What are the purposes and approaches of multicultural education?
Multicultural education has multiple purposes, including expanding the curriculum to reflect the national diversity; expanding teaching strategies to respond to different learning styles; promoting the multicultural competence of teachers; and a commitment to social justice, to work and teach toward local and global equity. James Banks identifies four levels of a multicultural curriculum: contributions, additive, transformation, and social action. Those opposed to multicultural education fear it emphasizes differences at the expense of national unity, and takes time from critical academic subjects. • Why is culturally responsive teaching important? As America’s demographics become increasingly diverse, teachers will be expected to understand the needs and cultural learning styles of students with backgrounds very different from their own. Culturally responsive teaching, as described by Gloria Ladson-Billings, focuses on mediating the frequent mismatch between the home and school cultur
