Multicultural Education Strategies Used in Culturally Diverse Classrooms: Teachers’ Perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how kindergarten through third–grade public school educators in diverse classrooms described the influence and challenges of multicultural teaching strategies, with a focus on content integration and knowledge construction, on learners’ English language acquisition in Arizona. Two of Banks’ Five Dimensions of Multicultural Education—integration and knowledge construction—were explored in this study. Using semi-structured interviews and lesson plan analysis, 11 K-3 educators shared experiences, revealing six themes. Theme 1 highlights cultural diversity's role in teaching practices. Theme 2 emphasizes English language learners' need for support in various language aspects. Theme 3 discusses overcoming obstacles in language learning facilitation. Theme 4 discusses the benefits of diverse instruction for language acquisition. Theme 5 addresses challenges in building knowledge in diverse classrooms. Theme 6 focuses on the lack of resources for multicultural education in English language acquisition. These findings underscore the significance of culturally rich content and understanding cultural components in enriching English language learners' experiences in K-3 classrooms.