THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A UNIT ON MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION MAJORS
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a unit that would help prepare future teachers to promote cultural pluralism and to deal effectively with culturally different students in the classroom. Instructional materials for the unit were developed according to generally accepted principles of instructional design. All materials were reviewed and a pilot study was conducted prior to implementation. Content, activities, and evaluation devices were all objective-referenced. Content decisions involved the selection of information that would provide future teachers with a basis for understanding the importance of cultural pluralism in the classroom, and techniques for assuring its practice. Information dealing with the histories and lifestyles of particular ethnic groups was excluded as too focused, given that limited class time was available for the study of this topic. The unit was implemented and summative evaluation was conducted using 193 students enrolled in seven sections of an undergraduate educational psychology course at Purdue University during the fall semester of 1981. Printed materials were distributed to students. Three fifty-minute class sessions were devoted to small group problem-solving activities designed to provide experience in applying information presented in the readings. Pretest and posttest data were collected using a questionnaire designed to assess students' knowledge of information contained in the unit and their attitudes toward multicultural education. Results of analyses of variance on these data demonstrate significant gains in knowledge of information contained in the unit, and significant improvement in attitudes toward multicultural education. These results were interpreted as supporting the contention that the unit was effective in helping students meet both information-based and attitude-based objectives.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.