Inclusive Education in Canadian Classrooms - Research Paper Example

Bias in Childrens Literature In todays world, rooms around the world are no longer comprised of a small group of one culture Instead, every classroom is seeing an increase in children from diverse backgrounds no matter where they reside. In Canada, 72% of the population is comprised of people who describe themselves as "mixed background" or of races other than English or French. (123 Independence Day, 2006). This statistic alone suggests that Canadian classrooms are no longer comprised of one group of students but that it is amore diverse group. Because of this fact, teachers must teach a more diverse curriculum if they want to make sure that all their students learn the material. The goal of the classroom teacher should be to bring a variety of studies to the classroom that address a variety of student need. However, in many situations, this can be impossible because of the bias that still exists in childrens literature. Equity and Inclusion For the purpose of this researcher, Ontario, Canada schools will be observed where possible. The Ministry of Education has made a commitment to develop increased initiatives to create an inclusive education strategy so that all students will be immersed in learning. The Ministry has defined the following terms as part of their initiatives: 1. Diversity. This is the presence of many human factors that allow people to come together and interact with one another. Some of the factors in this category include ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender identity, language, race, sex, intellectual ability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. In working with a diverse curriculum, these factors are important to include. 2. Equity. This term means that everyone will be treated fairly, they will be included and they will receive respectful treatment from each other. In respecting everyone, consideration is given for individual differences. 3. Inclusive education. In Ontario, this means "education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students. Students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured and all individuals are respected". (Ministry of Education, 2009,"Definitions"). Facts about Ontario The Ministry of Education states that Ontario is one of the most diverse provinces. There are more than 200 languages spoken and the amount of English and French speaking people is declining. In a 2006 report, 69.1% of people stated that English was their "mother tongue" and only 4.2% said they spoke French. The Aboriginal population saw enhanced growth between the years 2001 and 2006 and they continue to grow. A large majority of aboriginal people (35.7%) are children and teenagers. The number of same-sex couples has increased (40%) and single parents have increased as well. The population is also diverse in visible minorities and there are differences in religion (Ministry of Education, p. 8). Because the diversity has shifted, it is Ontarios intention to have as unbiased a curriculum as possible. Review of Current Literature Current literature has shown the importance of studying bias and equity in the classroom. Most of the literature speaks to why it is important to have a diverse curriculum. Singh (1973) stated that young children form their self-esteem at an early age. In addition, they have developed attitudes about themselves and others. These attitudes are often formulated through what they read in books (p. 1).When t they are exposed to various stereotypes without knowing it, they tend to accept these stereotypes. The "not knowing" comes in the use of various childrens literature that "seems" unbiased because it has won awards. As an example, many teachers use Caldecott and Newberry Award literature in order to provide "quality" literature for children to read. Unfortunately, according to Singh, many of these still contain stereotypes. Singh uses as her example, the book, The Matlock Gun. This novel provides descriptions of Native Americans as "savages" and then describes them in a derogatory manner. Singhs point in spotlighting this literature is that these books may be the only way that some children have of interacting with and learning about groups that are different than themselves (p. 2). She also suggests that many historical books are misleading in what they present about minorities (p. 4). Rogers and Christian (2007) agree with Singh in that racism does exist in childrens literature. Most of the literature for children has been written by European-American males and has usually excluded literary work that was written by "historically underrepresented groups" (p. 23). The challenge with this literature according to Rogers and Christian is the fact that it does not allow an interaction with race unless the teacher promotes it. In other words, teachers who are reluctant to talk about race will ignore the diversity in the literature. Rogers and Christianson suggest that, "whiteness is connected to institutionalized power and privileges that benefit White Americans" (p. 23). This statement is made not in terms of racism, but as a way to show how racism creates challenges for children and their perceptions of the world around them. The authors also provided a check list of how to examine multicultural literature for racism. Teacher Preparation Many teachers are not prepared to work with diversity issues in their classrooms. During their teacher preparation, they are not taught about a variety of racial and ethnic issues which creates a challenge for them in a diverse classroom setting. Davis, Brown, Liedel-Rice and Soeder (2005) suggest that preparing teachers to work with diverse communities can be done through multicultural literature. They reported on a teacher program where new candidates were "European-American, middle-class, and monolingual", with "limited experiences with diverse populations and who perceived diversity in a negative way" (Davis, Brown, et al., p. 176). After observing this program, the researchers suggested the following "tips" for diversity effectiveness: 1. For racial issues, teachers must examine their own racial assumptions about society as a whole and schools in general. This action will help them develop a better understanding of racism and how it affects others. 