The number of students from multicultural families in Korea has been consistently been increasing. However, multicultural student enrollment is less than the enrollment rate of the students from non-multicultural families. Multicultural students are easy to have a hard time adjusting to the school environment due to communication problem, prejudice, bias, financial difficulties. In this light, the Kyonggi Provincial Office of Education announced ‘Regulations on Promoting Multicultural Education’ which contains information about establishing special multicultural classrooms. Special multicultural classrooms have been developed to protect multicultural students’ rights to education and to help students adopt to Korean school environment. Previous studies on special multicultural classrooms are mostly focused on student and teacher experiences in such environment, and there is a current lack of research on how such system affects multicultural students’ adaptation to Korean schools. To fill the gap, this study reviews Kyonggi Provincial Office of Education’s policies on special multicultural classrooms and how this model impacts multicultural students’ school life. Through this study, we aim to the effectiveness of special multicultural classrooms and to propose recommendations for an improved strategy to manage the model. The research questions developed for this study are as follows: First, how does the special multicultural classroom model affect students’ language development? Second, how does it impact students’ school life? Third, in what ways does the model affect students’ academic achievement? The results of surveys, interviews, and KSL (Korean as Second Language) assessments administered to 35 special multicultural classroom students in ‘J’ elementary school located at ‘S’ city (J and S used as initials for anonymity) to answer the research questions are: First, special multicultural classroom model had a positive impact on students’ Korean language abilities. Second, the model positively affected multicultural students’ adjustment to Korean school life? Third, the model positively affected multicultural students’ academic involvement. Based on the results of this study, we would like to make the following recommendations: First, special multicultural classroom model positively impacts students’ language abilities, school life, and academic involvement and therefore should be considered for an expansion through the designation of pilot regions. Second, strategies should be developed to ensure the special multicultural classroom teachers’ expertise in Korean language instruction. Third, relevant professionals such as counselors and interpreters should be hired to assist students in special multicultural classrooms. Fourth, a more systematic student support program should be developed to ensure special multicultural classroom students’ academic success. Several suggestions should be addressed based on this study. First, this study examined special multicultural classroom students in a single school located in one city, and therefore it is difficult to generalize this result to all special multicultural classrooms in Kyonggi province. Second, further studies should compare how well multicultural students in schools with special multicultural classrooms adjust to school lifecompared to those without such classrooms. Third, this study presented the quantitative data as mean and standard deviation, and additional studies should analyze its statistical significance. Fourth, this study only included students in special multicultural classrooms, and further studies should focus on other components of educational community, including teachers and parents. ，韩语论文，韩语毕业论文 |
