Teachers' critical reflections on cross-cultural understanding through participatory research

This study explores the problem that most American teachers have not investigated the meaning of cultural identity--their own or others--and that this hinders their performance as educators in a multicultural society.;Participatory research methodology was used to empower the participants through dialogue, reflection, and critical analysis. The researcher dialogued with each participant twice. In the first dialogue six experienced secondary teachers from differing backgrounds were asked to reflect upon their acquisition of self-cultural identity, notions of other cultures, and cross-cultural awareness. Each dialogue was recorded, transcribed, and a written summary presented to the participants for review. The second dialogue probed ambiguities and issues raised in the first dialogue.;The findings reveal that most participants had not previously reflected upon their own culture. They had sought multicultural knowledge because they had struggled with their own humanness--either challenged by the racism that they encountered or by their own efforts to be more humane.;The participants shared a vision of the United States as a country where all children should be valued and educated. To achieve this goal they concluded that the investigation and acquisition of cross-cultural knowledge and understanding is an important educational commitment that should be required of all in-service and pre-service teachers. They believe that cross-cultural understanding begins with a knowledge of one's own culture, and that the most powerful block to the acquisition of cross-cultural knowledge is racism. The study shows that teachers can begin to institutionalize changes by learning about their own culture. The benefits to teachers for making this effort include the elimination of certain stereotypes, increased enjoyment of their students and the enrichment of their own lives.;The participants recommended that teacher credentialing curricula must implement a fully integrated, serious instruction of American cultures. They advocated the training and employment of more teachers of color, bicultural/bilingual classes for monocultural/monolingual students, and for textbook revision to provide an in-depth study of major American cultures. They proposed that teachers should seek "study-in-residence" opportunities abroad to learn a specific language and culture.