Intercultural education
The elimination of stereotypes is a necessary condition for successful intercultural dialogue. Dialogue also plays a unique role in education. Freire wrote: “Only dialogue with a request for critical thinking can lead to critical thinking. Without dialogue, there is no communication, and there is no real education without communication “(Freire, Antz, 2007). There is a long-standing tradition in education, which has been underlining this for decades. This is a multicultural education that appeared in the United States at the end of the 1960s, and in some western European countries later. James A. Banks is one of the leading authors of multicultural education. Multicultural education includes the idea that all students – regardless of their gender and social class, and their ethnic, racial and cultural characteristics – have the same opportunities in schools, should have intercultural competencies, and ability of intercultural dialogue, and access to adult education.
The next idea of multicultural education is that some of the students, because of these characteristics, have a better chance of learning in schools, just as they are currently structured, as pupils belonging to other groups, or who have different cultural characteristics (Banks, Banks and Banks, 2007). The same author mentions how boys of African American origin in the US are more often excluded from school or often receive disciplinary measures. She says that initially the learning achievements of African Americans, Latino Americans and American indigenous people are the same as the achievements of white-collar pupils, longer than they are at school, the more their results are lagging. Banks (in Banks and Banks, 2007) also mentions Persella (2007), which finds that pupils from wealthier families have better achievements than pupils from low-income families, and the social class influences student learning opportunities. Even children with special needs – either those with deficiencies or gifted – do not always have the same learning opportunities.
Multicultural education is a reform movement that seeks to change schools and other educational institutions so that all pupils, regardless of which culture or group they belong to, have equal opportunities. These are changes in the entire school, not just the curriculum, but the whole educational environment.
Intercultural education is not something we do, but a process that never ends. Schools should teach not only the necessary skills but also raise social justice (Banks and Banks, 2007). The roots of intercultural education go back to the civil rights movement in the sixties of the last century. Banks (Banks and Banks, 2007) says that the primary goal of the civil rights movement was to prevent discrimination in the public, housing sector, employment, and education. Many minorities did not have the same access to public and private sources that could facilitate political and economic progress; many minority members are less educated than members of the dominant culture; the poverty rate is also higher. Similar rights were not only demanded by ethnic groups, but also by women. The elimination of racism and sexism was required. They wanted to add the voices of women and ethnic groups to society. The voices of women and ethnic groups also lacked in curricula, and it was taught that there was only one culture: men and whites. Ethnic groups and women requested that their experience, history, culture, and perspectives in their curricula be included. Ethnic groups also wanted to teach more teachers from ethnic groups.
Banks (Banks and Banks, 2007) defines the dimensions of multicultural education:
1 ……… integration of content,
2 ……… process of knowledge design,
3 ……… reduction of prejudice,
4 ……… pedagogy of equality,
5 ……… strengthening of school culture and social structure.
Content integration refers to how teachers use examples from different cultures and groups when they represent the central concepts, principles, generalisations, and theories of discipline that they teach. The author believes that content integration is more of an opportunity in social sciences, languages, art, and music, but it is also possible in mathematics and science.
The process of knowledge design refers to how teachers help students understand and study implicit cultural assumptions, reference frameworks and perspectives that influence discipline in the construction of knowledge. For example, students may consider how the process of constructing knowledge in science has been marked by racism brought about by the genetic theories of intelligence, Darwinism, and the eugenics.
Reducing prejudices refers to lessons and activities by which teachers help pupils develop positive attitudes towards different racial, ethnic and cultural groups. As already mentioned, it is vital that the teacher does not have prejudices and stereotypes towards members of ethnic minorities. Positive images of ethnic groups should be integrated consistently in teaching materials.
The pedagogy of equality exists when teachers adjust their teaching to the academic success of all students from different social classes, cultures and both sexes. The pedagogy of equality can also be achieved through the use of different learning styles and approaches that are consistent with the different learning styles of different cultural and ethnic groups.
It is also essential to strengthen the culture of the school and the organisation that enhances ethnic groups. The school is supposed to promote gender equality, ethnic groups, racial justice and the equality of social classes. Nieto believes that education that takes into account culture can improve student learning achievement, (Nieto, in Banks and Banks, 2007). Gay (2000) says that education that takes into account culture takes into account cultural knowledge, experience and the behaviour of different students. For pupils to achieve greater effectiveness of the learning process, teachers should rely on the potential of learners. The same author also describes the characteristics of education that takes into account culture:
- Recognises the legitimacy of cultural traditions of different ethnic groups (including different approaches to learning),
- To teach students to respect their cultural customs and other traditions,
- The curriculum includes multicultural information, resources, and materials (for example, if a teacher teaches literature, contains authors of different cultures),
- The teacher helps build bridges between academic abstractions and socio-cultural reality,
- The teacher recognises not only academic achievements but also cultural identity and tradition (thus respecting the sense of belonging to a learner).
