least Favorite 117.English 2 3
subject in 118.Math 2 5
school 119.Science 2
120.Social studies 4 2
121.Filipino 1 3
122.Values 1
123.TLE 6 2
124.MAPEH 2 10
5

25 25

OCCUPATION 125.Doctor 8
you want to 126.Lawyer 1 3
have in the 127.Accountant 3 8
future 128.Engineer 3 2
129.Teacher 5 2
130.Police officer 2
131.Nurse 1
132.Office Staff 3
133.Machine Operator 1
134.Electrician 3
135.Mechanic
136.Welder 1
137.Driver
138.Security Guard
139.Messenger
140.Sales Agent
141.Factory worker
142.Vendor
143.Baker/cook 2
144.Beautician
145.Vendor
146.House Helper
147.Caddy
Others:
- Geologist 1
- AStonomer 1

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 25 25

APPENDIX C: Graph

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