Teachers views on multiculturalizm and multicultural education: A Diyarbakır case study

The world has been rapidly changing and developing. Countries with diverse ethnic and cultural groups seek ways to integrate differences and create a system in which differences live in peace and harmony. These countries have reformed their political and economic systems in order to provide a base for peaceful coexistence among various cultures and ethnic groups. As a result, multiculturalism and pluralism are popular research areas in all parts of the world in the last decades. In order to develop plural and multicultural perspectives and create a system in which cultural differences are celebrated, many countries have changed their educational philosophies and systems. For example, the United Kingdom and the United States have integrated minority languages in their educational system as languages of instruction. Multiculturalism is also seen a crucial element of plural and inclusive democracy. Multicultural education, bilingual education and education in mother tongue are also hotly debated in Turkey in recent years. In this study, a survey instrument was developed to determine elementary and middle school teachers? perspectives on multiculturalism, multicultural education and bilingual education. A pilot study was conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the survey instrument. After developing the instrument, a sample of 426 teachers was taken from the target population of elementary school, social science studies, and Turkish language teachers. Fallowing the data entry process, a statistical program was used to analyze the results. Cronbach Alpha was used to measure the reliability of the instrument. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 79. After Factor Analysis, four main factors were determined. For the analysis, the relationship between these factors and demographic variables was tested by using Mann Whitney U ve Kruskal Wallis tests. The results of the study show that teachers have quite positive views about multiculturalism, multicultural education, and bilingual education. Also, there is a strong relationship between ethnic origin and teachers? views on multicultural education. Key words: Multiculturalism, Multicultural Education, Bilingual Education, and Education in Mother Tongue.