Why to Teach from a Multicultural and Anti-Racist Perspective?

The study reported in this article analyzes my experience as an African Canadian male directing a Social Foundations of Education course at a teacher education facility in urban, multicultural Canada. The course engages students in a sustained inquiry into the sociological, historical, & philosophical issues that are pervasive in the practice of teaching in contemporary schools & classrooms. Student teachers whose worldviews are often anchored in their race, class, & gender locations are provided alternative interpretations from the literature to broaden their perspectives & prepare them for the complex task of teaching. Some of the issues explored in the course are race, culture, & socialization; schooling & social class stratification; gender socialization & occupational opportunities; policy, provision & pedagogy for antiracism & ethnocultural equity; teacher education for racial & cultural diversity. An introduction to these issues in plenary is followed by small group seminars where assigned readings as well as student-generated resources are discussed. The experiential & interactive dimensions of these seminars provide the opportunity for student teachers to link theoretical perspectives presented in the literature with their own experiences in schools & classrooms. Although most of the course content was Canadian based, the conceptual framework was enriched by cross-cultural research & literature. Adapted from the source document.