Multicultural Learning Environment Research Articles

Multiculturalism in Teacher Training Programs in Türkiye

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.

Assessing the Impact of Multicultural Curriculum on Student Performance in Beijing High Schools

Considering increasing diversity and the need for culturally responsive education, this study examines the integration of technology within multicultural curricula in Chinese high schools. This study focuses on the interplay between task characteristics and technological capabilities and their impact on student performance. Grounded in the TaskTechnology Fit theory, the analysis employs structural equation modelling (SEM) to assess the relationships among these variables. This study aims to identify how aligning educational tasks with technological resources can enhance student outcomes in multicultural learning environments. The research design involved collecting data from a purposive sample of teachers and students in Beijing, and the analysis revealed significant relationships among task characteristics (TaC), technology characteristics (TeC), tasktechnology fit (TTF), and student performance (SP). The findings highlight that optimal alignment between educational tasks and technological tools is crucial for enhancing academic performance and fostering deeper engagement with the multicultural aspects of the curriculum. These results emphasise the critical need for strategic selection and integration of technology in educational settings. This study underscores the importance of developing strategies that consider both the pedagogical aspects of the curriculum and the technological tools used for its delivery. This research provides empirical insights into the effective use of technology in multicultural education and offers valuable guidance for educators and policymakers. Furthermore, it plays a role in attaining sustainable development goal 4 and 10. The findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational technology and multicultural education, with practical implications for enhancing teaching and learning in diverse educational contexts.

Students’ Integrative and Instrumental Motivation for Learning English as a Second Language

Objective: This research investigates the influence of integrative and instrumental motivations on English Language Learning (ELL) among students in private educational institutions within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It aims to discern which type of motivation—integrative or instrumental—exerts a greater impact on second language acquisition. Method: A quantitative research methodology was employed, utilizing a 44-item questionnaire adapted from the Motivation Test Battery. The study sample consisted of 101 English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Statistical tools such as regression analysis and correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data, providing insights into the relationships between motivational types and language acquisition success. Results and Discussion: The study revealed a positive correlation between both integrative and instrumental motivations and ELL. Notably, integrative motivation had a more substantial influence on the ESL outcomes compared to instrumental motivation. These results underline the complexity of motivational impacts on language learning, with integrative motivation playing a pivotal role. Research Implications: The findings suggest that educational strategies that enhance integrative motivation could be more effective in promoting successful language learning. This could involve fostering a deeper connection with the language community and culture, thereby enriching the educational experience and outcomes for ESL learners. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by focusing on the comparative impacts of integrative and instrumental motivations in the context of the UAE—a region where such studies are seldom conducted. The insights regarding the predominant influence of integrative motivation add a valuable dimension to the global discourse on second language acquisition, especially in multilingual and multicultural learning environments.

A Theoretical Approach to School Success within the Framework of Multicultural Schools

A multicultural school is meant to promote inclusive politics and equitable learning opportunities and that in the framework of the winding quest for high educational outcomes for each and every student, regardless of ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. School success is not merely the salient knowledge span, it encompasses a set of life skills, parental support, brain power and a myriad of attitudes meant to allow the school leaver not only to avoid depletion, but also to achieve high performance goals and, what’s more, to ensure fair treatment to all. Equipped with fortitude, resilience and a team spirit, the school leaver finds thus attainment by taking different educational pathways, from the theoretical to the vocational one. School success is ultimately about finding fulfilment, about leading a quality life and feeling integrated wherever one may be. Taking on challenges in exchanges among the different ethnic groups, making practical use of soft sills to stay connected and agile in such a community, grappling with the link between the school curriculum and the practicalities of the world around, all these might be the tipping point to be analyzed and addressed by the present article. Yet, in a multicultural learning environment attachment to one’s cultural values with its spillover implications is far from enough, it must align with keeping all lines of communication open for cultural exchange, even to the point where the exchanges become goals and social and emotional learning go hand in hand with academic achievement.

