KJEP 12:1 (2015), pp.

107-126

Relationships among multicultural sensitivity,

multicultural education awareness, and level of
m ulticultural education practice of South
Korean teachers

Ho-Kyung Huh
C K In s t r u c t io n a l D e v e lo p m e n t In s titu te ,

K o re a

Seong Woo Choi

S o o n g s / I U n iv e r s it y ,

K o re a

JuSung Jun
S o o n g s i i U n iv e r s it y ,

K o re a

Abstract
This study examined canonical correlation relationships between multicultural
sensitivity and level of multicultural education practice, and multicultural awareness
and level of multicultural education practice by primary and middle school teachers
in South Korea. Data was collected from 431 teachers in Seoul, Gyunggi, and Jeju.
Canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze data with SPSS 18.0 for
Windows. We found that teachers with higher interaction enjoyment, interaction
confidence, interaction attentiveness, and interaction engagement have a higher level
of understanding and resourcefulness; and teachers with higher multicultural
understanding, appreciation of foreign culture, anti-bias perception, and perception
of the teacher's role have a higher level of application of understanding, level of
implementation in class, and level of resource usage.
Keywords:

multicultural sensitivity, multicultural education awareness, level of

multicultural education practice, multicultural education competence,
canonical correlation

KEDI Journal of Educational P o lic y-IS S N 1739^4341 Korean Educational Development Institute 2015, Electronic version: http://eng.kedi.re.kr

H o -K y u n g H uh, S eo ng W o o C hoi, & JuS ung Jun

In t r o d u c t io n
More multicultural families in South Korea are establishing themselves as
members of society, through education, immigration, and business. Of the increasing
number of multicultural children, there are 67,806 multicultural students who attend
school. 71.2% (48,297 out of 67,806) are students in elementary school, 18.5% (12,525
out of 67,806) in middle school, and 10.3% (6,984 out of 67,806) in high school
(Ministry of Education, 2014). Children confront new issues on a personal level as a
multicultural child and on a domestic level as part of a multicultural family. Problems
that arise in an educational environment require practical solutions. Therefore, a
holistic education suitable for multicultural and non-multicultural children benefits
modern society.
Increasing multicultural sensitivity through education is crucial (Jang & Kim,
2012). The role of teachers is important, as they must examine their emotions,
knowledge, and attitude of others (Seefelt, 2001). To successfully foster multicultural
education, a teacher must accept dissimilarities of cultures and be sensitive to
cultural differences (Bennett, 2003). A teacher with multicultural sensitivity shows a
high level of teaching efficacy (Villegas & Lucas, 2002) and is flexible in utilizing a
range of verbal and non-verbal facial expressions, attitudes, and actions, depending
on the situation (Y. Kim & Woo, 2011). It was found that the most direct influence
on multicultural education competence is an awareness of multicultural education
(Glockshuber, 2005; Holcomb-McCoy & Myers, 1999). Teacher awareness affects the
overall educational environment and course (Knopp & Smith, 2005). Multicultural
education is applying the student's cultural, societal, economical, and ethnic
background to education and injecting multicultural awareness, where the principal
agent for this process is teachers (Sleeter & Grant, 2008). Multicultural training for
teachers is a starting point for multicultural awareness and a requirement for the
discovery of opportunities in applying consistent multicultural education (Yoon,
2011). Effective teachers are those with high cultural sensitivity.
The relationship between multicultural sensitivity of teachers and their
multicultural education awareness and the level of multicultural educational practice
is a core area in educational research. However, studies so far have primarily
focused on preschoolers' teachers (Jeong, 2012; K. Lee, 2011; M. Park, 2012; Sung,
2010). Those studies conducted on elementary and middle school teachers were
mostly simple studies with a limited scope of issues, such as the awareness of
multicultural families, the status of multicultural education, the attitude of
multicultural education, teaching efficacy of multicultural education, etc. (O. Kim &
Jun, 2009; S. Kim & Kim, 2008; S. Park & Seong, 2011; Yoo, 2011).
The number of students from multicultural families is rapidly increasing in
Korea. They not only struggle with identity problems but also experience overall
difficulties at school such as academic works and a relationship with their friends
and teachers at school. Moreover, they take these problems with them when they

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Relationships among multicultural education competence variables

graduate from school and enter the real world, where a new set of unanticipated
problems await. Therefore, it is crucial to provide elementary and middle school
teachers with the trainings and tools to enhance their skills in providing
multicultural education to all students within a regular educational curriculum.
However, in reality, multicultural education is not being implemented at a sufficient
level (S. Kim, 2010).
Therefore, this research examines the relationship between multicultural sensitivity
of teachers and their multicultural education awareness and the level of multicultural
education practice. The research is expected to improve the overall level of
multicultural education practice by enhancing multicultural sensitivity of teachers
and their multicultural education awareness. It will also provide a direction for
teachers in actual educational environments by suggesting methods that can help
them provide more effective multicultural education.

