Date of Graduation
Summer 2017
Degree
Master of Science in Early Childhood and Family Development
Department
Early Childhood and Family Development
Committee Chair
Joan Test
Abstract
The changing composition of early childhood classrooms challenges teachers to be more responsive to the diverse needs of all children. This study explores the challenges and successes early childhood teachers experience with facing diversity in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ perceptions, beliefs, and teaching practices concerning anti-bias education in Seoul, South Korea. There were two groups of in-service kindergarten teachers, four teachers in each group, who participated in one-on-one interviews with structured and open-ended questions. The teachers in one group had more experience with teaching in diverse classroom settings than the teachers in the other group. The results of the study show that teachers’ perceptions and beliefs concerning anti-bias education were influenced by their teaching experiences and their anti-bias teacher education experiences. Teachers from both groups used similar teaching practices of anti-bias curriculum and the challenges they faced mostly came from lack of knowledge, support systems, and time. These findings suggest that policy makers should consider providing effective support systems for teachers, such as translation services, and more resources should be developed to provide effective teacher education programs for teachers who teach in culturally diverse classroom settings and culturally dominant classroom settings.
Keywords
early childhood education, anti-bias education, diversity in classrooms, teachers’ perceptions, teachers’ beliefs, teaching practices, interview study, teacher education, Korea
Subject Categories
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Early Childhood Education | Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education
Copyright
© Yerim Hong
Recommended Citation
Hong, Yerim, "Facing Diversity In Early Childhood Education: Teachers’ Perceptions, Beliefs, And Teaching Practices Of Anti-Bias Education In Korea" (2017). MSU Graduate Theses. 3188.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3188
Open Access
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons
