The multicultural personality and ethnocentrism tendencies of pre-service teachers in Türkiye

Abstract

With the increase in migration patterns, an increased number of ethnic groups are coming into contact with each other, which raises the question of cultural cohesion and discrimination. In this context, the study aims to reveal the multicultural personality and ethnocentrism tendencies of pre-service teachers in Türkiye. The study using basic qualitative methodology which was analyzed in the basic qualitative design from qualitative methods, was completed with the participation of 69 pre-service teachers. The data collected through structured interview questions were presented under 4 themes with a holistic framework. These are: a) curiosity about different cultures, b) feelings towards different societies, c) difficulties of cultural adaptation and d) self-culture in our personal stories. The results showed that pre-service teachers had an open-minded and flexible approach towards different countries and cultures. However, more restrictive interpretations were encountered in terms of living in a different geography. The students who highlighted the commitment to their traditions and made negative statements on ethnocentrism, on the other hand, openly criticized treatment of women in their own cultures.