A Study on Multicultural Attitude of Student Teachers of Mangalore

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a viable survey questionnaire for assessing prospective
teachers' attitudes and perceptions concerning multicultural education issues and to test the efficacy
of the instrument for identifying attitude differences among the prospective teachers. If attitudes about
multicultural education can be accessed through a questionnaire, the results may be beneficial for
helping to prepare teachers to serve diverse student groups. The investigators assumed that
prospective teachers with positive attitudes and opinions are more prone to behave appropriately and
constructively in actual teaching situations involving students of diverse cultures, ethnic groups,
backgrounds, abilities, economical levels, etc. and, generally, in dealing with multicultural issues in
classroom settings. This demographic imperative has implications for teacher education programs.
Programs need to prepare teachers who can effectively instruct students of diverse backgrounds and
cultures. A broader suggestion for teacher education programs is the need to prepare budding
teachers to live and function in diverse communities and contribute to social prosperity at the
national and global levels. The skills, attitudes, and knowledge learned through multicultural
education are important for all students. Teacher educators play an contributory role in identifying
and executing appropriate strategies for realizing multicultural education objectives. Therefore, the
teacher educators must identify ways of judging the effectiveness of the activities and programs they
employ for the promotion of multicultural education.