Teacher Educators' Perspectives on Multicultural Teacher Education in the BSEd Social Studies Program of Western Mindanao State University

Abstract

This study looks into the perspectives on multicultural education of teacher educators in the Bachelor in Secondary Education (BSEd) major in Social Studies program of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU). The research questions are 1) What are the teacher educators’ perspectives (i.e., knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes) on multicultural education? and 2) What factors account for the teacher educators’ perspectives on multicultural education? Using a qualitative methodology consisting of a survey of 13 teacher educators handling the professional education courses in the BSEd Social Studies program, interviews of nine of these teacher educators, and an analysis of the program prospectus and course syllabi, the study finds that the teacher educators as a whole have a positive conception of and attitudes towards multicultural education. There is also a consensus among the teacher educators regarding the relevance of multicultural education in the Philippine context and the need to integrate it in pre-service teacher education. However, the teacher educators’ practice of multicultural education appears to be limited due to lack of formal training in multicultural education at the pre-service and in-service level, and lack of other forms of support for faculty, such as relevant teaching resources and adequate time to plan course delivery. At present, the teacher educators’ practice of multicultural education in their teaching is anchored only on a positive attitude and prior knowledge obtained through personal experiences. But as a group, they are confronted with constraints to implementing multicultural education that require a more holistic and systematic response at the program and institutional level. The study’s findings imply the need for WSMU’s BSEd Social Studies program to have a well-articulated vision for preparing pre-service teachers for teaching in multicultural contexts, which should then be reflected in a systematic infusion of multicultural education in the BSEd Social Studies curriculum. This requires the inclusion of courses specifically on multicultural education and the integration of topics related to multicultural education in the other courses, and the adaptation of appropriate pedagogies for developing the skills and dispositions needed for teaching culturally diverse learners and according to multicultural education principles. The study’s findings also indicate that a comprehensive professional development program in multicultural education is needed for both the faculty and administrators of WMSU’s BSEd Social Studies program. This would include a formal orientation to multicultural education theory and practice, training in multicultural education pedagogies and course design, and avenues for critical reflection on and collaboration in multicultural teacher education.