Acquisition of Communicative Skills by Foreign Students in a Multicultural Learning Environment

The study's relevance was determined by the lack of attention towards specific aspects of foreign students' acquisition of communicative skills in a multicultural setting and the need to record the psychological and pedagogical circumstances of academic activities that facilitate successful intercultural communication skills acquisition. This study aimed to provide evidence for theoretical claims and describe the experiment that aimed to validate the psychological and pedagogical conditions under which foreign students can acquire communicative skills within a multicultural environment at Kazakh University. To investigate the cognitive, emotional, and personality-based behavioural components of communicative skills, a range of valid methods were selected. The study was conducted using a mixed method. The research comprised 22 students from China, 14 students from the Republic of Korea, 19 students from Afghanistan, 20 students from the Republic of Iran, and 9 students from Vietnam, all pursuing their education in Kazakhstan at two universities. The research results showed that high levels of empathy and ethnic tolerance were obtained by 26.4% of the experimental group and 28.2% of the control group students respectively. It was found that conflict situations were more likely to arise as a result of competition, which was confirmed by 36.8% of the experimental group and 34.8% of the control group. The results obtained have significantly broadened the parameters of foreign students' learning and work activity's communicative and personality aspects.

MULTICULTURAL SCHOOLS AND THE INCLUSIVE DIMENSION OF WELL-IMPLEMENTED COMMUNITY PRACTICES ON BOOSTING THE SCHOOL ETHOS

Multicultural schools are not merely schools where students of different ethnic groups or nationalities learn together, but primarily they are schools with an ethos. The facets and characteristics of such schools impact the learning trajectories of students and inclusive practices are the norm there. The effective implementation of such practices, the strategies for keeping the learning environment inclusive, alongside preserving identities and fostering developmental pathways are core values in multicultural schools. The article aims at highlighting the importance of salient features of such schools and the implementation of case studies provides models and frameworks to be observed. Furthermore, a skill set that promotes critical thinking and problem-solving in the context of blended learning, alongside the face-to-face one, are core competences in a multicultural learning environment. The identity construction of each ethnic group needs to blend into an educational environment that fosters unswerving cross-cultural teaching. Inclusion and integration are part of a student-centered approach to teaching, in schools where means and methods are tailored to address the specific needs of the student, turning a dependable child into an autonomous adult, regardless of the diverse socio-economic or cultural backgrounds students come from.

The Role Of Teachers In Implementing Multicultural Education At Taruna Nusantara High School To Enhance Social Resilience

Multicultural education has become a significant focus in enhancing social resilience at Taruna Nusantara High School. This aims to understand the role of teachers in implementing multicultural education in this school and their contribution to strengthening students' social resilience. Teachers at Taruna Nusantara High School also act as mediators in handling conflicts or tensions that may arise due to cultural differences. They play a crucial role in guiding students to understand others' perspectives, building tolerance, and enhancing effective communication skills. Teachers also provide role models in respecting differences and encourage students to become inclusive leaders in a diverse society. In the context of multicultural education, teachers at Taruna Nusantara High School also prepare students to face complex social challenges and changes. They develop a deep understanding of the values of diversity and encourage students to commit to these values. Teachers play an important role in strengthening students' social resilience, fostering multicultural understanding, and creating harmony and cooperation among students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Taruna Nusantara High School has students from various ethnicities and cultures, which bring certain advantages and disadvantages. Language differences, habits, and understandings can affect communication and collaboration among students. Moreover, a profound understanding of each ethnic group's culture and traditions is crucial to prevent stereotypes and prejudice among students. To address these challenges, Taruna Nusantara High School implements various strategies. Teachers have a central role in creating an inclusive and respectful environment. They integrate multicultural elements into the curriculum and teaching, promote open dialogue, and encourage students to understand and appreciate differences. With this rich and multicultural learning environment, Taruna Nusantara High School is able to shape students with a deeper understanding of the ethnic and cultural diversity in Indonesia. This helps strengthen students' social resilience, increase tolerance, and prepare them for living and interacting in an increasingly global and multicultural society. In this environment, students can learn to respect, appreciate, and understand differences. Thus, Taruna Nusantara High School enhances students' social resilience and prepares them to face the challenges of an increasingly multicultural world.