2. Poverty. Teachers must understand their own socio-economic status and how it affects their ability to view and understand other situations where children are raised under certain circumstances that are different from their own (p. 177). 3. Gender Equity. Teachers often favor boys in the classroom but they must strive to create opportunity for both boys and girls. Research has shown that girls have to read more boy stories than girl stories. When teachers read books that exclude females and use only male language exclusively, girls feel that they have no place in what they are reading in the literature (Davis, Brown et al., p. 178). 4. Religious Beliefs. Teachers must understand religious practices that are different from their own. The classroom has become more diverse in religious beliefs, and teachers must take this into consideration when they are using childrens literature. Today, teaching children in a diverse classroom is not easy. There are so many factors to consider that it is difficult to always know exactly what to do. However, these challenges are made smaller when teachers understand that they must take time to get to know the cultures and the differences that exist in their classrooms as well as in their community where they are working. Understanding Multicultural Literature The literature supports the idea that there are many reasons to understand multicultural literature. Singer and Smith (2003) suggest that multicultural literature helps teachers and children understand themselves better and the world around them. In a social context, childrens literature creates a link between those who are reading it and those who are experiencing the situations that the books talk about everyday. The literature provides a way for people who are from the dominant cultures that are usually represented in books, to see the world through someone elses eyes. Members of marginalized groups benefit from multicultural literature because it allows them to see that their lives are worth living and that they have importance in the world. The researchers of this study chose a book about a Black woman and her son. This provided a close relationship for those who were black and an uncomfortable one for those who were not Black. The researchers brought together a variety of students who were preparing to become teachers. They found that the teachers were able to relate to the book they chose through using their own experiences as children and young adults. They also found that some White teachers were able to question parts of the text in a safe environment which also helped to open their eyes. In observing childrens literature it is also important to understand that gender is often stereotyped in the readings. Diekman and Murnen (2004) suggest that "literary adventures educate children about what is expected and valued in the real world" (p. 373). Many children understand that they are to act in a certain way according to their gender, through many of the "narratives" that are present for them. These researchers studied the effects of gender equity in nonsexist books to see whether they were truly "equal" in their content. What they found through their research was that nonsexist books do not necessarily differ from sexist books and that it is important for teachers to scrutinize the books they use. The study focused on elementary school level novels and they found that sexism in a novel depends on how the term is defined (p. 381). There are many reasons why teachers must be taught to work with multicultural studies. Horenczyk and Tatar (2001) studied new teacher attitudes towards multiculturalism and their perceptions of the schools they may be working within. They found that a teachers attitude may be contingent on how the schools organizational culture relates to cultural diversity. To this researcher, this means that a teacher may choose a particular way to feel about diversity based on those students they have and the way that the school works with diversity. Their study was based on Israeli teacher attitudes and immigrant students, many of which were from the "former Soviet Union" (Horenczyi and Tatar, p. 437). The study found that teacher attitude is dependant on the way that teachers see themselves in their own cultures. As an example, they found that the Israeli teachers had adopted a more pluralistic attitude and they included the immigrants into their own culture. In other words, education was used to "make the immigrant an Israeli" (p. 442). This basically meant that the teachers saw themselves as teaching the immigrants about their culture, but not necessarily learning about the culture of the immigrants (p. 443). These researchers overlook an important point in the opinion of this researcher, and that is the point that teachers must have both the interest of their students in mind and their own culture. Although their research was specifically to look at a specific culture, the importance of how all cultures must work together in the classroom is important to mention. Many teacher attitudes evolve from the way in which teachers are raised and how they perceive the world around them. Ryan (2006) studied how teacher candidates were socialized to "believe" certain stereotypes and how these enforced their own feelings about multi-cultural issues. Ryan believes that in order to counter these perceptions, teacher candidates should undergo coursework that helps them understand the "power of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic