The experience of diverse faculty who provide multicultural education in psychology

Despite the relative increase in attention to multicultural psychology, there remain unexplored challenges in multicultural teaching for instructors of multicultural coursework. Examining how multicultural instructors navigate the potential conflicts that arise from their roles as multicultural educators was the primary focus of this investigation. The use of consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill et al., 2005) was selected to assess the richness of the multicultural experience. Participants for this study were (a) currently, or recently, employed as an instructor in a higher-education academic setting; (b) currently, or recently, responsible to instruct courses relevant to multicultural education; and (c) self-identified with two or more components of a historically marginalized personal identity. Seventeen participants completed an initial pre-screening questionnaire, and 11 of the pre-screened individuals were available to complete a telephone interview, which was then transcribed. An analysis team met to review each transcript to comprise a set of core ideas. The common themes which emerged from the analysis were critical experiences, experiences with students, identity, outcomes, pedagogy, process, professional challenges, service, support, and worldview. The ways in which faculty members negotiate the integration of their personal and professional identities within the context of the academic setting are discussed, providing meaningful insights into the dynamics of multicultural education. Implications for multicultural competency, directions for future work, and limitations are noted.