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Abstract
In this article the author examines changes in students’ self-awareness of multicultural topics during a multicultural education course. The course is a three-credit elective course offered in the university's school of education but taken by students across disciplines at a large, public research university in a mid-Atlantic state. Course instructors encourage students to reflect on what multicultural education topics mean to them and how they interact with students different from themselves. This qualitative study followed six students’ experiences using interviews, student topic papers, and student reflection papers. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS: Bennett, Citation1986, Citation1993) was used as a framework for evaluating changes in self-awareness concerning ableism, racism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism. All participants showed an increase in multicultural self-awareness. Students assessed the instructional strategies they felt supported their growth in self-awareness. Small group discussion, interactive activities, and personal interaction each week were seen as supportive strategies of instruction. Assessing the impact of the course may assist in planning more effective learning experiences to improve students’ cultural competency.
Acknowledgments
For further information concerning the curriculum of the course described in this article, please contact Dr. Robert Covert at [email protected]