Literature review
Multicultural education
Culture is defined as a "totality of all abilities and conventions acquired by
members of society such as knowledge, religion, art, social institutions, morality,
cultural traditions, etc." and includes a range of diversities among individuals and
groups (Tyler, 1871 as cited in Koo, Park, & Seol, 2009, p. 12). Therefore, a meeting
of different cultures is accompanied by conflicts that arise from their exchange,
conflict and propagation. Based on this definition of "culture," "multi-culture" is
explained as a culture that arises from blending of different race, gender, culture,
religion, and behavior/lifestyles.
Multicultural phenomena have appeared for different reasons and in different
ways for different regions and nations. Table 1 presents different definitions of
multicultural education.
In sum, multicultural education starts with education for the majority but is an
education that is needed for both the majority and minority (Jang & Kim, 2012). It
is also an education that allows both multicultural and non-multicultural families to
remove their cultural biases and stereotypes, recognize and acknowledge diversities
that arise from differences in income, social class, gender, disability, religion, and
especially nationality and ethnicity (race) and embrace them. Therefore, through
multicultural education, students should learn how to understand and respect
different cultures and put them into practice.

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Ho-Kyung Huh, Seong Woo Choi, & JuSung Jun

Table 1. Academic definition of multicultural education

Scholar(s)

D efinition

G ay (2000)

Suggesting various ideas, perspectives, fram ew ork or standards o f

education required by students w ith diverse cultural backgrounds.

B ennett (2003)

T eaching-learning m ethods that support cultural pluralism in a

m utually interdependent and culturally pluralistic society based
on dem ocratic values and faith.

N ieto (2004)

A process o f com prehensive school system innovation and a

basic education for all students that reject all d iscrim inations at
school and in society; em brace and support pluralism .

B anks (2007)

C hanging educational institutions so that students w ith diverse

racial, ethnic, and social-class backgrounds can experience
educational equality.

G ollnick & C hinn (2009)

U tilize diverse cultural backgrounds o f students for m ore effective

classroom instruction and school environm ent in order for teachers
to deliver the m essage o f pluralism , equality, social justice, and
dem ocracy to students.

C am pbell (2010)

E nable students w ith diverse backgrounds to understand and

respect each other's tradition and culture; instill in them respect
for hum an being; help develop and realize their potential;
understand basic equality fo r all people.

M inistry o f E ducation and

H um an R esources
D evelopm ent (2006)

Provide education not only for m ajority but also m inority social
groups w ith the aim o f p roviding educational equality for all
m inority social groups.

C. K im , R oh, Park, Lee,

& L im (2013)

A llow all students receiving school education in m ulticultural

society to recognize cultural diversities based on pluralistic
philosophy; pursue m utual understanding based on em pathy and
com m unication; practice cultural diversities.

Multicultural education competence and its components

There is a growing need for cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity as society
becomes more multicultural. This requires change and variability in education,
where the educational environment and teachers are most important (S. Lee, 2013).
The effective practice of multicultural education is dependent on the role of the
teacher, which highlights the importance of multicultural competence. Competence
relates to a teacher's ability to apply knowledge in real situations. Modern society
demands a more flexible and diversified approach (J. H. Kim, 2011). Developing
competence among teachers should be prioritized and the level required must be
investigated.
With an understanding of one's own culture as the basis, developing multicultural
competence by creating a peaceful society with people of different backgrounds is
an important goal of multicultural education (O. Kim & Jun, 2009). Multicultural

