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Multicultural education is a set of strategies and materials in U.S. education that were developed to assist teachers when responding to the many issues created by the rapidly changing demographics of their students. It provides students with knowledge about the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups, and it assumes that the future of U.S. society is pluralistic. Therefore, multicultural classrooms promote decision-making and critical thinking while moving toward cultural pluralism. Multicultural education developed from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Initially, schools hastily made classes where students would be able to learn about different ethnic groups, a majority of the information learned in these classes was about holidays and other celebrations. These classes were considered to be electives and were typically only taken by students of the ethnic groups the classes were focused on. (Banks and Banks p. 4) Eventually the efforts and classes grew to include “… diverse courses, programs, and practices that education institutions decided to respond to the demands, needs, and aspirations of the various groups.” (Banks and Banks p. 5) It also grew to not only include classes and information on different races, ethnicities and minority groups, but flourished to include information on the different sexes as well as information and support for LGBT groups. More or less multicultural education grew into equality and acceptance for everyone. Multicultural education concentrates on the need of including notions of race, class, and diversity while teaching. “Multicultural education incorporates the idea that all students – regardless of their gender; sexual orientation; social class; and ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics – should have an equal opportunity to learn in school” (Banks and Banks, 3). If done correctly, students will develop a positive perception of themselves by demonstrating knowledge about the culture, history, and contributions of diverse groups. This way, multiculturalism is a tool for instilling students with pride and confidence in their unique and special backgrounds. This theory concentrates on the need of including notions of race, class, and diversity while teaching. Multicultural educators seek to substantially reform schools to give diverse students an equal chance in school, in the job market, and in contributing to building healthy communities.〔Banks (2008)〕 Multiculturalism supports the idea that students and their backgrounds and experiences should be the center of their education and that learning should occur in a familiar context that attends to multiple ways of thinking. ==Definition== Multicultural education is a field of study based on the idea that students from diverse backgrounds should have equal opportunities to education. It draws on insights from a number of different fields, including ethnic studies and women studies, but also reinterprets content from related academic disciplines.〔Banks, J.A., & Banks, C.A.M. (Eds). (1995). Handbook of research on multicultural education. New York: Macmillan.〕 Multicultural education, also viewed as a way of teaching, promotes principles such as inclusion, diversity, democracy, skill acquisition, inquiry, critical thought, value of perspectives, and self-reflection.〔O’Donnell, C. Commentary. (log comment ). Retrieved from http://www.learner.org/workshops/tml/workshop1/commentary.html〕 It encourages students to bring aspects of their cultures into the classroom and thus, allows teachers to support the child’s intellectual and social/emotional growth.〔 Multicultural education is also attributed to the reform movement behind the transformation of schools. Transformation in this context requires all variables of the school to be changed, including policies, teachers' attitudes, instructional materials, assessment methods, counseling, and teaching styles.〔Banks and Banks, eds. 2013. Multicultural Education, ‘Multicultural Education: Characteristics and Goals’, ‘Culture, Teaching and Learning’ (John Wiley & Sons).〕 Multicultural education is also concerned with the contribution of students towards effective social action. It therefore necessitates students from all backgrounds to acquire “democratic skills and knowledge”〔Banks, James A. and Michelle Tucker. “Multiculturalism’s Five Dimensions.” NEA Today Online. Retrieved from http://www.learner.org/workshops/socialstudies/pdf/session3/3.Multiculturalism.pdf〕 in order to become effective citizens in a democratic society. In this process, the experience of oppressed groups is valued and a commitment to mutual respect and tolerance is developed.〔Gutmann, A. 2003. The Authority and Responsibility to Educate. In A Companion to the Philosophy of Education, Randall Curren, ed. (Malden, MA: Blackwell), pp. 397-411.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「multicultural education」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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