Abstract:
Enhancing kindergarten teachers’ intercultural sensitivities in Hong Kong early childhood education has a growing interest and need from schools, parents and the Hong Kong society. The proposed project aims to enhance and assess the development of Hong Kong in-service teacher’s intercultural/ multicultural sensitivities at workplace through an online reflective learning process in the course of Multi-culturalism and multilingualism in Early Childhood Education. The project will take a reflective approach engaging the class emotionally and cognitively in constructing and reconstructing narratives to reflect on the intercultural cases the students (in-service teachers) encountered at work. We will adopt online and offline focus group interviews, online journals/diaries and weekly blog/vlog in capturing students’ reflections on intercultural topics discussed throughout the course as a form of assessment. The proposed project aims to not only raise their intercultural awareness, improve their critical evaluation of intercultural case studies, but also empower them with an experiential learning of research methods that enable them to further explore these topics at their workplace. We aim to build a sustainable researching, teaching and learning mode that would provide students with a dynamic learning experiences that closely bridging theories in multiculturalism and multilingualism with their daily practice.
Code:
T0245
Principal Project Supervisors:
Keywords provided by authors:
- Intercultural sensitivity
- Multiculturalism
- Diversity
- Reflective learning process
- Early Childhood Education
Start Date:
01 Dec 2020
End Date:
31 Mar 2022
Status:
Completed
Result:
This project conducted a comprehensive analysis of the impact of taking a course on Multiculturalism and Multilingualism on attitudes towards multicultural education. The study found that the course significantly altered the participants' opinions on the effectiveness of various anti-racism strategies and cross-cultural curriculum development. The participants tended to emphasize the importance of implementing anti-racism strategies and developing cross-cultural curriculum, which they perceived to be more effective after taking the course. On the other hand, the participants' perception of the importance of developing harmonious cross-cultural relations and intercultural understanding was reduced. This finding suggests that the course may have a profound impact on the way people view multicultural education. The findings indicate that there are two levels of strategies in promoting cultural inclusiveness in schools: school-level and class-level. The results also suggest that the main goals of multicultural education are to achieve equality and develop language proficiency. In terms of the influence factor of teaching, the three factors identified suggest that how teachers teach is influenced at different levels, namely Microsystem, Pressure Group, and Macrosystem.
Impact:
In conclusion, promoting cultural inclusiveness and multicultural education is essential to creating a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students. By incorporating multicultural perspectives into teaching and learning, schools can help to build a more just and equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Teachers and administrators play a critical role in this process, and it is important that they receive the support and resources they need to create a more inclusive learning environment. By working together, we can create a better future for all students.
To further promote cultural inclusiveness in schools, it is also important to address issues of diversity and inclusion in teacher preparation programs. Teachers need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively teach in culturally diverse classrooms. Teacher preparation programs can provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to interact with diverse communities and learn about different cultures and languages. They can also provide training on culturally responsive teaching practices and strategies to address issues of diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
Importantly, it is crucial to promote diversity and inclusion in school leadership positions. School leaders can set the tone for the school culture and promote inclusiveness by hiring a diverse teaching staff, creating policies that promote cultural inclusiveness, and providing professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their cultural awareness and competency.
Deliverables:
Books/ Book Chapters/ Journal Articles/ Conference Papers
Zhou, Y. (2021, August 12-14). Hong Kong kindergarten teachers' intercultural sensitivity: Conceptions, practice and tensions. The 2021 Korean Association for Multicultural Education International Conference [Online conference presentation]. Korean Association for Multicultural Education.
Yuen, Y. M. C., Cheung, C. K. A., Tang, H. -H. H., Zhou, D., & Zhou, Y. (2021, December 9). An Asian perspective on campus inclusion for productive academic engagement and holistic wellness: Diverse pathways, practices and challenges. Symposium presented at the HKERA-APERA International Conference 2021.
Financial Year:
2020-21
Type:
TDG