Gay (2000) mentions Banks (1991) who believes that education that takes into account culture must strengthen marginalized groups, must be transformative – that is, it must enable students to develop the knowledge, skills, and values they need, to become societal critics who are capable of reflexive decisions and who make decisions in practical personal, social, political and economic actions. Adult education that takes into account culture provides a means for empowering marginalised groups to gain greater control over their lives. As Freire (1998) says in his book, Teachers as Cultural Workers, education is a political act. An educated person will be able to defend his rights better and become more actively involved in society.
In the same book, Freire also believes that adult education should encourage critical thinking, and learners should become agents of change not only in the personal sense but also for their families, communities and the state. Gay (2000) mentions that culture-conscious education is characterised by the incentive of doubt in authority and the power of dominant ones. Teachers teaching marginalised groups should not underestimate the power of the community and its impact on the student’s educational experience. The teacher should act as a political agent and defend the pupil’s needs and rights (Guy, 2000). It is vital that advocacy is ethically and not patronised, if the student himself can protect his or her needs, the teacher should advocate only if the student can not defend his own needs alone (Hastrup and Elsass, in Vrečer, 2007). It is also essential that the teacher does not regard pupils as racial categories, ethnic categories, and gender categories, but as individuals.
In teaching and learning in a multicultural society, it is necessary for schools to provide students with the opportunity to work in extracurricular activities that develop knowledge, skills, and relationships that increase academic success and promote positive intercultural relations. There is a growing number of studies that show that pupils’ achievements are related to their participation in extracurricular activities (e.g., Braddock, 1991; Eccles & Barber, 1999; Guiterrez et al., 1999; Jordan, 1999, in Banks et al., 2001). Participation in activities that take place after school, such as sports, language courses, increase students’ academic achievements. It also improves discipline and prevents rash. The environment where informal learning takes place promotes the socialising of members of different cultures. It is important to encourage such extra-curricular activities where pupils have equal status.
If we want to improve relations between groups, it is also good to set up groups that are made up of members of different groups, and that all members of all groups can be identified. Such groups can be organised in extracurricular activities. Setting up such groups reduces prejudice against other groups since they have shared identities, that is, belonging to a group, which can contribute to lowering hatred among members (Banks et al., 2001). The same author also emphasises that pupils should learn about shared values that are typical of almost all cultural groups (for example, equity, equality, freedom, peace, compassion, charity). If we teach pupils about shared values, for instance, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, we allow them to feel similarities between people, which can contribute to improving people’s relationships. If we emphasise the value of equality, we help to break ethnocentrism (the idea that one group is worth more than others). This can also reduce stereotypes and prejudices. The real discussion about the importance of values can improve relations in the group and minimise injustice, inequality, lack of compassion and charity, etc. For productive citizenship in a multicultural society, the latter needs individuals who promote the values of equality and fairness among culturally diverse groups.
Banks et al. (2001) also argue that it is essential to have a school organisation’s strategy for pupils and parents to participate in school decision-making. School strategies reflect the values of everyone working at the school and the values of the whole society.
Banks et al. (2001) also suggest that teachers use different methods for examining knowledge since the use of only one method can deprive students of certain social classes and ethnic groups. Teachers should use different assessment strategies that include observation, oral examinations, and standardised assessment. Authors also recommend portfolios (collective learning scores), case studies, and written assignments. Assessment should not be limited to knowledge alone but must include complex cognitive and social skills. From the abovementioned description of multicultural education, it is evident that such education does not only help us to regulate relations between different cultural groups in the classroom but also helps us make societies more democratic, as it is democratic at the very heart of multicultural education.
Additional reading material
In the additional material available here, you can read about the following:
- The dimensions of intercultural education
- Indicators for intercultural understanding
- Intercultural education and pupil exchanges
- Intercultural education and school partnerships
- Intercultural education and the recognition of achievement.
The Council of Europe prepared the material in June 2012, titled Intercultural competence for all: Preparation for living in a complex world.
