The Effect of Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs About the Necessity of Multicultural Education and Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Multicultural Education: A Path Model

Abstract

This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between prospective teachers’ beliefs about the need for multicultural education and their self-efficacy perceptions about multicultural education. Descriptive and correlational survey models were used in the research. The research sample composed of 251 prospective classroom and social sciences teachers at a state university in Turkey participated in the study. The research sample was obtained using the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools consisting of the Personal Information Form, Self-Efficacy Perceptions for Multicultural Education and Beliefs about the Necessity of Multicultural Education scales were used. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multivariate variance analysis and path model were used to analyse the research data. The findings show that prospective teachers have a high level of participation in their beliefs about the self-efficacy and necessity of multicultural education. In addition, there was no significant difference between prospective teachers’ beliefs about the need for multicultural education and their self-efficacy perceptions of multicultural education in terms of gender and department. A moderate positive relationship was found between prospective teachers' beliefs regarding the necessity of multicultural education and their self-efficacy perceptions toward multicultural education. The prospective teachers’ beliefs about the need for multicultural education significantly predicted multicultural education self-efficacy perceptions.