An action study on developing the value of respect for diversity and research skill with the activities prepared within the framework of multicultural education

In this study, activities were prepared within the framework of multicultural education, and the state of developing the value of respect for diversity and research skill of primary school fourth-grade students was investigated. For this purpose, first of all, scenarios were prepared under the titles of culture, race/origin, belief, language, disability, and gender, which are the sub-dimensions of multicultural education, these scenarios were applied to students and evaluated with a rubric in order to determine the current statuses of students in relation to the value of respect for diversity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and students in order to determine the current status of the research skill. As a result of the studies conducted to determine the current situation, it was determined that students have deficiencies regarding the value of respect for diversity and research skill. In order to overcome these deficiencies, activities were prepared within the framework of multicultural education, and the action research process was applied. The action research process planned as six cycles was completed in twenty-two course hours in ten weeks. The action process was realized at a public school in the spring term of the 2014-2015 academic year. The practice was held in the unit "My Distant Friends" in the learning area "My Global Connections" in the primary school fourth-grade Social Sciences curriculum since this is the most suitable unit for the implementation of the activities regarding multicultural education and the value of respect for diversity. Research data were collected through scenarios, rubric, semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, unstructured observation (camera records), researcher and student diaries, and student products. Activity plans for the culture, race/origin, belief, language, disability status and gender subdimensions were prepared within the framework of multicultural education for the value of respect for diversity in the implementation process, and the action research process was performed by being organized in cycles. At the end of each cycle, the scenarios created for the relevant subdimension were implemented and evaluated with the rubric. The answers given by the students to the scenarios were analyzed in accordance with the content analysis, and codes-themes were created. Furthermore, the implementation process was recorded by the camera and examined by the researcher. Research duties for the research skill were prepared and presented to the students at certain intervals, and student studies were evaluated. At the end of each cycle, a student diary form was distributed, and student opinions were taken in order to evaluate the process. The qualitative data collected in the study were analyzed through the content analysis. The data were coded by the second encoder in order to ensure reliability. In the implementation process, each cycle was analyzed within itself, and all the data obtained at the end of the implementation process were evaluated and analyzed as a whole. Through the activities carried out during the action research process, it was found out that students became aware of different cultures under the sub-headings such as food, clothing, customs, traditions, life style, social life, means of living; they developed a negative point of view on being prejudiced towards different races/origins; the misconceptions and negative thoughts determined for different beliefs changed; the awareness of the difficulties of speaking in different languages and the difference of mother tongue increased; they developed awareness of the problems and difficulties experienced by the disabled in society; and they developed awareness of the difficulties faced by the opposite gender under the effect of the environment and society and of the negative situations experienced in the relationship between women and men. As a result of the action research process, it was observed that students developed positively with regard to the value of respect for diversity and research skill. Keywords: Multicultural education, respect for diversity, values education, research skill, action researc