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competence consists of sensitivity and awareness; multicultural sensitivity and

awareness consequently form the basis of multicultural competence (Chen & Starosta,
2000). On this foundation, the current study defines multicultural competence as the
multicultural sensitivity and ability of a teacher to effectively apply multicultural
education in a culturally diverse educational field that targets students of different
cultural backgrounds.
A teacher's knowledge, skill, and attitude are important in creating specific
activities and an appropriate environment for multicultural education (Gay, 2000).
Teachers that possess such assets are deemed competent and possess a good
understanding of different cultures (Banks, 2007). Y. Kim (2011) showed that teachers
emphasized the importance of multicultural sensitivitythe ability to understand
and be sensitive to diversity in a societal or educational environment, multicultural
awarenessthe appreciation of differences in a multicultural society, practices of
multicultural educationthe educational application of the understanding of a
multicultural society, and that each component was culturally different. According to
Y. Kim (2011), a school education teaches how to understand other human beings
and live in harmony. Therefore, cultivating multicultural competence in teachers is
undeniably important. Teachers need to effectively interact with both multicultural
and non-multicultural families, sensitively respond to and respect different cultures,
reduce prejudice and conflict, and understand their role in multicultural education.
This should be accompanied by the will to positively influence students' learning,
lifestyle, attitude, and values.

Multicultural sensitivity
Multicultural understanding is not limited to reducing racial and cultural
prejudice. It includes an agreement between one's own culture and of others, gender
and class issues, and minority rights. Therefore, developing multicultural sensitivity
that eliminates cultural prejudice, as well as fosters an interest in learning about and
experiencing dissimilar cultures, is important in supplementing the limitations of
current multicultural policies (S. Lee & Kim, 2012).
Chen and Starosta (2000) defined intercultural (or multicultural) sensitivity as an
emotional aspect of communication, a quality that appreciates the differences
between cultures and leads to appropriate behavior in a multicultural environment. An
individual with better intercultural sensitivity has high self-esteem, is open-minded,
can empathize, and be interactively engaged. These individuals can appropriately
apply effective behavior and attempt to understand and empathize before making
decisions when interacting with people of different cultures. People with a higher
level of multicultural sensitivity show more appreciation for cultural diversity. They
can differentiate the practices, emotions, and understanding between their own
cultural group and others (O. Kim & Jun, 2009). Teachers with greater multicultural
sensitivity have reciprocal relationships by positively influencing others and receiving

H o -K y u n g Huh, S eo ng W o o C hoi, & JuS ung Jun

positive feedback. Further, culturally well-adjusted teachers have high-quality teaching

strategies and construct a positive classroom atmosphere that elicits encouraging
relationships with students (Trueba, 1989).
C. Park (2009) proposed a cardinal direction for multicultural sensitivity training
from the following premise: multicultural sensitivity is acknowledging that cultural
differences exist and accepting that there is nothing wrong with being different. It
works to newly amend cultural stereotypes, prejudice, and distorted views while
also providing an opportunity to encounter different political, economic, and societal
perspectives. It promotes the idea of forming positive relationships between different
cultures through self-awareness of cultural diversity and the pursuit of cultural
harmony. It also aids in the understanding of the nature of different cultures
through recognizing both the disparities and similarities between dissimilar cultures.
Finally, cultural diversity helps individuals to understand human emotions, feelings,
attitudes, and changes which assist in the process of self-perfection by working
together in unity. Therefore, increasing multicultural sensitivity is the most effective
way of developing multicultural competence (Spitzberg, 1994).

Multicultural education awareness

Studies have reported on the teachers' influence on expectations, academic
failure, and dropouts of students in relation to multicultural awareness (Bennett,
2003; Koo et al., 2009; Song, 2012; Stoddart, 1990). Depending on the awareness of
a teacher, a student's academic growth can be positively developed or negatively
inhibited (Hwang, 2007). Teachers' expectations on multicultural education perception
are examined due to research results on the low expectations of minority students
compared to majority students (Bennet, 2003). This disparity may arise from cultural
prejudice or lack of cultural understanding. It is not surprising that some teachers
have cultural misunderstandings and negative stereotypes of minorities as they have
lived and studied as part of the majority. To eliminate the transmission of
unfavorable perceptions, a greater effort must be made to transform the perception
of teachers.
A greater multicultural awareness, or the realization and understanding of
different cultures, can increase appreciation and open-mindedness towards cultural
diversity (Banks, 2008). Accepting cultural differences will be difficult and result in
cultural conflict and misunderstanding if a teacher lacks cultural awareness (S. Park,
2013). Therefore, it is important that a teacher develops a positive perception of
multicultural education (Lee, 2011). As a cultural mediator, teachers must understand
their role and position in forming encouraging interpersonal relationships with
students. The importance of teachers in multicultural education cannot be stressed
enough as competent educators can assist in solving students' problems and conflicts.
Developing multicultural perception through experience is not limited to the
individual; it is possible in a cultural group and a larger societal setting (Koo et al.,

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2009). Increasing cultural awareness of teachers can strengthen their competence in

multicultural education and result in successful multicultural education that targets
both multicultural and non-multicultural families.

