EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES IN MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH KOREA

The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine the perspectives of early childhood teachers with regard to multicultural education in South Korea. This study sought to identify teachers’ personal and professional beliefs about multicultural education as defined by their perceptions, descriptions, feelings, judgments, memories, and discussions with others. To better understand early childhood teachers’ perspectives of multicultural education in South Korea, the following research questions serve as a compass for the study: (a) What are South Korean early childhood teachers’ understandings and beliefs about multicultural education in their classrooms? (b) How do South Korean early childhood teachers implement multicultural practices in their classroom environment and curriculums? Findings show that teachers recognized a need for multicultural education because of the increasing diversity in South Korea. Although they understood embracing diversity, they shared opposing views about multicultural families while recognizing their bias as a challenge in the classroom. Teachers were unaware of the significance of the classroom environment and its influence on multicultural teaching, adding multicultural materials to accommodate children from multicultural families rather than actively integrating multiculturalism in curriculum and instructional interactions. Implications suggest avenues for increased multicultural understanding through teacher preparation, professional development, curricular revision, and policy changes.