The discussion of multicultural education in teacher preparation dates back several decades. "The historical roots of multicultural education lie in the civil rights movements of various historically oppressed groups" (Gorski, 1999, p.1). As communities of color resisted institutional racism, schools became one of the sites of struggle. Thus, the…

Teacher quality has been a central issue in discourse on improvement of schooling outcomes. While the importance of teacher quality is widely acknowledged, there is considerable dispute regarding necessary skills, knowledge, and dispositions of a highly qualified teacher, as well as the methods for producing such teachers. Indeed, even the…

In this article, the author posits a dual argument. First, he contends that the post-WWII discourse of national unity pushed intolerance to the forefront of the domestic agenda linking its elimination with social cohesion while simultaneously advancing assimilationist and meritocratic beliefs about "the" American experience. Here, he utilizes the…

Critical educators, particularly Critical Race pedagogues, critique colorblind ideology as tantamount to racism because it serves to maintain racial inequality. King (1991), for example, refers to colorblindness as "dysconscious racism" since colorblind ideology sustains and justifies the culture of power. As an attempt to unpack the colorblind…

This article deals with the effect of multiculturalism on diversity outcomes among students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This investigation examines the multiculturalism literature, as well as the literature specific to HBCUs, in an attempt to answer the question: What is the effect of multiculturalism on diversity outcomes of…

The author introduces this article by saying that there is a very intimate relationship between how caring the teacher is and the knowledge that students gain. Actually, it is not limited to student-teacher relationships only but also student-student relationships. Knowledge is something people acquire as they build relationships and have…

Describes a 5th-year teacher education program created by social foundations faculty in partnership with inner city schools, arguing that as state and national movements favor broader performance-based standards over social foundations, social foundations faculty cannot rely on state regulations to safeguard their courses. The partnership…

Identifies current problems in teacher education, recognizing larger social dilemmas and the need for change; discussing the need to acknowledge one's perpetuation of social problems; and examining how to transform schooling through a major shift in critical reflection on social issues, noting teachers' role in achieving educational and social…

Creates a topology of preservice teachers' responses to community-based service learning within several courses, investigating meanings they made from their community experiences. Data came from interviews and student essays and papers. The article considers the potential value of community- based service learning as an aspect of multicultural…

Examines why multiculturalism's attention to difference expands on liberal democratic assumptions, arguing that our democratic society's commitment to equal educational opportunities legitimizes the implementation of multicultural education programs designed to create a culturally relevant pedagogy for students who are marginalized by the white,…

Uses field data gathered in two school districts to explore multicultural activity in social studies classrooms. The focus is on the source, treatment, and incorporation of multiculturalism into the lessons. The study concludes that larger structures, school culture, and teacher and student histories influence multicultural practice. (SM)

Highlights problematic relationships between society, teachers, students, and schooling as exemplified by structural and cultural inequality, unequal power relations, domination, racism, sexism, and hegemony in American schools. After describing how some institutions prepare educators for diversity and equity, the paper explicates the curriculum…

This theme issue of the serial "Educational Foundations" contains five articles devoted to the topic of "Politics and the Schools." In "Resisting Racial Awareness: How Teachers Understand the Social Order from Their Racial, Gender, and Social Class Locations," Christine E. Sleeter discusses the conception of multicultural education of 30 teachers,…

Discusses the extent to which the processes of "othering" (marking and naming those considered different from oneself) fall into the physical and sexual realm. The paper examines three studies, highlighting the extent to which othering is sexual, naming and exploring what it means for current school practice in multicultural environments. (SM)

This paper uses the conventional treatment of homosexuality in public schools to illustrate how public schools are being drawn into the battle brewing between "new right" fundamentalists and progressives in American culture as society is changing and cultural diversity is increasing. Public schools may play an important role in building new…