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Abstract
This study aims to identify the challenges and approaches to improve a multicultural competency among teachers in multi-ethnic schools environment based on school leaders’ perspective. Data collection method used in this study is qualitative method. A total of nine school leaders from the states of Kedah, Penang, and Perak were included in the interview session. The results of this study show that the challenges faced by teachers in practicing the multicultural competency are lack of experience toward cultural diversity. A late exposure to cultural diversity makes it difficult for teachers to accept and adapt in a multi-ethnic school environment. The approaches suggested by school leaders to improve the multicultural competency are as follows: (1) Courses on cultural diversity should be organized to enhance the knowledge about cultural diversity; (2) the development of more open and better policy for education system in Malaysia in order to prepare teachers with a higher multicultural competency for teaching students from diverse ethnic and cultural groups; (3) an early exposure to cultural diversity in order to increase the multicultural competency, especially during teaching practicum.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Majzub, Hashim, and Johannes, “Cultural Awareness.”
2. Hamdan, Ghafar, and Che Ghani, “Fostering Inter Group Contacts.”
3. Ibid.
4. See note 1 above.
5. Leighton, “Teacher’s Perception of Their Cultural Competencies.”
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Mustapha et al., “Social Integration among Multiethnic Students.”
9. Ibid.
10. Malaysian Government Transformation Programme.
11. Mustapha et al., “Social Integration among Multiethnic Students.”
12. Ibid.
13. Goldsmith, “Schools’ Role in Shaping Race Relations.”
14. Banks, An Introduction to Multicultural Education.
15. Karatzia-Stavlioti, Spinthourakis, and Zografos, “Evaluation of Intercultural Dimension.”
16. Malaysia Educational Blueprint, 2013–2025, Exhibit 3–29.
17. Gur, “Cultural Competence.”
18. Pratt-Johnson, “Communicating Cross-Culturally.”
19. Yang and Montgomery, “Behind Cultural Competence.”
20. Deardorff, “Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence.”
21. NCATE, “Professional Standards Accreditation”; Sue et al., Multicultural Counseling Competencies; and Yang and Montgomery, “Factor Analyses.”
22. Yang and Montgomery, “Factor Analyses.”
23. Cochran-Smith, Walking the Road; and NCATE, “Professional Standards Accreditation.”
24. See note 6 above.
25. Sue et al., Multicultural Counseling Competencies.
26. Ibid.
27. Pope-Davis et al., Handbook of Multicultural Competencies.
28. See note 25 above.
29. See note 14 above.
30. Perry and Southwell, “Developing Intercultural Understanding”; Bennett, “On Becoming a Global Soul”; and Deardorff, “Assessing Intercultural Competence.”
31. Perry and Southwell, “Developing Intercultural Understanding.”
32. Diller and Moule, Cultural Competence.
33. Awang-Shuib, “Multicultural Awareness.”
34. Bandura, “Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change.”
35. Gudykunst and Nishida, “Effectiveness of Communication.”
36. See note 33 above.
37. Ibid.
38. See note 22 above.
39. Hill, “Development of Intercultural Understanding.”
40. Ibid; Deardorff, “Assessing Intercultural Competence.”
41. Cook-Sather, “Authorizing Students’ Perspectives.”
42. Solono-Flores and Nelson-Barber, “Cultural Validity of Assessment.”
43. le Roux, “Effective Educators.”
44. See note 17 above.
45. Gur, “Cultural Competence”; and Suttichujit, “Becoming Culturally Competent.”
46. Lopez, Magdaleno, and Reis, “Developing Leadership for Equity.”
47. Suttichujit, “Becoming Culturally Competent.”
48. Ibid.
49. See note 1 above.
50. Brown, “Preservice Teachers.”
51. See note 1 above.
52. See note 47 above.
53. Spinthourakis, Karatzia-Stavlioti, and Roussakis, “Pre-Service Teacher Intercultural.”
54. Chen and Starosta, Foundations of Intercultural Communication.
55. Hains, Lynch, and Winton, “Moving towards Cross-Cultural Competence.”
56. Creswell and Clark, Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research.
57. Marican, Kaedah Penyelidikan Sains Sosial.
58. Bernard, Social Research Methods.
59. McMillan and Schumacher, Research in Education.
60. See note 53 above.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Yasmin Ahmad
Yasmin Ahmad, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer of Sociology Education at the School of Human Development and Technocommunication (iKOM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia. Her research interest includes cultural competency, ethnic boundary and multicultural issues in educational contexts.
Author’s postal address: School of Human Development and Technocommunication (iKOM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Jejawi, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia.
Najeemah Mohd Yusof
Najeemah Mohd Yusof, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Sociology Education at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Her research interest includes social interaction and multicultural issues in educational contexts.
Author’s postal address: School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.