Developing a Multicultural Curriculum in a Predominantly White Teaching Context: Lessons From an African American Teacher in a Suburban English Classroom

Abstract

The author sought to understand an African American English teacher's multicultural curriculum transformation and teaching in a suburban, mostly White, high school. Building on Banks's (1998) model of multicultural curriculum integration, the study focused on a context that might otherwise be ignored because there was not a large student‐of‐color representation in the school. The teacher in the study was operating at one of the highest levels of Banks's model, the transformational approach. Although the teacher shared characteristics with many of the Black teachers explored in the literature, there was one important difference: much of the research and theory about Black teachers and their instruction focus on Black teachers and their effectiveness in predominantly Black settings. The Black teacher in this study taught in a predominantly White teaching context. The study suggested that even teachers highly conscious of race, culture, gender, and ethnicity may find it difficult to reach the highest level of Banks's model: the social action approach. Implications of this study suggest that multicultural curricula can be well developed and received in a predominantly White setting as long as the curriculum is thoughtfully and carefully transformed. However, the study pointed out that the pervasive discourses and belief systems against multicultural education in a school can discourage highly effective curriculum transformers, and there is a great need to help critically minded teachers persevere in the face of such adversity.