Harmonizing Multicultural Competence, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and a Transnational Curriculum: A Literature Review

Abstract

With a rising interest in teaching abroad, teachers understand their own and others’ cultures as well as apply this understanding to the cultures in the classroom, thus harmonizing multicultural competence with culturally responsive teaching. These concepts can further be applied when using a distinct curriculum transnationally. This article reviews literature in three distinct yet intertwined theoretical concepts: multicultural competence, culturally responsive teaching, and transnational curriculum. The review sought to examine each concept individually by an overview, definition, and application in the classroom as well as how they may harmonize with the other concepts. An additional focus on how they are applied in an international context was also examined. The results found that while each concept is distinct, they are also tightly bound together and can be studied as such. Yet, a clear gap in literature exists in the area of the three theoretical concepts being examined together.

Keywords: multicultural competence, culturally responsive teaching, transnational curriculum, culture, diversity

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-36-05

Publication date: December 31^st 2023