Level of multicultural education practice

Studies have provided evidence that suggests low academic achievement and
engagement by multicultural students is due to a teacher's different linguistic
response style, attention, and concentration (Van der Leij, 1993, as cited in C. Kim,
Noh, Park, Lee, & Lim, 2013). As a teacher's attitude towards minority students
impacts academic expectations (Gollnick & Chinn, 2009), it is important that teachers
possess a deep and objective understanding of a minority's background (C. Kim et
al 2013).
On implementation of multicultural education, Banks (2007) detailed four
approaches to multicultural curriculum: contribution, additive, transformation, and
social action. The contribution and additive approaches aim to explain the actions of
different cultures within the rules and values of the majority group; the
transformation and social action approaches appreciate respective cultures on their
own. If a teacher only introduced or taught students about a foreign culture this
would be seen as a low level of implementation. With cultural knowledge and
competence, teachers must make an effort to help students develop different cultural
perspectives and actively apply them in a societal setting.
Nagel (1998) proposed 26 strategies for multicultural education using the
alphabet and emphasized the importance of cooperation in practicing multicultural
education. Her strategies apply the idea of having a non-judgmental, equitable,
culturally aware teacher and highlight the values of faith, expectation, and
self-reflection.
Gay (2000) stated that there are five necessities in culturally responsive teaching:
development of a culture diversity knowledge base, relevant and culturally designed
curriculum, cultural caring and creation of a learning community, cross-cultural
communication, and cultural congruity in classroom instruction. Villegas and Lucas
(2002) reported that culturally responsive teachers are socio-culturally alert,
recognize cultural diversity, and are aware of the lives of their students, further
emphasizing their responsibility in making school a more equitable environment.
Increasing multicultural competence and cultural responsiveness of teachers can
result in the effective practice of multicultural education (M. Park, 2013). In accepting
diversity among cultures, multicultural education competence is the ability to use
different teaching strategies that reach students of both multicultural and
non-multicultural families and contributes to the growing multicultural competence
of students as a teacher's competence grows. Multicultural competence is the ability
of socio-politically conscious teachers to build cultural communication in a classroom
by responding to cultural differences and showing cultural concern. However, it is

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Ho-Kyung Huh, Seong Woo Choi, & JuSung Jun

difficult to determine if teachers are equipped with these skills (N. Park, 2007). To
effectively implement multicultural education, a teacher needs an educational
environment that complements this purpose. To teach culturally sensitive courses, a
teacher must be provided proper training on multicultural competence.

Method
P a rtic ip a n ts

A questionnaire survey was conducted in this research on elementary and middle

school teachers in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Jeju area. A total of 431 questionnaire survey
results were used for the final analysis. The reason for choosing teachers in Seoul,
Gyeonggi, and Jeju areas is as follows.
According to the Survey on the Status of Foreign Residents conducted by the
Ministry of Administration and Safety (2012), the region in Korea with the highest
share of foreign residents per total registered resident population was Seoul (4%),
followed by Gyeonggi (3.6%). On the other hand, the region with the lowest share
was Jeju (1.8%). In addition, according to the number of students in multicultural
family by region (Korean Educational Development Institute, 2012), the region in
Korea with the highest share of multicultural students per total domestic students
was Seoul (40.9%), followed by Gyeonggi (31.2%). The region with the lowest share
was Ulsan (0.5%), followed by Jeju (0.8%). Moreover, the number of support
organizations was proportional to the share of multicultural populations, which
could be interpreted as the level of support for and attention to them. That is, the
regions with active educational and financial support were Seoul and Gyeonggi
while Jeju area garnered the least support.
As it was shown, the share of multicultural students in Seoul and Gyeonggi
area is high while Jeju area is low. Moreover, the number of multicultural students
and populations is proportional to the number of available support organizations.
Accordingly, this research, by choosing as research subject teachers in Seoul,
Gyeonggi, and Jeju area, aimed to compare and analyze the regions with different
shares of foreign students and educational or other supports available while studying
their feedback as well.

