MULTICULTURAL

EDUCATION
LEARNING UNIT 5
MCED 7311
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
FOR MULTICULTURAL
EDUCATION
LEARNING UNIT 5
MCED 7311
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Develop a multicultural approach to teaching
• Improve existing curricula
• Discuss the use of culturally appropriate
instructional material
• Examine teaching strategies for a multicultural
group
• Examine variety of assessment techniques
WHAT IS CURRICULUM
• Curriculum comes from the Latin word ‘currere’
meaning “to complete a race”

• Defined as:
• Knowledge or content that has to be taught
• A means to achieve ends in learners, i.e. to
equip and empower learners with skills
• seeing learners as products of the curriculum
Changed curriculum was needed

C2005 NCS RNCS CAPS ???

Curriculum development in South Africa
since 1994 – a brief history
Curriculum 2005 (C2005)
• for social transformation and social justice,
• learner-centred education, integration of knowledge
• cross-subject acquisition of knowledge
• local knowledge and context -OBE
The National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
• result of the review of C2005
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)
• result of the review of C2005
• result of the NCS review
• replaces the C2005 and NCS document
Components of the South African curriculum
• Five components needed when designing a curriculum or a lesson plan:

1. Objectives : Why do we teach?

2. Content: What should we teach?
3. Method: How should we teach?
4. Assessment: How successful was our teaching?
5. Context: All learners, have to achieve the same objectives
• Perennial Curriculum Model - evergreen, unchanging, recurrent, timeless and long-
lasting.
Components
of the South
African
curriculum
 The NCS will be implemented in schools by means of learning
programmes. In CAPS the term learning programme is
substituted by subjects.

Learning programmes or subjects also contain work schedules

(grade overviews) that provide the pace and sequencing of
these activities each year, as well as exemplars of lesson plans
LEARNING to be implemented in any given period
PROGRAMMES OR The development of detailed learning programmes (subjects) is
SUBJECTS the responsibility of school & teachers

Cultivating & developing a multicultural approach to teaching

requires a change of attitude & a commitment to consciously
improving the content & the way it is taught
LEARNING AREA STATEMENT
There are 8 learning areas in the NCS

Languages

Mathematics

Natural Sciences

Technology

Social Sciences

Arts and Culture

Life Orientation

Economics and Management Sciences

Theme 3:

Learning Support Material

LANGUAGE LEARNING AREA
• This includes all 11 official languages (Afrikaans, English, IsiNdebele
etc.,)
• The learning area of languages offers numerous opportunities for a
multicultural approach.
• The wealth of language and literature allows teachers to expose
learners to the richness and value of cultural diversity, and enhances
learners’ knowledge and understanding of other people, their
traditions and histories
MATHEMATICS & NATURAL SCIENCES
LEARNING AREAS
• The learning outcomes of these two learning areas recognize this fact.
The mathematics learning area includes the aim to develop a critical
awareness of how mathematical relationships are used in social,
environmental, cultural and economic relations as well as to enable
learners to develop an awareness of the diverse historical, cultural,
and social practices of mathematics
• In the Natural Science learning area, learners should be able to
describe how local indigenous cultures have used specific principals
and technological products for specific purposes
SOCIAL SCIENCES LEARNING AREA
This studies relationship between people, and between people and
their environment

It aims to develop awareness of how we can influence our future by

confronting or challenging economic and social inequality, including
racism and sexism, to build a non-racial, democratic present and future
History and Geography are presented in social sciences as separate but
linked disciplines
HISTORY

The method of teaching history from a multicultural

perspective includes:
• Exposing learners to a variety of perspectives
• Helping learners to recognize and understand the complex
nature of society
• Showing learners that each society has its own set of values and
traditions, and that none is superior
• Expelling myths and stereotypes
Detecting bias in Instructional Material

The following are forms of bias that can be identified:

Ethnocentrism
Stereotyping
Omissions
Distortions
Detecting bias in Instructional Material

Ethnocentrism Stereotyping

• Instructional material often • This occurs when all individuals of

reflects only the values, a particular group are portrayed
attitudes, and viewpoints of the as having the same attributes.
dominant group, thereby • Stereotyping leads to
presenting a one-sided misrepresentations, inaccurate
perspective. In addition, the information and the creation of
dominant group is generally false impression and it
portrayed as being superior. perpetuates myths commonly
held about groups of people
 Omissions
• This is often deliberate and refers to information
Detecting that has been left out. Omission also gives rise to
false information and results in an account being
bias in one-sided. It is particularly prevalent in history
books
Instructional Distortions
• Omission, stereotyping and inaccurate information
Material lead to confusion, misunderstanding and
distortions-that is misrepresentation of facts,
motives, statements, etc.
Criteria for exploring bias in instructional material

