Implementing multicultural education in teacher education programs.

In his astute characterization of schools as microcosms of the larger society, John Dewey rendered an accurate assessment of schools that has remained constant over time. His characterization is as true today as it was when he first stated it. At present, in at least 25 of our nation's largest school systems, the minority student population has become the majority (Sherritt, 1990). Predictions indicate that the demographic shifts already affecting those 25 school systems will inevitably be duplicated in most of the remaining school systems in the United States.

As a result of the present and anticipated shifts in school populations, classrooms throughout the nation will become increasingly more diverse. Current data indicates, however, that the teaching force will remain largely culturally homogeneous.

These trends will lead to cultural incongruity among students and teachers. In fact, as present trends continue, future teachers will find that their cultural identity will become the "minority." They will no longer be able to force their students to assimilate into their area of cultural familiarity by attempting to impose what Burstein and Cabello refer to as a "cultural fit." According to Burstein and Cabello, teachers imposing a "cultural fit" require students to relinquish their cultural identities and assimilate into the teacher's cultural identity.

Teacher education programs must help future teachers find ways to avoid stripping students of their very valuable cultural identities. Teacher education programs that implement multicultural education programs will better prepare future teachers to effectively educate all of their students, regardless of the students' cultural identities.

The anticipated incongruity will intensify demands that educators strive, more than ever, to ensure that all students receive an equitable education. Educators will be expected to incorporate the multiple cultures of a pluralistic society into the curriculum of the pluralistic microsocieties of schools. Teacher educators should not expect present and future teachers to successfully implement culturally inclusive instruction without receiving such instruction in their teacher education programs. Herein lies the charge of teacher educators. In order for present and future teachers to be prepared for the diverse cultural milieu that inevitably awaits them, teacher educators must implement multicultural education in teacher education programs. Such implementation efforts by teacher educators will not be successful if only piecemeal and tokenistic attention is given to multicultural issues. Adding only one "optional/nonrequired" course to address the issues is not enough. Teacher educators must commit themselves to incorporating multicultural issues throughout the entire curriculum and requiring participation at all levels. Teacher educators must emphasize that all education students need to be prepared to implement multicultural education regardless of their, or their future students', racial, ethnic, gender or socioeconomic identities, or language competencies. Contrary to the claims of some, it is not true that multicultural education can only be implemented by "multicultural" people. Instead, it is crucial that efforts be launched to make sure that all teachers are effectively prepared to equitably educate all children.

Given the anticipated tendency toward cultural incongruity among the student and teacher population, multicultural education in teacher education programs holds much promise as one very positive way of preparing all teachers to effectively educate every student. Multicultural education can empower teachers to design curricula and instruction methods that include--rather than exclude--consideration of their students' cultural identities.

Some multicultural education dissenters claim that teachers need only be prepared to establish multicultural education in schools where the student population is culturally diverse and heterogeneous. This is an erroneous claim. Multicultural education is just as relevant and critical, if not more so, in schools with monocultural and homogeneous student populations.

An often heard and ringing assault from dissenters is the accusation that multicultural education serves only to divide a nation. The most poignant reply to this argument was offered by Banks (1992), who proclaimed that "multicultural education is not about 'dividing' a united nation, but about 'uniting' |an 'already'~ deeply divided nation".

With this in mind, teacher educators must take seriously the charge to implement multicultural education in teacher education programs. They must not continue to be re-active, but must strive to be pro-active. Only by implementing multicultural training in teacher education programs can future teachers be prepared to meet the education needs of a pluralistic society.

References

Banks, J. A. (1992). It's up to us. Teaching Tolerance, 1(2), 20-35.

Burstein, N.D., & Cabello, B. (1989). A model for recruitment and retention of minority students in teacher preparation programs. Journal of Teacher Education, 39, 14-18.

Sherritt, C. (1990). Multicultural teacher preparations: A study of teacher migration patterns and certification requirements. The Teacher Educator, 25(4), 16-21.