In s tru m e n ts
M u ltic u ltu r a l s e n s itiv ity scale

To measure multicultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary school

teachers, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale from Chen and Starosta (2000) and
adapted by O. Kim (2008) was used. To facilitate understanding, some questions

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Table 2. Participants' background information

F requency

Percentage

M ale

( )
82

19.0

F em ale

349

81.0

V ariables
G ender

A ge

G roup

(% )

20-30

68

15.9

31-40

146

33.8

41-50

123

28.6

92

21.3

0.5

51N o response
-1
1-10 below

22

5.1

153

35.5

T eaching experience

10-20 below

108

25.1

(year)

20-30 below

107

24.8

35

8.1

30N o response
W orking place

School location

E lem entary school

1.4

276

64.0

M iddle school

155

36

Seoul

206

47.8

G yung-gi

113

26.2

Jeju

112

26.0

T otal

431

100

were modified and finalized after review by four doctors of lifelong education, one
doctor of pedagogical sciences, and one student completing his/her doctorate degree.
An exploratory factor analysis was then conducted on data collected, checking five
components [interaction confidence (Cronbach's a = .84), respect for cultural differences
(Cronbach's a = .91), interaction enjoyment (Cronbach's a = .78), interaction
attentiveness (Cronbach's a = .51), and interaction engagement (Cronbach's a = .79)]
consisting of 20 questions (e.g., 1 enjoy interacting with people from different
cultures; I respect the values of people from different cultures; I feel confident when
interacting with people from different cultures). All items were formatted with
5-point Likert scales (5-strongly agree, 4-agree, 3-neither agree nor disagree, 2disagree, 1-strongly disagree). The resulting Cronbach's a was .89 for the 20 items.
M u ltic u ltu r a l e d u c a tio n a w a re n e s s s cale

To measure the perception of multicultural education of elementary and

secondary school teachers, a modified version of S. Park's (2013) inventory was used.
To facilitate understanding, some questions were modified and finalized after review
by four doctors of lifelong education, one doctor of pedagogical sciences, and one
student completing his/her doctorate degree. An exploratory factor analysis was
conducted on data collected, checking four components [multicultural understanding
(Cronbach's a = .88), perception of the teacher's role (Cronbach's a = .77),

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Ho-Kyung Huh, Seong W oo Choi, & JuSung Jun

appreciation of foreign culture (Cronbach's a = .79), anti-bias perception (Cronbach's

a = .65)] consisting of 17 questions (Adapt instructional methods to meet the needs
of students from diverse cultures; Use materials that are reflective of a multicultural
classroom; Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the contributions made by culturally
diverse groups to society; Etc.). All items were formatted with 5-point Likert scales
(5-strongly agree, 4-agree, 3-neither agree nor disagree, 2-disagree, 1-strongly
disagree). The resulting Cronbach's a was .91 for the 17 items.
M u ltic u ltu r a l e d u c a tio n p r a c tic e le v e l scale

To measure the multicultural education practice level of elementary and

secondary school teachers, Copeland (2001)'s Questionnaire II was used as modified
by S. Park (2013). Items that appeared irrelevant were removed and items that
appeared to be missing were added to compile a total of 20 refined questions. To
facilitate understanding, some questions were modified and finalized after review by
four doctors of lifelong education, one doctor of pedagogical sciences, and one
student completing his/her doctorate degree. An exploratory factor analysis was
conducted on data collected, checking three components [level of implementation in
class (Cronbach's a = .90), level of application of understanding (Cronbach's a = .86),
level of resource usage (Cronbach's a = .82)] consisting of 19 questions (e.g., Adapt
instructional methods to meet the needs of students from diverse cultures; Use
materials that are reflective of a multicultural classroom; Demonstrate a basic
knowledge of the contributions made by culturally diverse groups to society). All
items were formatted with 5-point Likert scales (5-strongly agree, 4-agree, 3-neither
agree disagree, 2-disagree, 1-strongly disagree). The resulting Cronbach's a was .940
for the 17 items.

Data analysis
SPSS 18.0 was used for analyses of items. Cronbach's a was computed to check
internal consistency. A simple correlation analysis and canonical correlation analysis
were used to examine the relationship between multicultural sensitivity, perception
of multicultural education, and level of practice.

Findings
Simple correlation analysis
Table 3 shows results of a simple correlation analysis examining the relationships
between multicultural sensitivity, awareness of multicultural education, and level of
multicultural education practice.

