Date of Award

4-13-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Pavel Shlossberg

Second Advisor

Dr. Cheryl Coan

Abstract

U.S. schools are becoming more racially and culturally different, yet in many places teacher diversity remains unchanged. This describes the social dynamics of the school under study, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) magnet school in southeastern North Carolina. Furthermore, success in the STEM fields of study are significantly lower for minority groups. The purpose of this study is to examine, via teacher testimony, the current multicultural attitudes and behaviors of educators working at an institution that, in recent years, has become more diverse. The main areas of focus include a) examining teachers’ self-perceptions regarding importance of creating a multiculturally inclusive classroom b) competence of knowledge regarding how to create multiculturally inclusive classrooms. Social constructionism and standpoint theory help give an understanding of how dominant ideologies sustain knowledge and continue to marginalize minority students instead of teaching from student knowledge base and cultural experience. A survey of 23 teachers and one-on-one interviews with 4 teachers, designed to measure multicultural attitudes and practices, found a gap between multicultural awareness/knowledge and current practices, specifically in relation to the mathematics and science disciplines. Formal diversity training is lacking, a deficiency echoed in literature on multicultural education. Institutional support and diversity training can help teachers learn new ways to incorporate multiculturalism on both macro and micro levels (curriculum development and individual classroom practices), especially for those teaching in disciplines that are not traditionally viewed as diverse.

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