Approaches to Multicultural Education

Contributive Approach: Adds ethnic heroes to the curriculum. (Example: Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr)

Additive Approach: Adds content or units to the curriculum without changing its basic structure, purpose, and assumptions. (Example: Native American Unit)

Transformative Approach: Changes the basic assumptions of the curriculum and enables students to view concepts, issues, themes, and problems from several perspectives.

Social Action Approach: Includes all elements of the Transformational Approach and adds components that require students to make decisions and take actions related to the concept, issue, or problem that they have studied.