The Oklahoma Canon: A Need for Multicultural Literature in the ELA Classroom

This study examines the frequency with which Oklahoma English teachers include multicultural literature into their curriculum. In addition, this study explores teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward multicultural literature, including reasons why teachers may not currently teach texts outside of the traditional canon. This research draws on prior studies that were conducted to determine the frequency with which multicultural texts were included in English classrooms in other areas of the United States. By providing a current list of frequently taught texts in Oklahoma, this study adds to the body of research surrounding the literary canon, multicultural literature, and where the two intersect. 130 teachers completed a survey on the use of multicultural literature in the ELA classroom, by listing the texts they currently teach and answering questions about their attitudes and beliefs about multicultural literature. Ten survey participants who indicated that they were willing to participate in further research took part in a second phase of data collection. Ten teachers participated in one-hour, semi-structured interviews to better understand teachers’ rationales for the texts taught in the ELA classrooms, their experiences with teaching multicultural literature, as well as barriers to diversifying the English curriculum. This study yielded a list of the most frequently taught texts in Oklahoma during the 2019-2020 school year. In addition, six key themes emerged from the interviews about teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about multicultural literature use. Keywords: Multicultural Literature, Literary Canon, Young Adult Literature, English Education, Whiteness, Secondary Educatio