American Multicultural Education - Theories and Practices

• Main Authors: Yu-lun Wang, 王玉崙
• Other Authors: Thomas B. Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/59750986849992652802

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 美國研究所 === 91 === Multicultural Education, which not only affects the methods, but also the contents of curriculum designing, has become one of the most important dimensions to the American education reform since the 70’s. Multicultural education emphasizes on the special educational needs of different ethnic groups, respecting students’ cultural differences as assets, instead of abusing them as damages or burden. In addition, it tries to make up the learning difficulties or learning accomplishment gap caused by the difference of culture contexts. By nourishing multiple developments of curriculums, multicultural education articulates the hopes and demands of different ethnic groups. Based on the principle of the equality of opportunity, multicultural education promotes native language teaching, gender equity education, special education for low-incomes and disabilities, and anti-segregated education. In classroom practices, teachers with multicultural perspectives could create a teaching method which is really suitable for the students, because they have a better understanding of students’ identities, values, and educational demands. Chapter 1 elaborates on the purposes, motives, scope, methods, structure, limitations, and some keywords of this study. Chapter 2 analyzes the essential concepts of multicultural education, including the definition, basic theories, and goals. Chapter 3 discusses the principles, structure, and fundamental modes of multicultural curriculum designing, and clarifies some key concepts in order to make a much more integrated demonstration. Chapter 4 takes gender as an example of the discussion of multicultural educational issues, and describes its theoretical basis, scope, principles of curriculum designing, and pedagogies. Chapter 5 elucidates the extension of multicultural education outside the classroom and curriculum, including school reform, interaction between students’ families and communities, and multicultural education for teachers in order to present a more complete outlook and ideal of multicultural education. Chapter 6 is the conclusion.