• The following criteria can be used for the evaluation of instructional

material:
• Is there material free from terms and images deemed insulting and
degrading by people of cultural minority groups?
• Is the role of women and their impact on society adequately presented?
• Is the material presented from the standpoint of a multicultural society?
Does it recognise cultural diversity?
• Does the material provide a balanced representation of cultural groups?
Theme 4:
TEACHING METHODS FOR THE MULTICULTURAL
CLASS

SCAFFOLDING

PEER COOPERATIVE
TUTORING LEARNING
TEACHING METHODS FOR THE
MULTICULTURAL CLASS
TEACHING METHODS FOR THE
MULTICULTURAL CLASS
Scaffolding:

Stage 1: The teacher assists the learners in building knowledge of a topic

Stage 2: The teacher talks through the construction of new knowledge and
insight

Stage 3: The teacher jointly constructs texts with learners , starting with
learners’ verbalization of what is to be written, then helping students with
sentence construction, wording and so forth as needed
Stage 4: Students do the assignment independently
TEACHING METHODS FOR
THE MULTICULTURAL CLASS
Cooperative Learning
The benefits of cooperative learning
include:
• Improved social interaction
• Improved positive relationships
• Enhanced language development
• Reduced cultural and language
barriers
• Learners getting to know each other
TEACHING Cooperative learning also has to be
METHODS FOR carefully planned and implemented
THE
MULTICULTURAL Four elements must be planned to
CLASS make learning activities cooperative:
• Positive independence- working together
and for each learner in the group.
• Individual accountability- assessing
individual performance
• Collaborative skills-communication,
leadership and decision making skills.
• Group processing-all learners are discussing.
IMPLEMENTING
COOPERATIVE
LEARNING
IMPLEMENTING COOPERATIVE LEARNING

INSTRUCTION

Teachers should • Requirements-these explain the task and criteria for completion
provide instruction • Process-this refers to monitoring the learners’ interactions and
accomplishments
and guidance as • Assessment- this refers to assessing individual and group
accomplishments and providing feedback
follows:
ACTIVITY

The South African curriculum may favour a

Western, Anglocentric or African focus and the
field-independent learner. Discuss how the
curriculum could be improved so that it favours
and benefits all learners?
IMPEMENTING COOPERATIVE
LEARNING
PEER TUTORING
Peer tutoring must be planned, and Bennet (1990) lists the
following set of conditions:
• There must be a supportive teacher or supervisor
• Tutors and tutees need sustained and continuous
encouragement and direction
• Tutors and tutees must trust and support each other
• Tutors need clear guidelines about what is expected of
them
• Tutors and tutees need feedback and correction
ASSESSMENT & EXAMINATION GUIDELINES

THEME 5:
Planning and Support
Material
ASSESSMENT & EXAMINATION GUIDELINES

OBSTACLES TO TESTS
Teachers can help learners to succeed in tests and examinations
by recognizing and dealing with the following obstacles:

