Teacher candidates' preparedness for teaching in multicultural classrooms in the Viennese context


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2013

Öğrenci: ŞEYDA SUBAŞI

Danışman: HANİFE AKAR

Özet:

The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher education programs in Vienna prepare teacher candidates for teaching in culturally diverse classrooms based on teacher candidates’ self-reports. The study was designed as a mixed method design and data were collected via a questionnaire including both close-ended and open-ended items. The participants of the study included 468 teacher candidates studying in four different teacher education institutions in Vienna.The findings suggested that the overall preparedness level of teacher candidates for teaching in multicultural classrooms was fair. The study also revealed that teacher candidates differed from each other on their knowledge level about cultural diversity in Austria and their professional development level based on migration background, taking classes on multicultural agenda and type of teacher education institution. Teacher candidates considered their personal traits and their attitude toward multiculturalism as their strengths while they felt the need of more cross-cultural knowledge, more classes and more practice for teaching in multicultural classrooms. The study also revealed that teacher candidates expected mainly language problems in their future teaching career in culturally diverse classrooms. Teacher candidates suggested teacher education programs to offer more knowledge on other cultures, opportunities of practice in culturally diverse classrooms and more classes on multicultural education. In conclusion, the findings of this study can yield to find out the points that should be addressed by teacher education programs in Vienna and can help the process of teacher education curriculum studies for training teachers for culturally diverse classrooms in other countries.