A comparative analysis of primary school teacher training programs in Turkey and France within the framework of banks' multicultural education dimensions

This study aims to comparatively examine preschool and primary teacher education programs in Türkiye and France within the framework of Banks' dimensions of multicultural education. In this context, the study seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of these programs in terms of preparing multicultural teachers? (2) What are the views of the teacher educators working in these programs regarding multicultural teacher education? The research was designed as a multiple case study. The participants consisted of 12 teacher educators working in teacher education programs in Türkiye and France. Data were collected in the spring semester of 2024-2025 through document analysis, which included current curricula and course descriptions, and semi-structured interviews. The data obtained were analyzed through thematic analysis based on Banks' dimensions of multicultural education. The findings indicate that multicultural education in Türkiye is mostly limited to elective courses and the individual efforts of teacher educators, whereas in France, the dimensions of multicultural education are implemented in a more systematic manner within the teacher education program. The study reveals that teacher education programs need to be structured in a more inclusive and systematic way with respect to the dimensions of multicultural education.