A comparison of the effects of multicultural and anti-racist teaching on student attitude change

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Social Studies programs on students' attitudes toward and beliefs about First Nations people in Canada. There were two programs: a multicultural program and an anti-racist program. The multicultural group studied examples of successful First Nations people and the efforts to take responsibilities for their own affairs. The anti-racist group studied the current situation among the majority of First Nations Canadians and then examined historical relationship between the government and First Nations people. Students7 attitudes toward First Nations people were assessed by three measures of empathy (sympathy), attitude, and attribution of blame. Scores on the measure of 'belief in a just world' were used as an independent variable to examine the relationship between the just world belief and the way students in the experimental group responded to the three outcome scales. Two hundred fiftyone grade 11 students from two secondary schools in the Lower Mainland participated in this study. Out of two hundred fifty-one, 169 subjects were eligible for the statistical analysis. Students in the multicultural group significantly increased their scores on the measure of attitude toward First Nations people. Students in the antiracist group significantly improved their scores on the measures of empathy (sympathy) and attribution of blame.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat