Tracking Conceptual Development in Multicultural Education: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Abstract

The plurality of cultural differences permeating the walls of Maltese classrooms has offered researchers in Multicultural Education an opportunity to use various research tools in their quest to access progress in teacher education programs. Programs purporting to impart or somehow develop the skills of educators to embrace multiculturalism in classrooms have been devoid of effective tracking methods to determine their effectivity. This paper examines the variations in beliefs and concepts of 29 teachers attending a twenty-hour course on multicultural education focusing on knowledge, understanding, competences and critical abilities needed to teach students from culturally diverse backgrounds. Teachers attending training were exposed to a range of pedagogical practices including the use of micro groups, case study illustrations, videos from Youtube™, whole group activities and connecting experiences. The course participants were asked to draw concept maps highlighting their understanding of Multicultural Education before and after the sessions. Besides, participants were asked to write reflective journals during and at the end of the course. Evidence suggests that after being exposed to training in Multicultural Education, participants are more willing to engage in critical self-reflections and to adopt changes in teaching strategies so as to include all students under their care, irrespective of cultural background. The research also asserts that there were substantial changes in concept formation in all categories under study which were highly beneficial to participants as they progressed through the sessions as evidenced by both concept maps and reflective journal analysis. The paper touches upon the role of various stakeholders in education to provide professional training in Multicultural Education for all educators. It also advocates for human and financial capital to reaffirm our nation’s commitment towards an educational system that promotes a level playing field for every child, thus ensuring fair opportunities for fuller participation in an increasingly diverse society.