inequities and the relationships of these factors to the pedagogical practices of schools and teachers" (p. 10). She states that this type of education would help teachers understand and engage in more "culturally relevant" practices. Generally, Ryan is speaking about those teachers who will be teaching students who are from backgrounds that are different from their own. One reason that teachers must learn about different cultures and how to teach children from different cultures, is because a large percentage of students going into teaching are white. In fact, Ryan quotes that in 2003, in the college where she worked, 84% of students were white with only 16% of students of color entering teaching. Ryan suggests that all teachers must understand the cultures that they belong to in order to understand how these cultures will affect how they teach and how their students learn (p. 11). Ryan has several suggestions to help teachers perform better and teach children of color and those who are in poverty. Some of these suggestions include: 1. Teachers must understand how students have formed their identities by the way they have been socialized. 2. Their expectations of students will change when they realize that culture will also explain how both the teachers teach and the learners learn. 3. Teachers will need to be experts in their disciplines, but they will also need to understand the "social realities of race and class and their pedagogical implications" (p. 11). In other words, teachers must understand that their culture is not the only one that they should be ware of when they are teaching their students; they also need to understand how cultures affect each other. Labron and Selman (2007) also researched how social awareness can be improved by reading certain types of literature. They realized that children were able to use literature to explore the deeper issues of racism, social justice and prejudice by studying literature. They also suggest that literacy skills are enhanced when students are reading for a deeper meeting. Students are able to understand how the characters in the stories make meaning of their experiences and this helps students relate to their own lives. Hurtado (2001) studied the effects of diversity on the classroom environment. She points out that when diverse faculty is a part of education, students have more growth and awareness about multicultural issues than when only one culture is present (p. 11). Her study used "self-reports" from college students who found that their interaction with other students from different cultures enhanced their overall attitudes towards different cultures in genera. Many found that they were better able to accept different cultures and races and they had enhanced their interest in other cultural studies (p. 13). Although these studies show that there is a benefit to using multicultural literature, racism still exists in childrens literature. The question is, "Why?" If unbiased childrens literature is so important it would seem that more publishers would be mindful of what they publish. Racial Bias in Childrens Literature In the course of this study, it may seem logical to assume that racial bias exists because of the people who are writing or publishing books today. If this was the assumption, it would be very limited and simplistic. Racial bias has a multitude of factors that obstruct a childs perception of who they are and how "the world" treats them when they interact with it. Cristol and Gimbert (2008) suggest that racial bias is a social-cognitive situation and in order to combat it, experts must first take a look at how racial bias is created within an individual. How Children Become Aware of Race Critol and Gimber suggest that the perception of race happens when children are very young. They first become aware of other racial identities as early as age three or four in children of color ant at the age of six for European-American children (p. 202). Many studies have shown that children have stereotypes regarding skin color early as well and they tend to see white skin color as "good", while black skin color is "bad; one study found that the perception of Australian children between the ages of five and nine exemplified this idea (Cristol and Gimbert, p. 202). These researchers also found that within a group, young children were very aware of the status of their group as early as five years of age. They found that if children perceived that one group is "in" and another group is "out" in terms of ethnic identity, they will tend to show preference for the "in" group (Cristol and Gimbert, p. 203). Some researchers may argue that this is "human nature" to what to be part of a crowd that is "in" and this could be what is happening in this situation. Other research shows that childrens literature is important in helping children form racial identity and their attitudes and opinions about other races and for this reason, biased literature is dangerous. Bigler (1999) adds to this discussion by point out that the use of biased literature does not allow for changes in attitude as society changes. Because many children find their first conscious relationship with race and ethnicity in the classroom, and this information is largely formed by reading childrens literature, biased literature only reinforces prejudice for many children (p. 687). For Bigler, finding ways to assistance children in creating opportunities to understand race is important because society is ever changing. As an example, African Americans have made great strides in society but many children still refer to them with old stereotypes. A specific example of this in her study is that of 75 European elementary school children. These children were asked to "attribute positive and negative traits to only White people, Only Black people or both White and Black people" (Bigler, p. 688). Consistently, the