Cultivating Agents of Change in Children

Abstract

This ethnographic study examines how one first grade teacher uses an alternative, artist-focused curriculum to develop a critical consciousness in her students to work toward social change. A framework incorporating critical multicultural education and Lewin's theory of small groups is applied to assess how the use of a multicultural curriculum facilitates critical consciousness where students develop a sense of community, agency, and commitment to social action. Student interviews and an interview with the classroom teacher also illustrate how this teacher integrates a critical perspective into her classroom, resulting in discussions of power, privilege, and students becoming agents of social change within their community.

KEYWORDS:

• ethnography
• first grade
• multiculturalism
• social change