Multiculturalism in Teacher Training Programs in Türkiye

Abstract

In this age, which is characterized as the age of migration, education systems need to focus on overcoming socio-economic inequalities and taking advantage of the opportunities that cultural diversity brings to schools and classrooms at the same time. In order to optimize the opportunities that multiculturalism offers, it is crucial to ensure well-managed, in-class processes. In order for teachers to appreciate multiculturalism and benefit from the opportunities that it will provide, they must receive appropriate professional support and training. In this context, it has been considered important to determine how the forced migration-oriented multiculturalism experienced in Türkiye in the last decades affects teacher training education programs. Although significant efforts have been made in educational policies in Türkiye, it is evident that the desired level of creating multicultural learning environments has not been attained. It is also possible to monitor this situation through teacher education programs. This research has been conducted using document analysis method. The data was obtained from the course content web pages of universities that ranked in the top 10 in the URAP 2022-2023 national and international rankings, as well as from the course contents offered by higher education institutions in Türkiye. As a result, it has been determined that the number of courses addressing migration in Türkiye is insufficient in accordance with the need. Furthermore, it has been observed that the topic of migration is only addressed at the course level but is not integrated as a fundamental component in programs.