The Multicultural Experiences of English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners in a Multicultural Learning Environment

The Multicultural Experiences of English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners in a Multicultural Learning Environment

Szkoła różnorodna kulturowo w Polsce. Doświadczenia bydgoskich nauczycieli w pierwszym okresie wojny w Ukrainie

The article describes the experiences of Bydgoszcz teachers working in culturally diverse schools in the first period of the war in Ukraine (from February 24 to April 22, 2022). The basis of the article is the analysis of the statements provided by the participants of the conference “A Ukrainian student in the Polish education system. How to help teachers create a multicultural learning environment?” organized at the Kazimierz Wielki University, by its Department of Didactics and Studies on Culture of Education and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Centre for Teacher Education in Bydgoszcz. The statements presented in the article concern the experience of eighty teachers from Bydgoszcz schools of various levels as well as academics, doctoral students and students working in educational institutions. The article is a contribution to the methodical trend of intercultural pedagogy. It contains practical tips on the work of teachers in culturally diverse classes, developed on the basis of current statements provided by people taking care of refugees from Ukraine.

Teachers’ perceptions of values-oriented dialogic communication in a multicultural learning environment

See uurimus analüüsib Eesti õpetaja arusaamu väärtustele keskenduvast dialoogilisest kommunikatsioonist (VKDK) mitmekultuurilises õpikeskkonnas, keskendudes küsimusele, milliseid VKDK olukordi ja vajadusi märkavad mitmekultuurilise õpikeskkonna kogemusega õpetajad. Kultuuridevahelisi väärtusi puudutavad arutelud eeldavad vastastikust kuulamist ja mõistmist, mistõttu lähtub siinne uurimus teoreetiliselt dialoogilise kommunikatsiooni kontseptsioonist. Samast kontseptsioonist lähtub ka Tartu Ülikooli eetikakeskusese õpilaste mäng "Väärtuste avastajad", mille lisapakett on suunatud kultuuriliste väärtuste alaste arutelude algatamiseks ja juhtimiseks. Õpetajate arusaamu ja praktilisi kogemusi koguti poolstruktureeritud intervjuude kaudu. Valimi moodustavad üheksa TÜ eetikakeskuse ja Eesti Pagulasabi pagulus ja -rändeteemalises projektis osalenud õpetajat, kelle kogemuste refleksioon vaatleb nii VKDK praktikaid kui ka õpilaste mängu kasutamisel ilmnenud võimalusi ja piiranguid.
 Summary

Music in the Lives of Immigrant Children: A Review of Literature

As a growing number of immigrant children enter formal music education, research is crucial to understand their experiences and to promote culturally relevant and socially just music education pedagogies. Whereas, researchers have traditionally focused on immigrant adolescents and music, I chose to synthesize studies on musical childhood in immigration contexts. In addition, this review draws on the acculturation literature to interpret music research findings. Researchers have documented meanings and forms of immigrant children’s musical engagement in formal and informal learning contexts. Research findings have indicated that immigrant children mix different musical traditions while using music to navigate their bicultural identities. Several studies have also addressed the perspectives of immigrant parents and the challenges of music teachers in diverse classrooms. Although this body of literature has provided descriptive accounts of musical childhood in immigration contexts, studies have offered valuable suggestions for more effective musical activities in multicultural learning environments.

Межкультурный аспект технологий смешанного обучения с точки зрения конфуцианской философско-культурной парадигмы "Гармония в разнообразии"

The purpose of the study is to compare the concepts of culture in the West and in China, whose results facilitate the categorization of the manageable cultural aspects in the blended teaching designs of English curriculum in China's universities. This paper examines cultural aspects in language and culture education from the perspective of philosophy. The scientific novelty is the employment of Confucian philosophical perspectives towards differences between cultures to guide the blended teaching of university English curriculum in China. The research result is a recommended framework of English curriculum design which contains the influential cultural factors. Consequently, strategies are proposed to curriculum designers of foreign languages to ensure positive consequences of cross-cultural communication in a multicultural learning environment.

The Innovative Trend of Piano Teaching in Music Education in Multicultural Education under Ecological Environment.

Primarily based on theoretical studies of multicultural pedagogy, anthropology of music, and postmodern music education concepts, techniques combining qualitative and quantitative research are used. Eight types of design guidelines are then proposed according to different intelligence characteristics, according to intelligence characteristics and context of conversational design. Finally, based on the perspective of multicultural learning environments, this work will explore and provide insights into new concepts of piano teaching in multicultural learning environments in three areas: new piano teaching, new instruction, and new piano learning materials. The experimental results show that piano teaching activities based on multiple intelligences theory can stimulate students' interest in learning music, fully mobilize students' initiative in learning music, and improve the quality of music teaching.

Precursors of college students’ attitudes towards cross-cultural collaboration: the role of group-learning activity design and openness to diversity

ABSTRACT The increasing calls for diversity research signal a need to redesign learning and teaching strategies and include appreciations of collaboration and diversity as part of the students’ learning outcomes. However, changing the learning environment by incorporating innovative pedagogical techniques into multicultural learning environments is often fraught with difficulties, stemming partly from students’ attitudes towards cross-cultural collaborative learning. The present sequential explanatory study sought to design a collaborative group-learning activity and measure its effect on students’ attitudes towards collaborative learning by using a pre/post intervention design. Another aim was to explore the role of students’ openness to diversity and challenge in explaining these attitudes. Data were gathered from 84 first-year Israeli Arab and Jewish students by three questionnaires: Constructivist Learning in Higher Education Settings, Openness to Diversity and Challenge scale, and Students’ Attitude towards Collaborative Learning, in addition to semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that the Jewish students’ positive attitudes towards collaborative learning have decreased between the tests (after the collaborative activity). The empirical model, designed by Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), indicated a direct contribution of students’ positive perception of the collaborative activity to their attitudes towards collaborative learning above cultural differences. Arab students’ proclivity towards openness to diversity enhanced their positive attitudes towards collaborative learning. The students of both cultures described in their own words the group dynamics throughout the activity. Qualitative analysis of their interviews revealed several explanations related to students’ experienced challenges during the collaborative activity. Recommendations for mitigating these challenges are provided.

Establishing a multicultural learning environment based on active knowledge exchange and mutual trust between teachers and students

Cultural and linguistic composition of the population of Iceland is constantly expanding. This brings new opportunities as well as challenges to the educational institutions that need to adapt to the new reality. Culturally responsive teaching and assessment methods have become increasingly important to motivate all students and provide them with equal opportunities. The research project, “It is not only the Teacher who is Talking; It is an Exchange”, was the first extensive qualitative study conducted in Icelandic universities to investigate immigrant students’ experiences of the learning environments and teaching methods. Forty-one first-generation immigrants participated in the study. The findings provided a deep insight into immigrant students’ experiences of being university students. The study brought to the forefront challenges that the participants experienced during the educational process, including language related issues, shortage of appropriate educational support and lack of clear policies regarding special assistance during examination periods. Furthermore, the study highlighted the importance of establishing a multicultural learning environment where every student has equal access and opportunity for personal development.

