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Diversity among students at community colleges is increasingly prevalent in this country. This diversity is very complex, consisting of individuals from different cultural backgrounds, including those with differences in ethnicity, religion, native language, social class, physical limitations, and sexual orientation. How are these differences recognized in community college classrooms? Using a multicultural education framework developed by Sleeter and Grant, this study of California community college faculty investigated (a) the approaches in the framework being utilized to provide multicultural/diversity education, (b) teaching strategies used to provide this education, (c) the multicultural/diversity issues included in community college courses, and (d) how multicultural/diversity content is incorporated in course structures. A questionnaire completed by faculty and a review of course syllabi and related materials provided the information for this study. Whereas the goal of faculty for multicultural education is at the highest level of the framework, practices fall short of this level. Teaching strategies particularly do not meet the goal of social equity. Because most faculty lack intensive, formal training in multicultural education, they may also lack the knowledge to implement a truly multicultural classroom environment. Faculty need support to bring classroom learning activities more into line with multicultural course content.
Piland et al. (Mon,) studied this question.