more negative traits were associated with "only Black people". Bigler suggests that without intervention through the use of unbiased literature, children may continue these attitudes into adulthood. Bigler also suggest that more research should be done on the cognitive process of how children change racial attitudes (Bigler, p. 689). Titus (1998) aggress that children must have interventions in order to help them move away from negative racial stereotypes. As he suggests, "values which are learned in early childhood are shaped and solidified in adolescence" (p. 3). This statement suggests that children may learn the precursors of racial bias through their parents and the communities in which they live. He suggests that since "prejudice and discrimination towards those who are different usually appear first in middle grades," (p. 3)., tolerance will need to be taught earlier. If not, childrens attitudes will continue to mirror adults. The point that these researchers seem to be making is that since teachers see children more often during the school year than their parents, they have an opportunity to teach children how to be more open with their thinking. Using multicultural literature is a subtle way of getting everyone to think about the issues around racism on a deeper level; this literature gives them a place to begin talking about subjects that may otherwise be difficult. Titus also suggests that using these materials will help reduce "white bias" (p. 3). Lu (1998) supports Titus in that providing "good literature" teaches students how to deal with life outside their own comfort zones. Lu states that good literature teaches about "values, beliefs, ways of life, and pattern[s] of thinking" (p. 1) inside cultures. Lu suggests the following guidelines for what good multicultural literature should include: 1. Positive portrayals of people with realistic behaviors which will avoid stereotyping of one group. 2. The use of authentic characterizations instead of caricatured ones. Illustrations have a stronger impact on children that the written word. 3. Pluralistic themes will create the idea that cultural diversity is global and a reflection of the community. 4. Strong plots using historically correct material and accuracy where appropriate. 5. Reflections of the characters cultural values. 6. Settings in the U.S., Canada or other regions in order to help children understand the cultural diversity in their regions (Lu, p. 2). As an example of Lus interest in selecting literature that has as its setting the region where the children are living, Edwards and Saltman (2000) researched Canadian literature throughout the history. They found that Canadian childrens literature has always had themes that were regionally oriented. The first books that were published took place in the Canadian wilderness and pitted humans against the wilderness to show how they could find their place within it. In the 50s and 60s, the trend went to immigrant children (p. 1). As Canada become to see more diversity, many authors and publishers began to write using multicultural themes. Today, Canadian literature seems to focus on a wider variety of multiculturalism to meet the demands of the changing culture. Transcultural Literature The importance of multicultural childrens literature has been shown to be important. Today, this is not the only type of literature that needs to be considered because there is so much to understand about childrens literature. Bainbridge and Pantaleo (1999), state that the much of the literature available in Canada has been influenced by British and European cultures and they depict "white, English, Christian, middle class families and values" (p. 110). Although this is what used to be the dominant culture in Canada, there are so many different ways to "see" the world. Canada has a rich culture that includes immigrants, aborigines, gay/lesbian families, different religions and a variety of other differences. This information shows that the "nuclear" family that ones was dominant has all but disappeared. Today, people are being called on to understand global cultures as the workplace has expanded and "citizenship" has expanded (Bainbridge and Panteleo, p. 111). Transcultural literature, or international literature, is important to help students understand more than their own regions. Transcultural literature will assist students in developing a stronger sense of the "similarities and differences in lifestyles, learning styles, customs and values of people, of varying backgrounds" (Bainbridge and Panteleo, p. 111). In other words, transcultural literature expands multicultural literature in that it has a more global focus. Bodenhorn, Jackson and Farrell (2005) suggest that talking with international students will help teachers find a better way to teach transculturally. They conducted a study with their students in counseling that created an opportunity for international students to be paired with students in the United States. What they found through their assessments at the end, was that many students were able to list characteristics of each culture, understand their own cultures better and expand their own cultural awareness (p. 66). Singer and Smith (2003) bring the issue of multicultural literature into an understanding of how it works as transculture literature. As an example, they present several situations in which students must understand how different people feel in different situations. For some students, being presented a setting in which they were not a part created confusion. They used a book called, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun because it created many emotional situations and helped students have to deal with a variety of situations in one book. Many students ignored the sexuality of the book (Melanins mother is a lesbian) and others found this truth difficult to accept. The reason they chose