A Qualitative Case Study of Multicultural Education in Turkey: Definitions of Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education

Abstract

The Republic of Turkey became more diverse than ever in its history. Multiculturalism and multicultural education, as part of Turkey’s globalization efforts, may be the most appropriate approach for the Turkish educational system to form a synthesis of cultures and to help diverse groups build an interactive dialog with others regardless of local, national, transnational or international status. This qualitative case study aimed to examine Turkish teachers’ and teacher candidates’ views on and perceptions of multiculturalism and multicultural education in the Turkish context. For this study, the researcher gathered data and investigated the perceptions and results of a stand-alone graduate course referred to as MULT-500 Multicultural Education and its effects on teachers’ and teacher candidates’ thoughts, beliefs, understandings, and perceptions. This course is offered at an institution located in the Marmara Region. When referring to this university, the pseudonym Alpha University was used. The data were collected from semi-structured interviews, written documents, focus group interview, classroom observation and fieldnotes. According to the findings, all study participants had an idea of what multiculturalism and multicultural education were before the course. During the course, they improved upon and enhanced their understandings and thoughts; however, they still need to extend their perspectives so as to more fully understand what those concepts mean.