Living Outside Their Heads: Assessing the Efficacy of a Multicultural Course on the Attitudes of Graduate Students in Teacher Education.

Abstract

Given the importance of multicultural education, its impact on students and the ensuing impact on society, it would appear that studies assessing the efficacy of how social justice issues are taught appear to be essential. However, most studies assessing the efficacy of multicultural teacher education coursework appears to be inconclusive. This paper poses the following questions: to what extent is it possible for students who are teachers and administrators in American schools to engage in a multicultural graduate course taught using a social reconstructionist approach to see outside the boundaries of their own perspectives; and to what extent might a multicultural education course have a lasting impact on their personal and professional lives. Additionally, the study asks whether the effects of a multicultural course may be long lasting and significant.