this book was because it related to many situations in life and most of the students could relate in some way. The Publishing Industry and Bias in Childrens Literature Some researchers expect that the publishing industry is helping to perpetuate bias in childrens literature. However, publishers publish popular fiction and they have a variety of titles. When looking at publishers, many have titles listed under multicultural and transcultural headings. Ndura (n.d.) suggests that the way to deal with published books is to confront the books individually. She particularly spoke of textbooks. The challenge is that textbooks are usually chosen by the schools and because there is a dominant culture within them, many biased textbooks go unnoticed. Ndura makes the point that teachers must be more aware of the different types of bias so that they can help their school districts choose inclusive textbooks (p. 150). Publishing is becoming more difficult in Canada according to Edwards and Saltman because many publishing houses are being sold to the United Sates or other foreign publishers. When this happens, many Canadian writers are having to deal with changing certain vocabulary to meet the needs of the United States understanding rather than keeping to the authentic Canadian understanding. This information brings the point that American children may receive a watered down version of Canadian books because publishers in America feel that children may reject books that do not have vocabulary that they understand. This researcher suggests that publishers need to be more open to helping children learn about their Canadian neighbors in a transcultural educational system. Conclusion Bias in childrens literature is something that will continue if teachers are not diligent when introducing literature to their classrooms. Although teachers may feel uncomfortable with topics of diversity and transculturalism, they are involved in dealing with stereotypes in the literature so they must make sure that they are aware of the challenges that literature can face. There are a variety of ways that teachers can test whether a book that they choose is biased or not. Intime suggests a way of evaluating childrens books for bias that include: 1. Omission. Look for books that include a variety of cultures. This is one of the largest challenges in childrens literature and it makes students feel excluded. 2. Illustrations. These should be appropriate to age, gender, ability and race. They should not be caricatures or stereotype depictions. 3. Check the story line. Check to see if there are stereotypes in gender and race. As an example, if the male character is the only one who is successful, this could be a clue that there is gender bias. In contrast, if there are problems presented in a derogatory way for people of color, chances are this book should not be used. Teachers, parents, school districts and publishers should remember that what they put in front of children will last them for a lifetime. If the literature they use is biased, they are only making a fertile ground for hate instead of tolerance. References Bainbridge, J. and Pantaleo, S.J. (1999). Learning with literature in the Canadian elementary classroom. Edmonton: The University of Alberta Press. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://books.google.com. Bigler, R.S. (1999). The use of multicultural curricula and materials to counter racism in children. Journal of Social Issues. 55(4). p687-705. Retrieved November 26, 2009 from Academic Search Premier. AN: 3067676. Bodenhorn, N. , Jackson, A.D. and Farrell, R.(2005). Increasing personal cultural awareness through discussions with international students. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 17 (1). 63-68. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE7.pdf. Carr, P.R. and Klassen, T. R. (n.d.). The Role of racial minority teachers in anti-racist education. 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(2009). Realizing the promise of diversity: Ontarios equity and inclusive education strategy 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding.equity.pdf. Ministry of Education. (2009). Quick facts: Ontarios equity and inclusive education strategy. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/ eng/policyfunding/EquityQuickFacts.pdf. Ndura, E. (n.d.). ESL and cultural bias: An analysis of elementary through high school textbooks in the western united states of America. Department of Educational. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from http://digilib.gmu.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/ 1920/2899/1/Ndura_ESL_and_cultural.pdf. Perkins, M. (2009). Straight talk on race: Challenging the stereotypes in kids books. School Library Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6647713.html. Rogers, R. and Christian, J. (2007). "What Could I Say?" A critical discourse analysis of the construction of race in childrens literature. Race, Ethnicity and Education. 10(1). p. 21-46. ERIC AN: EJ763794. Ryan, A.M. (2006). The role of social foundations in preparing teachers for culturally relevant practice. Multicultural Education. 13 (3). p10-13. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from ERIC database. AN: EJ759628. Singer, J. and Smith, S. (2003). The potential of multicultural literature: Changing understanding of self and others. Multicultural Perspectives. 5(2). p17-23. Academic Search Premier AN: 9448315. Singh, J.M. (1973). Language education and ethnic childrens literature at Penn State. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English (63rd, Philadelphia, November 22-24, 1973). ERIC AN: ED087039. Titus, D. (1998). Teaching tolerance and appreciation for diversity: Applying the research on prejudice reduction. ERIC database. AN: 461623. Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/conten t_storage_01/0000019 b/80/19/c7/3b.pdf. Read More