THE UTILIZATION OF VALUES CLARIFICATION IN MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AS A STRATEGY TO REDUCE PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS

The primary purpose of this research investigation was to determine the impact of values clarification strategy as a multicultural education teaching methodology to reduce prejudicial attitudes of eighth grade students. To accomplish this goal, a Student Multicultural Survey was constructed, assessed for validity, tested for reliability and administered to a total of 292 eighth grade students at Meadowbrook Middle School, Poway, California. To gather the data essential for answering the six research hypotheses, the instrument was administered to both experimental and control groups as a pre-post test. The Multicultural Student Survey is composed of 35 statements, 31 of which are designed to survey the prejudicial attitudes of the students with four items yielding demographic characteristics of the respondents. Several statistical procedures were calculated to evaluate the data, including a t-test and Chi-square computation for each item.; The following conclusions were established based on analysis of the data: (1) Given the limitations of the study, the values clarification technique did not significantly reduce racial prejudicial attitudes of the experimental group. (2) The experimental group reflected significant gain in their ability to clarify and analyze their own personal feelings, attitudes, and perceptions toward their own and other ethnic groups. The values clarification treatment impacted most strongly the students' process for choosing friends, moving from making choices on the basis of social values to non-racially influenced choices. The values clarification program is a viable multicultural education teaching strategy to be utilized for improving and analyzing positive ethnic awareness and perception. (3) The values clarification program did not significantly change the students' attitudes toward these groups and the treatment did not change their attitudes. (4) Given the parameters set by the study, the values clarification program did not significantly alter the students' general perception of school. (5) Data derived from the study indicate a significant difference between males and females in their total attitudes and values. (However, it is not clear if the program made the difference or if the difference existed prior to treatment). (6) Within the framework designed by the study, the eight ethnic groups did not significantly change their total attitudes and values as a result of participation in the values clarification treatment program.