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Table 3. C orrelatio n analysis fo r m u ltic u ltu ra l sensitivity,

awareness, and level o f practice
V a ria b le s
In te ra c tio n c o n f id e n c e
R e s p e c t fo r c u ltu ra l
d if f e re n c e
M u lti-c u ltu ra l
s e n s itiv ity

P e rc e p tio n in
a te a c h e r s ro le
R e s p e c t fo r
o th e r c u ltu r e s
A w a ren ess o f
a n ti-b ia s
I m p le m e n ta tio n
in c la s s

p r a c tic e le v e l

.400"

A p p lic a tio n o f
u n d e r s ta n d in g
R eso u rce u sag e

10

11

12

.330" .467" .502"

m u ltic u ltu r a lis m

In te ra c tio n a tte n tio n

engagem ent

M u lti-c u ltu ra l
e d u c a tio n

.676" .534"

U n d e r s ta n d in g o f

M u lti-c u ltu ra l

I n te ra c tio n e n jo y m e n t

I n te ra c tio n

e d u c a tio n
aw aren e ss

m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u ca tio n

1
1

.282" .192" .371" 292"

.254" .391" .422" .386" .276"

.235" .231" .332" .264" .252" .620"

.311 .502" .544" .499" .287 .688" .463"

.406" .319" .443" .343 .374" .475" .408" .501

.356" .216" .407" .316 .316" .396" .334" .354" .368"

.295" .294" .431" .346" .296" .532" .385" .518" .392" .757

.347" .135" .386" .248" .246" .252" .296" .249" .315" .693" .573"

" p < .01 .

Canonical correlation analysis

A n a ly s is b e t w e e n m u lt ic u ltu r a l s e n s itiv ity a n d m u lt ic u ltu r a l e d u c a t io n p r a c t ic e le v e l

Table 4 and Table 5 show the results of canonical correlation analysis between
multicultural sensitivity and level of multicultural education practice. Canonical
correlation analysis is a multivariate statistical model used to examine relationships
between multiple dependent variables and multiple independent variables; it can
simultaneously predict multiple dependent variables from multiple independent
variables.
The results of analyses produced three correlation functions. However, taking
into consideration the correlation coefficient and Wilk's lambada, only correlation
function I (Rc = .511) was significant and explained the 26.1% variance between the
two variables (p < .001). Only correlation function I will be examined as the level
of statistically significant correlation function II at .934 is close to 1 and lacks
sufficient evidence to accept the alternative hypothesis that it can form another linear
combination.

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H o -K y u n g H uh, S eo ng W o o C hoi, & JuS ung Jun

Table 4. Canonical co rre la tio n analysis betw een m u ltic u ltu ra l sensitivity and level o f
m u lticu ltu ra l e d u ca tio n practice
C ovariate

C ovariate II

C ovariate HI

Rc

.511

.237

.104

R c2

.261

.056

.011

W ilk s Lam bda(A)

.690

.934

.989

df

15

.000

.000

.203

Table 5 shows the values of the standardized coefficient of variates, canonical

loading, and canonical cross-loading of correlation function I.
The coefficient of variates in canonical correlation analysis is a coefficient that
maximizes the correlation between two variables (Cha, Kim, Oh, Yoon, & Kim, 2008).
The most important independent variables that form correlation function I are: 'level
of application of understanding (.481),' 'level of implementation in class ( .335),'
'level of resource usage ( .311)' (see Table 4). Of dependent variables, 'interaction
enjoyment ( .193)/ 'interaction engagement ( .304),' and 'interaction attentiveness (
.281)' were listed in order of significance; the importance of 'interaction confidence
( .193)' and 'respect for cultural differences (- .063)' was relatively low. Canonical
cross-loadings measure the correlation of variables with the opposite canonical
variate, predicting the level of correlation between variables with the opposite
canonical variate. Therefore, it is important to utilize canonical cross-loadings before
computing the standardized coefficient of variates or canonical loading (S. Kim,
2010). As canonical loadings cannot provide the magnitude of common variance
Table 5. Correlation function I between m ulticultural sensitivity and level o f m ulticultural
educatio n practice

V ariables
M ulticulturaleducation
practice level

M ulticultural
sensitivity

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S tandardized
coefficient o f
variates

C anonical
loading

C anonical
cro ss
loading

Im plem entation in class

.335

.915

.467

Application o f understanding

.481

.913

.466

R esource usage

.311

.819

.418

Interaction confidence

.193

.723

.369
.256

R espect for cultural difference

-.063

.501

Interaction enjoym ent

.557

.908

.464

Interaction attention

.281

.684

.349

Interaction engagem ent

.304

.636

.325

Rc

.511

R c2

.261

E igen value

.353

.000

Relationships among multicultural education competence variables

between two variables, a canonical cross-loading was conducted with a cut-off value
set at .30 (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2000). With cross-loadings of dependent variables,
'level of application of understanding ( .466),' 'level of implementation in class
( .467)/ and 'level of resource usage ( .418)' were significant. For independent
variables, 'interaction enjoyment ( .464),' 'interaction confidence ( .369),' 'interaction
attentiveness ( .349),' and 'interaction engagement ( .325)' were significant.
From correlation function I, teachers who have higher interaction enjoyment,
interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness, and interaction engagement have a
higher level of application of understanding and resource usage. For the optimal
practice of multicultural education, it is important to increase multicultural
sensitivity of teachers.
A n a ly s is b e tw e e n m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n a w a re n e s s a n d m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n
p ra c tic e le v e l

