A Comparative Study of Multicultural Awareness among In-service School Teachers
Keywords:
Cultural Awareness, Multicultural Education, Chi-Square, Analysis, Bilateral Framework, Multicultural Education, Teaching, LearningAbstract
The paper examines Multicultural Awareness as perceived by
in-service school teachers across three different countries. After
conducting a review of literature on multicultural awareness, the author
realized that 1) literature on multicultural awareness seems to focus
almost entirely on pre-service teachers and 2) different circumstances
have prompted different countries to catalyze measures to accommodate
the changing multicultural contexts. The study aims to provide
scholarship for school teachers on the complexity of multicultural
education. Using the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory (Henry,
1986, modified) the study highlights various aspects of awareness namely
cultural awareness in the classroom, cross-cultural communication, culturally
diverse families, multicultural learning environment, and assessment criteria.
These are then analyzed using Chi Square statistics. Results indicate
disparities in some areas of cultural awareness in the classroom and
culturally diverse families. Conclusions and suggestions for future
research follow, based on findings.
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