Five Dimensions of Multicultural Education

The five dimensions of education include the following; content integration, knowledge construction process, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and empowering school culture and social structure. Content integration deals with how a teacher teaches concepts. When teacher incorporate cultures in subject areas it gives students from different groups a sense of belongings in the classroom. These opportunities can help students relate to the lesson. The knowledge construction process deals with how students understand, investigate, and determine how the implicit cultural assumptions, frames of reference, perspectives. (Banks & McGee Banks, 2010) An example of this can be when students are learning a concept is Social Studies teachers can ask students questions to prompt the diversity of the American history and how diversity is a part of the foundation. Prejudice reduction describes how teachers use lessons and activities to promote positive attitudes towards all diverse groups. To promote prejudice reduction, a teacher can practice Allport's (1954) four conditions. They are the following; equal status, common goals, intergroup cooperation, and support of authorities. (Banks & McGee Banks, 2010) Equity pedagogy exist when teacher modify teaching styles to support academic achievement of students from diverse cultures. When a teacher uses cooperative learning in order to teach students from different diverse groups' equity pedagogy is present. The final dimension is empowering school culture and social structure. This is important because it promotes gender, racial, and social-class equality. (Banks & McGee Banks, 2010) It is important for teachers to get involved in school social organizations, because it will let students know that teachers support their students no matter what their culture is. Gifted and Special Education are two ways to empower school culture. Other social groups such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and other clubs based on student interest or social group also empower school culture and social structure.

References
Banks, J. A., & McGee Banks, C. A. (2010). Multicultural Education. Wiley.