Table 6 and Table 7 show results from a canonical correlation analysis between
awareness of multicultural education and level of multicultural education practice.
Results of this analysis produced three correlation functions (see Table 4). However,
taking into consideration the correlation coefficient and Wilk's lambada, only
correlation function I (Rc = .583) was significant and explains 34% of the variance
between the two variables (p < .001). Only correlation function I will be examined,
as the level of statistically significant correlation function II at 0.934 is close to 1 and
lacks sufficient evidence to accept the alternative hypothesis that it can form another
linear combination. The most important dependent variable in forming correlation
function I is the 'level of application of understanding (1.015).' The importance of
'level of resource usage (-0.075)' and 'level of implementation in class ( .350)' was
relatively low. Of the independent variables, the most important were 'multicultural
understanding ( .489)' and 'appreciation of foreign culture ( .425)'; 'the importance
of 'anti-bias perception ( .187)' and 'perception of teacher's role ( .076)' were
relatively low. Canonical cross-loading was conducted to examine the relative effects
of individual variables that affect the relationship between two variables. With
cross-loadings of the dependent variables, 'level of application of understanding (
.583),' 'level of implementation in class ( .439),' and 'level of resource usage ( .310)'
were significant. Of the independent variables, 'multicultural understanding ( .535),'
'appreciation of foreign culture ( .519),' 'anti-bias perception ( .387),' and 'perception
of the teacher's role ( .380)' were significant.
From correlation function I, teachers who have a higher multicultural
understanding, appreciation of foreign culture, anti-bias perception, and perception
of the teacher's role have a higher level of application of understanding, level of
implementation in class, and level of resource usage. Therefore, it is important to
increase multicultural education awareness of teachers for the optimal practice of
multicultural education.

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T a b le 6. C a n o n ica l c o rre la tio n a n a lysis b e tw e e n m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n a w areness

a n d level o f m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n p ra c tic e
C ovariate I

C ovariate II

Co variate III

Rc

.583

.243

.088

R c2

.340

.058

.008

W ilk s Lam bda(A )

.616

.934

.992

df

12

.000

.000

.190

T a b le 7. C o rre la tio n fu n c tio n II b e tw e e n m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n aw a re n e ss a n d level

o f m u ltic u ltu ra l e d u c a tio n p ra c tic e

V ariables
M ulticulturaleducation
practice level

M ulticulturalaw areness

Standardized
coefficient o f
variates

C anonical
leading

C anonical
cross-loadin
g

Im plem entation in class

.035

.752

.439

A pplication o f understanding

1.015

.999

.583

R esource usage

-.075

.532

.310

Understanding o f m ulticulturalism

.489

.917

.535

Perception o f tea ch e rs role

.076

.652

.380

R espect for o ther cultures

.425

.890

.519

A nti-bias aw areness

.187

.663

.387

Rc

.583

R c2

.340

E igen value

.353

.000

Discussion and conclusion

As mentioned in the introduction, many studies stress the importance of the
role of teachers in multicultural education. In particular, teachers with multicultural
sensitivity exhibit high teacher efficacy in multicultural education. Also, multicultural
education awareness is the most important factor: the starting point for understanding
multicultural education as well as a prerequisite for exploring sustainable application
of multicultural education. Here, teachers are at the focal point of implementing
multicultural education programs.
The higher the multicultural sensitivity and the multicultural education awareness
possessed by teachers the more positive effect on teaching methods, communication,
and the application of multicultural educational program in the actual educational
environment is expected. However, research so far have been limited to a simple