Raising critical cultural awareness through telecollaboration: insights for pre-service teacher education

Increase in diversified teaching contexts has led researchers to investigate the potentials of telecollaboration in multicultural learning environments. While there are abundant telecollaboration studies, improving intercultural awareness through a theoretical model is usually under-investigated. Based on Byram’s (1997) co-orientational and Bennett’s (1993) developmental intercultural competence models, this study intends to raise critical intercultural competence among 50 pre-service English teachers through telecollaboration with five faculty members across European countries. Relying on data generated through (a)synchronous delivery modes in an eight-week intervention, participants’ intercultural development was measured by quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings suggest that telecollaboration had a significant impact on learners’ critical intercultural development. In particular, interaction with different cultural perspectives dismantled prejudices and stereotypes as evidenced by their 1) cognisance of diversity, 2) pragmatic cultural stance, 3) latent intercultural conflict and 4) oppressed gender inequality. This study reveals that telecollaboration is a viable venue for increasing pre-service teachers’ critical cultural awareness and reducing biases in multicultural learning contexts.

Communicating across cultures

The arrival of increasing numbers of refugees and immigrants has caused large increases in multicultural school populations. This interdisciplinary paper describes an ongoing study which began in 2012, discussing the role of the school library in multicultural, multilingual school communities and offering suggestions about how the school library could become a multicultural learning environment. It provides information to help school library staff to look closely at these issues and to provide help and useful suggestions to the entire school community. The prime objective is to help the school community to safely and constructively deal with the dynamics of a multi-cultural society, using the school library as a base. Safe facilitation requires “trained” leaders from the school community. An e-learning program for school librarians is being adapted for this purpose.

School Libraries across Cultures

Migration and globalization throughout the world have caused many schools to become multicultural (or intercultural) institutions where students from more than 40 nationalities, who speak many different languages, receive their education under one roof. Some come from families who have lived in that country for generations and speak the official, national language; others represent small, indigenous groups; others are recent immigrants, including those who are more transient, sometimes called ‘Third Culture Kids’or global migrants. All these students use the same learning spaces at school as other students, including the school library. Furthermore, bilingual (secondary) education is being encouraged by a number of national governments. Its goal is to increase students’ proficiency in a “world language” and to provide them with an international orientation. Multicultural situations within the school also impact school libraries which need to become multicultural learning environments providing library services at a multicultural level.

Kahoot! As a Formative Assessment Tool in Foreign Language Learning: A Case Study in Greek as an L2

Our study investigates the effectiveness of Kahoot! as a formative assessment tool in the consolidation of grammatical phenomena in adult foreign language learning. Kahoot! was used in a multilingual and multicultural learning environment, where Α1-level Greek was the target language. An experimental quantitative methodology was employed to compare progress made by students using Kahoot! (experimental group) compared to those using traditional methods such as paper and pencil tests (control group). Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to both groups to check if students had better assimilated the grammatical phenomena they had been taught. The study was carried out in the Center for the Study of the Hellenic Language and Culture at the University of Ioannina (Greece). Overall findings reveal that both groups performance in the post-tests showed a statistically significant improvement, however there was not a statistically significant difference between the performance of the two groups.

Multicultural Children Literature in Preservice Teacher Education: Responses through Literature Circles

This study aims to analyze pre-service teachers’ opinions about children books through a literature circle (LC) approach in multicultural learning environments. The data of the present study were collected from the children literature course offered for preservice classroom teachers during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 spring semesters at Hacettepe University. The preservice teachers (PSTs) in children iterature course read and responded to Newbery Award winning books both individually and in literature circle groups within a framework of critical literacy and reader response theories. The results of the current study revealed the deficiencies of the pre-service teachers in the process of critical reading and actualization in spite of their satisfactory interpretations of the events. In this study, the PSTs expressed their opinions for the “gaining an understanding of different perspectives on life in the world” and “the cultures of specific groups, developing the skills needed to take social action to eliminate social injustice” categories in all four children books. However, they did not share their opinons related to gain an awareness of own cultures and cultural backgrounds and obtain a recognition an understanding of global issues, learning how to reduce stereotyping, prejudice and racism within ourselves and within society” categories. This study may contribute to a variety of research fields including pre-service teacher education, multicultural education and literary studies.