Development of Multicultural Competency in Pre-Service Teacher Students: Evidence from a University in Thailand
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Abstract
In today's globalized world, the diverse cultural dynamics within classrooms necessitate that educators possess strong multicultural competencies. This study sought to enhance these competencies through a structured Multicultural Competency Training Program (MCTP). The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of the MCTP in improving the multicultural competencies of these students. This quasi-experimental study involved 60 third-year pre-service teacher students, divided into an intervention group and a control group, each with 30 students. The intervention group underwent 14 sessions of the MCTP over seven weeks, while the control group continued their regular curriculum. Multicultural competency was measured using the Multicultural Competency for Pre-Service Teacher Students Test with reliability values .972 before the intervention, immediately after, and one month later. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA. The results showed that multicultural competence scores of the intervention group after participating in the Multicultural Competency Training Program (MCTP) and at follow-up was higher than before the experiment with statistical significance at the level of p<.001, and the Multicultural competence scores of the intervention group after participating in the MCTP and at follow-up was higher than that of the control group with statistical significance at the level of p<.001. In conclusion, the MCTP effectively enhances the multicultural awareness, knowledge, and personal skills of pre-service teachers, which are essential for their professional preparation in diverse educational environments.
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