A Critical Multicultural Education Learning Module for English Language Teacher Education Programs

Overview & Synopsis

As classrooms become increasingly diverse in terms of culture and language, many teacher education programs have started to incorporate critical multicultural education (CME). Within the framework of a qualitative research design, the aim of this study was to construct a concise learning module that introduces CME to pre-service English language teachers and encourages them to adopt a critical perspective in their teaching. Developing this module involved a meticulous four-stage process. In the initial two stages, the module was formulated through iterative brainstorming sessions, and in the latter stages, it was implemented with groups of English language teaching students. The overall findings indicate that the module provided various benefits including fostering positive attitudes towards diversity, promoting an understanding of social issues, and raising awareness about educational goals, the ideologies behind education, and the political position of teaching. It is evident that the implementation of CME in teacher education positively impacts pre-service teachers by instilling more favorable attitudes toward diversity. This study highlights the significant influence of CME courses on pre-service teachers.