Language
Learners’ Teacher
and cultural Teacher bias
perceptions expectations
referents
LEARNING OUTCOME 7:
•Design phase appropriate
learning support materials
that correspond with an
appropriately planned
lesson for a multicultural
classroom.
ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATION GUIDELINES
• Continuous assessment is the main method by which assessment
takes place in the NCS and CAPS.
• Within this method, the choice of assessment strategies is made by
individual teachers and is therefore unique to each teacher, grade and
school.
• However, the availability of space and resources influences this
decision.
• Assessment strategies must be appropriate to the assessment
standards to be assessed, and the purpose of the assessment must be
clearly understood by all learners and teachers involved.
• A major difficulty associated with learner assessment in
multicultural schools is that most traditional tests are
culturally biased against minority-group children because of
the language used or their lack of familiarity with the subject
matter.
• Thus, minority groups are often perceived to be poor
achievers and the reason for declining standards.
• It is also believed that many disciplinary problems that may
arise in multicultural schools are the result of intense
hostility experienced by culturally different learners,
stemming from improper assessment strategies and
teachers’ low expectations.
• Multicultural education thus implies using assessment
strategies that are non-discriminatory.
• This does present a problem, however, since there is little
consensus on what constitutes non-discriminatory
assessment.
• In terms of informal teacher constructed class tests, cultural
bias can be reduced if teachers have sufficient information
about the languages and cultures of the learners.
• Multicultural education also requires a more flexible,
creative and innovative approach to assessment.
• Teachers should use a variety of strategies that include
written and oral tests as well as observation.
• Furthermore, written tests should have an appropriate
reading level in terms of the complexity of the sentences,
vocabulary and concepts.
• The language of tests must be sensitive to the language
diversity and needs of learners.
• Test items should also reflect the diversity of cultures and
take into consideration the learners’ life worlds.
• Finally, tests and ex- aminations should be continually
monitored for racial, gender and social bias.
 Obstacles to tests
• Teachers can help learners to succeed in tests and examinations by
recognising and dealing with the following obstacles:
• Learners’ perceptions
• Not all learners recognise the role of tests, examinations and
portfolios. Learners need to be taught the significance, value and
purpose of assessment and evaluation. They need to become “test
wise”.
• Language and cultural referents
• Often the language is inappropriate in terms of the level of readability
and comprehension. Concepts and examples that are culture specific
might be unfamiliar and create confusion and misunderstanding, for
example the use of the word “faucet” for “tap”.
• Teacher expectations
• Teachers who consciously or unconsciously convey messages
to learners that they are not bright or are incapable of doing
well in tests and “always fail” only generate feelings of
inadequacy and self-doubt.
• Often these learners are not motivated to try harder to
succeed.
• Teacher bias
• When evaluating and interpreting test and examination
results, a teacher’s own bias towards an individual or group
might prevent him or her from being fair and reason- able.
TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS
A variety of assessment strategies should be used,
including:
• Essay questions
• Short answer questions
• Objective (multiple choice) test
• Oral test
• Portfolio
• Observation strategies
• Structured practical assessment techniques
OBSERVATION
METHODS
Observation includes the following:
• Checklist
• Videotapes
• Anecdotal records
 Use a variety of techniques

Observation is a good way to assess

learners
ASSESSMENT Use oral and open book quizzes
TIPS
Have learners assess each other

Ask learners to help you set assessment

questions
 The informal or “hidden” curriculum is the variety of values
and ideas taught informally in schools and can be seen as
the distinctive ethos of a school.

It includes aspects such as teachers’ values and

expectations, learner cliques and peer groupings, and school
regulations
THE INFORMAL
(HIDDEN) A school with a positive and effective ethos offers an
CURRICULUM environment where no one will feel unimportant and where
everyone is respected and cared for.

For example, if greeting signs in many different languages

are endorsed, this reinforces a positive environment where
any individual – learner, parent, staff member or guest – can
feel respected and welcomed
Developing multicultural
lesson plans
Please have a look at Figure 7 in your prescribed book (page
128)
 Developing multicultural lesson plans
• Although there are various approaches to planning a lesson, including a multicultural lesson.
• Bennet identifies the following 3 important general steps:
• Step 1: Clarify the goal of the curriculum
• Identify important goals of MCE & decide how these might best be
achieved
• Step 2: Identify outcomes for learning
• It is important for the teacher and the learners to know what is
expected and what it is that needs to be achieved
• Learning outcomes should be specific and attainable
• Step 3: Write a lesson plan
 Developing multicultural lesson plans

When writing a lesson plan the following aspects should be

considered:
• The nature of the learner
• The teachers’ knowledge
• Statement of multicultural goals
• Learning outcomes
• Lesson opener
• Instructional strategies and activities
• Materials
• Assessment
 Developing multicultural lesson plans

When planning and

• The needs of the learners
developing a
multicultural • The nature of the learners
instructional • Instructional outcomes
program, the • Instructional material and content
following • Teaching strategies
components should
• Assessments
be considered:
THANK
YOU!
ANY QUESTIONS ??
REFERENCES
• Lemmer, EM; Meier, C; van Wyk, JN. 2012. Multicultural Education: A Manual for
the South African Teacher. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
• Jacobs, M., Vakalisa, N., & Gawe, N. (2016). Teaching-Learning
Dynamics (5th ed.). Cath Croxton.