• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.626-638
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to design a development frame for multicultural science program and develop a corresponding program using the frame. This study organized a development frame to design a multicultural science education program based on the culturally responsive teaching theory. This development frame consisted of the elements of purpose, teaching examples, teaching and learning methods, and assessment. This program consisted of the guideline for class teaching courses, reading materials, student worksheet, and teachers' reference materials. Based on this development frame, a multicultural science education program was developed, which was comprised of seven activities for elementary and middle school students. Each activity of the program included the concept and inquiry related to science education. In particular, by connecting the concept of science with the cultural characteristics of various countries, the activity made students aware of cultural diversity and the commonness of science principles. Compared to other subjects, the science education field has not actively undertaken studies on multicultural education. In term of dealing with universal principles, science education is suitable for making students aware of commonness. Accordingly, this gives rise to the need to draw cultural characteristics based on basic studies such as the analysis of science textbooks in various countries and develop culturally responsive programs utilizing the outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.79-107
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study purpose was to analyze the structural model of variables such as experiences and personal- and professional- beliefs of cultural diversity, and the culturally responsive teaching efficacy of early childhood preservice teachers including identifying the beliefs as mediating variables. Another purpose was finding the different structural relations among the research variables according to the stages of a teacher education program. The participants were 273 students who enrolled in K grade teacher education programs in the southwest areas of the U.S. The research variables were measured with the items used by Schroeder (2008), Pohan and Aguilar (2001), and Siwatu (2007). The structural equation model analysis showed that the direct effects were found between the paths from the cultural diversity experiences and personal beliefs to the culturally responsive teaching efficacy, from the experiences to personal beliefs, from the personal to professional beliefs. The personal beliefs were identified as a mediator of the path from the experiences to professional beliefs. By multi-group analysis, the path from professional beliefs to the culturally teaching efficacy showed a meaningful difference between the initial and final stage groups of a teacher education program. Suggestions for future research and early childhood teacher education programs were presented based on the results.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2017

The rich cultural backgrounds and practices of children from native cultures are often absent in classroom instruction, as teachers might feel that they have inadequate knowledge and backgrounds in the unique practices of these populations. Historically, children from native cultures have had challenging educational experiences and poor educational outcomes. To address these challenges, we propose a Family and Culture Based (FCB) framework that draws from family-centered practice, asset-based practice, and culturally responsive pedagogy. This article describes the three steps of the FCB framework, which uses a teacher-as-learner approach to instruct students from native cultures by engaging teachers in reflection, gaining knowledge about the cultural practices of the family and community, and integrating the new knowledge into practice. We use a Pacific Islands case (Native Hawaiian family) and a Pacific Northwest case (First Nations family) to illustrate the potential benefits of using the FCB framework with indigenous students.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.22 no.8
• /
• pp.222-234
• /
• 2022

Background: Within the framework of the new Saudi Vision 2030, the education system is keen on developing Early Childhood (EC) curricula to meet the needs of children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, in addition to preparing teachers to be the main driving forces in this field. To achieve these strategic goals, the professional development of teachers has taken the lead in terms of their continuous professional achievements. Purpose: The recent study tended to explore the promotion of Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) of teachers in preschool institutions in different sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) include public, private and international. Method: In the current study, (n=300) of preschool female teachers, who had experience teaching children from diverse language and cultural backgrounds, participated voluntarily by filling out the exploratory questionnaire. It was designed on a five-point Likert scale. The credibility of the scale and the validity of the questionnaire were ascertained, and the content for which it was designed verified in terms of the purposes of the current investigation. Results: The results revealed that preschool female teachers in the private preschool settings have a higher level of CLC compared to those who were teaching in public and international preschools in KSA. In the private sector, preschool female teachers showed create abilities to provide culturally responsive environments for diverse students, applying various communication styles, and showing proper attitudes and values toward diversity. Implication: The current study provided key implications for policy makers regarding the promotion of CLC for all teachers, particularly preschool in government settings in KSA. It contributed to revealing the cultural awareness of preschool teachers' values and attitudes toward diversity.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.313-333
• /
• 2013

In this research, the researchers constructed a survey questionnaire for measuring the multicultural competence of Korean mathematics teachers and administered the survey to 309 mathematics teachers. The analysis indicates that Korean mathematics teachers' level of multicultural competence is rather low (the mean is 2.636 and the standard deviation .290). In particular, the mean of the multicultural competence related to mathematics was lower than the mean of the multicultural competence in general. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the groups according to the length of teaching experience, the participation into the course in multicultural teacher education, and the experience of indirect exposure to people of different cultural background. On the contrary, the experience of direct exposure to people of different cultural background and teachers' major led to a significant difference in the within group comparison. Moreover, the analysis showed that mathematics teachers' level of competence in subject matter had significant impact on their teaching practice responsive to students' backgrounds. Based on the results, the researchers presented implications for the development of multicultural mathematics teacher education to enhance mathematics teachers' competence required for their teaching in culturally diverse school.