Abstract
Banks (2002) stated that to implement multicultural education successfully, we must think of the school as a social system. Therefore, if educational equity and excellence are to be provided to all students, a systemic Total School Environment [Banks (2001) Cultural diversity and education: Foundations curriculum and teaching, 4th ed. Allyn and Boston p.51] has to be structured and permeate every aspect of the schooling enterprise, i.e. (1) content integration, (2) the knowledge construction process, (3) prejudice reduction, (4) equity pedagogy, and (5) an empowering school culture and social structure. The Total School Environment is consistent with the educational change literatures discussed by Senge [(1990) The fifth discipline. Currency doubleday, NY]. This article is framed conceptually on a review of literature and the discussion is drawn from the case studies of innovative pedagogical practices using technology collected in the two research projects of the Center for Information Technology in Education (CITE), The University of Hong Kong during 2004–2006. With referencing to multiple school leadership literature and practices, the readers have an opportunity to explore the possible formation of the “total school environment” from one of the cases, but why not in another school? At the end of this article, it is concluded that school innovation requires a moral, systemic, integrative and emergent distributed leadership to build a scalable, sustainable learning community in a multicultural school environment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banks J.A. (2001). Cultural diversity and education: foundations, curriculum, and teaching (4th ed.). Boston, Allyn and Bacon
Banks, J. A. (2002). School reform and intergroup education. In An introduction to multicultural education (pp. 35–48). Boston, Mass: Allyn and Bacon.
Banks J.A. (2004). Approaches to multicultural curriculum reform. In: Banks J.A., Banks C.A.M. (eds). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives 5th ed. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley, pp. 242–246
Banks J.A., Banks C.A.M. (eds)(2004). Multicultural education: issues and perspectives (5th ed). Hoboken, N.J., Wiley
Barker R.T., Camarata M.R. (1998). The Role of communication in creating and maintaining a learning organization: preconditions, indicators, and disciplines. The Journal of Business Communication, 35(4): 443–467
Bennett C. (1995). Comprehensive multicultural education: theory and practice (3rd ed). Needham Heights, MA, Allyn & Bacon
Carlson J.S., Levin J.R. (eds)(2005). The no child left behind legislation: educational research and federal funding. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Pub
Clem, W., & Forestier, K. (2006, 23 January). Thousands join call for rethink on education. South China Morning Post, pp. EDT1, Headline
Cuban L. (1996). Myths about changing schools and the case of special education. Remedial and Special Education. 17(2): 75–82
EMB. (2001). Manual for assessment program for affective and social outcomes. Quality assurance inspection annual report (2001/2002). Retrieved 20 February, 2005, from http://svais.emb.gov.hk/kpmweb/apaso/Eng/default.htm
EMB. (2004). Four key tasks. Kindergarten, primary and secondary education, from http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeid=2368
EMB. (2005, 29/4/2005). Whole-school approach to integrated education. Retrieved 30 August, 2005, from http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=185&Langno=2
Flavell L. (2001). Preparing to include special children in mainstream schools: a practical guide. London, David Fulton
Fullan, M. (2001). Changing management culture: literature review and annotated bibliography. In Leading in a culture of change: Jossey-Bass
Gay G. (1995). Mirror images on common issues: parallels between multicultural education and critical pedagogy. In: Sleeter C.E., McLaren P.L.(eds). Multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and the politics of difference. Albany, State University of New York Press , pp. 155–187
Hargreaves A., Fink D. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San Francisco, CA.: John Wiley & Sons
Hargreaves, D. J. (2005, 2–3 December). Redistributing Teacher Leadership Wodely and Wisely. Paper presented at the Faculty of Education of CUHK 40th Anniversary International Conference, and published in the Developing Teacher Leadership and Education Patnership in the Face of Education Reform, p. Keynote Paper. Conference, Hong Kong.
Janney R.E., Snell M.E., Beers M.K., Raynes M. (1995). Integrating students with moderate and severe disabilities into general education classes. Exceptional Children 61(5): 425
Lam, A. (2006, 16 January). Depressed teachers urged to seek help. South China Morning Post, pp. CITY3, CITY.
Lingard B., Hayes D., Mills M., Christie P. (2003). Leading learning: making hope practical in schools. Philadelpha, Open University Press
Munro, J. (2005). Professional learning teams: Building the capacity for improving teaching and learning. The National College for School Leadership (NCSL).
Nieto S. (2004). Affirming diversity: the sociopolitical context of multicultural education (4th ed). Boston, Mass: Pearson / Allyn and Bacon
Noddings N. (1984). Caring: a feminine approach to ethics and moral education. Berkeley, University of California Press
Peterson P.E., West M.R. (eds)(2003). No child left behind?: the politics and practice of school accountability. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press
Schaps E. (1997). Pushing back for the center. Education Week. 16(17): 20
Senge P. (1990). The fifth discipline. N.Y., Currency Doubleday
Senge P., McCabe N.H.C., Lucas T., Kleiner A., Dutton J., Smith B. (2000). Schools that learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about education. New York, Doubleday
Sergiovanni T.J. (1991). The principalship: a reflective practice perspective (2nd ed). Boston, Allyn & Bacon
Sergiovanni T.J. (1992). Moral leadership-getting to the heart of school improvement (2nd ed). San Francisco, Jossey-Bass
Shade B.J., New C.A. (1993). Cultural influences on learning: teaching Implications. In: Banks J.A., Banks C.A.M.(eds). Multicultureal education 2nd ed. Boston, Allyn and Bacon, pp. 317–333
Sleeter C., Grant C. (2003). Making choices for multicultural education: five approaches to race, class, and gender (4th ed). New York, J. Wiley & Sons
Sleeter C.E., McLaren P.L. (1995a). Introduction: exploring connections to build a critical multiculturalism. In: Sleeter C.E., McLaren P.L.(eds). Multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and the politics of difference. Albany, State University of New York Press
Sleeter C.E., McLaren P.L. (1995b). Introduction: exploring connections to build a critical multiculturalism. In: Sleeter C.E., McLaren P.L.(eds). Multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and the politics of difference. Albany, State University of New York Press, p. 18
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The two research projects that are held by the Center for Information Technology in Education (CITE), HKU during 2004–2006: (1) Evaluating and enhancing the impact of the e-leadership programme (eLEP), (2) Development of an Interactive Platform for the consolidation and dissemination of good practices through the Internet in schools, please read http://www.cite.hku.hk/en/research/projects/ for detail
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yeung, SW.A., Lee, Y. & Yue, K.W.R. Multicultural leadership, sustainable total school environment. Educ Res Policy Prac 5, 121–131 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-006-9000-z
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-006-9000-z