Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Abstract
This research was conducted as an exploratory case study guided by the institutional curriculum model for multicultural Education developed by Coles and Grant (1985). Document analysis, over 125 hours of observations, seven instructor interviews, and 12 recruit interviews were conducted to explore how the institutional curriculum (e.g., the official, null, operational, hidden, and extra curriculum) addressed multiculturalism and cultural responsiveness at a police academy, and how the institutional multicultural curriculum impacted the recruits. After data were collected and analyzed across all data sources, three primary findings emerged. First, a lack of vertical and horizontal communication exists regarding the multicultural curriculum. Second, an existence of a hidden curriculum demonstrates a discrepancy between what is intended and taught, and what is learned. Third, cultural awareness is limited to the micro-level as opposed to meso- or macro-level awareness of multicultural issues. The findings of this study suggest that the failure to articulate a common, multicultural, curricular goal leaves instructors to rely on personal experiences and socialization to develop their lessons. The result is a myriad of individual perspectives operating within a single learning context, rather than an intentional institutional perspective informed by multiple perspectives and one cohesive goal. In turn, the lack of institutional guidance leaves the learner to filter haphazard, inconsistent, and contradictory lessons through personal experiences and socialization.
Recommended Citation
Musgrave, Jill, "A Curriculum Analysis Of The Mid-America Law Enforcement Academy Through A Multicultural Lens" (2019). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1522.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1522