The purposes of this study were to develop a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach and test its applicable validity to the field of early childhood education. For those purposes, the study set t... The purposes of this study were to develop a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach and test its applicable validity to the field of early childhood education. For those purposes, the study set the following research questions: Research Question Ⅰ. What is a multicultural education program for young children organized based on integrated representative approach? Ⅰ-1) What goals and objectives does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have? Ⅰ-2) What content does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have? Ⅰ-3) What teaching and learning methods does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have? Ⅰ-4) How is a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach evaluated? Research Question Ⅱ. What effects does the application of a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have? Ⅱ-1) What effects does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have on the multicultural perceptions of young children? Ⅱ-2) What effects does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have on the language competence of young children? Ⅱ-3) What effects does a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach have on the prosocial behavior of young children? In Research Question I, the investigator developed a draft proposal for a multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach by reflecting basic research findings including the comparison and analysis results of literature about multicultural education, the survey results of its perceptions and actual states, and interviews with experts to develop such a program. Experts on early childhood education then gathered to test its face validity and undergo a consultation process for the final program development. Developed in those procedures, a "multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach" aimed to promote the global democratic citizenship ultimately by developing an open and accepting attitude toward multiculture based on respect for people and equality. The subgoal was to facilitate multicultural perceptions, language competence, and prosocial behavior. The educational content of the program covered acceptance of cultural diversity, formation of identity, cultural perception and understanding, and collaboration and communication. Teaching and learning methods were established in five stages of understanding one's own culture, developing a prospect for multiculture, having a discussion, doing an integrated representation, and performing an evaluation. The program put an emphasis on the roles of teachers as encouragers, evaluators, supporters, demonstrators, facilitators, and environment creators. The evaluation of the program consisted of young children's evaluation and teachers' evaluation. Young children were asked to assess themselves through recollection at the wrapup part of activity, and teachers assessed young children by analyzing activity observation records, products of integrated representation, and portfolios. The evaluation of teachers was done by teachers themselves through the analysis of activity plans, reflective journals, and activity materials. Trying to test the applicable validity of the "multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach" to the field of early childhood education, Research Question II administered total 24 sessions of experimental treatment to 50 five-year-olds(25 each in the experiment and comparison group) at S Kindergarten in K Province with four sessions per week from April 25 to June 4, 2016. While the experiment group participated in the multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach, the comparison group did in a multicultural education program based on story sharing between teachers and young children. Multicultural perceptions were measured with the inventory developed by Kim Pan-hee and Lee Chun-ok(2009). Language competence was measured with "commonality," "vocabulary" and "understanding" in the major testlets of K- WISC-Ⅳ standardized by Gwak Geum-ju, Oh Sang-woo, and Kim Cheong- taek(2011). Prosocial behavior was measured with "Prosocial Skill Situation Measure" developed by McGinnis and Goldstein(1990). Collected data were put to the t-test to analyze the effects of the program and differences between the groups in the pre- and post-test. The results of the experiment, which was to test the program's applicable validity to the kindergarten field, were summarized as follows: First, the experiment group scored higher points of statistical significance in "overall multicultural perception" and its subareas "openness," "acceptance," and "respect" than the comparison group. Those findings indicate that the program had positive effects on the promotion of young children's multicultural perceptions. Secondly, the experiment group also scored higher points of statistical significance in "overall language competence" and its subareas "commonality" and "vocabulary" than the comparison group, which suggests that the program had positive impacts on the promotion of young children's language competence. Finally, the experiment group scored higher points of statistical significance as well in "overall prosocial behavior" and its subareas "adaptive abilities to an institution," "friendship skills," "non-aggressive coping" and "dealing with stress" than the comparison group, which indicates that the program had positive influences on the promotion of young children's prosocial behavior. In short, the "multicultural education program for young children based on integrated representative approach" developed in the study was effective for promoting the multicultural perceptions, language competence, and prosocial behavior of young children. Those findings demonstrate that the program can be a multicultural education program that is applicable, effective, and appropriate at kindergartens. Its active utilization is expected at kindergartens in the future.
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