The purpose of this study is to identify teachers' perceptions towards difficulties with multi-cultural education in early childhood educational settings. In this study, questionnaires were delivered to 309 teachers of 22 kindergartens and 24 day care... The purpose of this study is to identify teachers' perceptions towards difficulties with multi-cultural education in early childhood educational settings. In this study, questionnaires were delivered to 309 teachers of 22 kindergartens and 24 day care centers in Changwon-si, Keoje-si, Haman-gun and Changnyeong-gun in Kyung Sang Nam Do. The research questions were as follows: Firstly, are teachers' experiences and demands of supporting multi-cultural education different depending on their background variables (e.g. types of settings, ages, education, teaching career, previous experiences in multi-cultural education)? Secondly, are teachers' difficulties with educating young children from multi- cultural families different depending on their background variables? Thirdly, are teachers' communications difficulties with the parents from multi-cultural families different depending on their background variables? The collected data was analysed in frequencies, χ² test, t-test, ANOVA using SPSS WIN(Ver. 18.0). The findings demonstrated how the teachers’ perceptions were different depending on the research variables. Firstly, when the teachers were asked about how they experienced multi-cultural education for the first time, majority of them replied that it was the time when they had to educate young children in their classrooms. More kindergarten teachers experienced the multi-cultural education through 'books or promotion resources' than the teachers of day care centers. The organizations that the teachers received training of multi-cultural education were institutions and universities where they were on pre-service and teacher training courses. In the question of learning contents for multi-cultural education, the teachers placed 'changes of prejudices and stereotypes towards different cultures and races' in the highest rank. The research outcomes were different depending on background variables such as teachers' age, teaching careers and previous experience of multi-cultural education: The item was predominantly selected by the teachers aged twentieth and thirtieth; the teachers with more teaching career; and more previous teaching experiences of multi-cultural education. When asked about what kinds of supports they had received in the past, 51% of the teachers (who had previous experience of multi-cultural education) responded that they did not receive support at all. The scores was higher among the teachers of day care centers; the teachers aged twenties and thirties; and the teachers who had more teaching career. When the teachers were asked what kind of learning contents they would like to receive, they listed following items in order: 'development of practical multi-cultural education program for settings', 'provision of teacher training courses and various culture experiences', 'development of specific educational methods and evaluation guidelines', and 'provision of financial support for assistants working in multi-cultural classrooms'. In the question about policies for supporting multi-cultural families, the teachers placed the following variables in order: 'development and support of parent education for multi-cultural families'; 'provision of Korean language class'; 'support and development of educational programs alongside with multi-cultural families'. Secondly, when the teachers were asked about difficulties in educating young children of multi-cultural families, they identified following elements: 'lack of appropriate resources for multi-cultural education'; 'children's insufficient understanding of Korean language'; 'difficulties in connecting early childhood curriculum and multi-cultural educational programme'. Their responses were different according to types of settings, ages, and careers: The teachers of day care centers predominantly responded that young children of multi-cultural families were slower in their development than the same aged single-culture children. Also the teachers replied that they found it difficult to ‘intervene in the children's basic daily routine training and peer interactions’; The teachers aged fortieth and fiftieth more perceived that the multi-cultural children were ‘slower in development’, had 'insufficient understanding of language’ and the teachers had 'difficulties with basic daily routine training'; The teachers without previous experience of multi-cultural education markedly perceived that the children of multi-cultural families had 'insufficient understanding of language', the teachers had 'insufficient knowledge and understanding of multi-cultural education', 'prejudices and stereotypes toward different cultures and races', and 'difficulties with intervention in peer interactions'. Thirdly, when enquired about the teachers' communicative difficulties with multi-cultural parents, they listed 'difficulties in making positive relationship due to mothers' language problems', 'difficulties in sending preparation lists and school letters' and 'insufficient understanding of non-verbal language' in order. The result was different according to types of early childhood educational setting: The teachers of day care centers found it more difficult in communicating multi-cultural parents such as 'sending school letters and preparation lists', 'understanding of non-verbal language', and 'understanding of multi-cultural mothers' basic daily routine training’. This research was aimed to explain teachers' difficulties in multi-cultural education. By doing so, this study contributes to provide essential resources to solve practical difficulties in multi-cultural education. Also, it could specify possible or alternatives solutions to overcome the problems in early childhood educational settings.
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