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study of multicultural awareness among children's teachers. For middle school

teachers, the availability of even basic research was limited.
Accordingly, this research, by investigating the relationship between multicultural
sensitivity of elementary and middle school teachers and their multicultural
awareness education and the level of multicultural educational practice, provides
evidence that skills enhancement programs and tools which help teachers to provide
more effective and realistic multicultural education for all students in a regular
educational curriculum could be effective.
The following conclusions can be drawn from the data regarding relationships
between multicultural sensitivity, awareness of multicultural education, and multiculturaleducation practice level which represent the three components that form multicultural
education competence.
Teachers that appreciate other cultures can more easily accept and understand
people of other cultures as well as the idea of multicultural education. Therefore, a
teacher can pay attention and form relationships with confidence when interacting
with multicultural people. A teacher with a positive attitude towards multicultural
education and a superior understanding of his/her role can better apply teaching
learning methods in class. Therefore, it is crucial to increase the multicultural
sensitivity of teachers for the optimal practice of multicultural education in real-life
classrooms. An increase in the level of multicultural education practices can be
facilitated by increasing opportunities for teachers to interact with people of other
cultures where teachers can enjoy and build confidence in forming relationships with
multicultural people. Raising the level of multicultural awareness among teachers
is also important. Realizing and appreciating the need for multicultural education,
coupled with a clear understanding of the teacher's role and required attitude, will
enhance the perception of a multi-culture and help overcome prejudice, leading to
an increase in the level of multicultural education practice.
Further study is warranted on the development of multicultural education. First,
there is a need to clarify and reinforce the role of the school in multicultural
education. In an age where the term multicultural society has become familiar, we
are faced with problems that we thought only applied to people from different
cultures but in reality affect everyone. The need for solutions has become urgent for
the future of our society and our students. There is an increasing number of
multicultural students that cannot advance to the next stage. We must address
concerns on how school dropouts affect the individual, their surroundings, and
society. For students, the person with the most influence and impact is the teacher.
Students from multicultural families struggle to receive a good education, even at
home. Services that help students from multicultural families prepare for a
multicultural society are lacking or in short supply (K. Kim, 2008). Therefore, the
school must be a place that provides education for both parties and the role of a
teacher becomes more vital.
Second, teachers must provide courses that are sensitive to the cultural diversity
of students and strive to effectively execute these lessons. To equip teachers with a
better understanding of their roles, resources must be provided to further aid them

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in contributing to the development and proper practice of multicultural education.

In identifying factors that affect multicultural education competence, programs and
seminars can be customized and made available to teachers to enhance competence,
capability, and skills. This can be followed by studies on the efficacy of different
training programs and periods. By providing a course that is sensitive to students
from multicultural and non-multicultural families, nationwide issues in multicultural
education can addressed and slowly overcome. It will help build a multicultural
society in which everyone can better accept and understand each other, while
protecting Korean culture and producing the benefits that come from embracing
other cultures.
Third, the school system requires reform to create a multicultural education
program that includes everyone. Parents, community members, teachers, and
students must all be involved, with help from the government, teachers, and
scholars. Similar reform based, development projects which targeted a school with
multicultural students have been shown to enhance a teacher's teaching abilities and
strategies (Campbell, 2010). The role, needs, and characteristics of parents, the
community, teachers, and students at a local level need to be analyzed to implement
reform in multicultural education as all have impact and influence.
Fourth, the factors can be widely adjusted to consider location, language,
religion, and socio-economic factors. Therefore, these research instruments can be a
great tool to analyze multicultural education practices across Asia.
The existence of multiple cultures is defined as multi-culture, rather than
poly-culture, as the idea of multi-culture is not limited to different cultures existing
together but as the co-existence of cultures and their unity. With this idea in mind,
multicultural education should not only target the minority (multicultural families),
but also include the majority (non-multicultural families) for true co-existence. In
implementing a true multicultural education, enhancing and supporting a teacher's
multicultural education competence is necessary. Promoting a positive perception of
multicultural education to students is also crucial in the formation of individual,
national, and global identity.
Schools, where the future of our society is being educated, are not well
prepared to produce individuals who are suitable for a multicultural society. Further,
it is difficult for teachers to receive sufficient support to enhance their multicultural
competence to educate and positively impact students, families, communities, and
society at large. Our data show that a teacher with a higher multicultural sensitivity
and better awareness of multicultural education will have a higher
multicultural-education practice level. Multicultural programs that target teachers
can affect the level of sensitivity and awareness of multicultural education.
Therefore, teachers need training programs that enable them to carry out effective
teaching strategies that address students of all backgrounds and consider the
characteristics of teachers, students, and parents of each region. This study serves as
a starting point for future research that endeavors to develop support strategies and
multicultural training programs for teachers involved in teaching students from
multicultural and non-multicultural families.

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A d d re s s fo r c o rre s p o n d e n c e
JuSung Jun
Associate Professor
Department of Lifelong Education
Soongsil University
369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu
Seoul, 156-743, Korea
Email: jnet@ssu.ac.kr

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