Different Drummers: International Perspectives on Multicultural Education

Abstract

This study compares social studies textbooks used in elementary schools of Canada, China, Mexico, Taiwan, and the U.S. in terms of how multicultural education is integrated into the curriculum. Based on Banks’ framework of multicultural curriculum reform, the researchers examined the dimensions of content integration, knowledge construction, and prejudice reduction to assess the level of multicultural education represented in each textbook. The results were interpreted in the cultural, historical, and political contexts of each society.