The use of the dialogue journal in multicultural education

Abstract

The question that framed this study was, What was the effect of the dialogue journal on students in multicultural education? In order to answer this question, 31 students enrolled in multicultural education were asked to synthesize and reflect on materials from readings, discussions, and classroom observations in their journals. Initially, six were selected for case studies based on their scores on the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Scale and a cultural sensitivity inventory. Two additional students with unusual profiles were added later. The findings were analyzed in light of critical pedagogy and Vygotsky's work on language. Critical pedagogy was used as a theoretical framework for understanding the need for multicultural education. Critical pedagogy explains why some students succeed in a system and others do not. The work of Vygotsky offers an understanding of human language and thought development. In this study, dialogue journals were used to operationalize critical pedagogy through Vygotsky's theories. Qualitative case study techniques, including content analysis, were used to analyze the data. First, the results indicate that journal writing, although valuable for many students, is not an effective tool for everyone. Second, students who had not taken previous multicultural classes used the journal to explore new ideas; whereas, students with a prior knowledge base used the journal to expand on their current beliefs. Dialogue journals may be particularly helpful for those students with no background in multicultural education. Third, journals were perceived as a safe environment by all students; particularly those who did not speak up in class. Fourth, many of the themes found in critical pedagogy could be identified within the dialogue journal. Finally, In light of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, it was found that the teacher educator functioned in several capacities in the dialogue journal.