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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Student teachers' understanding of multicultural education in public schools
Authors:Marais, P.ISNI
Meier, C.ISNI
Year:2008
Periodical:Africa Education Review (ISSN 1814-6627)
Volume:5
Issue:2
Pages:184-198
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:race relations
cultural pluralism
teachers
teacher education
pedagogy
External link:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18146620802449431
Abstract:As schools in South Africa become increasingly multicultural, pressure is being put on them to meet the needs of all learners. The South African Schools Act, No 84 of 1996, affirms the recognition of all forms of diversity in public schools. It seems clear from media reports, however, that diversity in schools is not readily accepted and that teachers are largely held accountable for racial prejudice in schools. This raises the question whether teachers fully understand multicultural education as a means to adequately manage diversity in schools. Against this background, a project was undertaken to establish what student teachers' understanding of multicultural education is, and what they regard as the most important aims of multicultural education. Data were obtained by the use of semi-structured questions serving as a self-report instrument. The data collected were consolidated and categorized into themes. It became clear from the data that most respondents showed a seriously deficient conception of the nature, aims and material manifestations of multicultural education. It is therefore recommended that teacher education programmes should be scrutinized to ascertain whether they are providing the right kind of knowledge content to prepare student teachers to function competently in multicultural schools. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]
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