The Evaluation of the Cultural Diversity Effect by Using Picture Books with a Preschool Teacher

Abstract

Cultural diversity is endorsed by many educators as a major teaching concept due to its significance for the achievement of social equity in education. Recently, the use of picture books to promote principles related to cultural diversity has become a rising trend in early childhood settings. This study examined Chinese preschool teachers’ attitudes toward using picture books to teach cultural-diversity-related topics and their reported practices. Seven preschool teachers from four institutions located in Shanghai, China were surveyed and semiinterviewed. The study identified three key findings: (1) teachers interpreted cultural diversity in a restricted way and were usually unaware of themselves teaching the concept of cultural diversity; (2) teachers adopted a multifaceted approach of selecting picture books used for teaching cultural diversity and conceived illustrations as the most important book selection criteria; and (3) teachers often supplemented picture book sharing with first-hand experiences. The study results have important implications for preschool teachers, curriculum designers, and organizations that provide training for preservice and in-service early childhood educators. The analysis results show that the proposed system has a great and positive impact on the early childhood education of students and is helpful for the teachers to teach cultural diversity-related topics to their students in an easy and effective way.

How Should Multicultural Education Be According to Preschool Teachers

“…Field trips, which allow children to make observations and raise awareness, support the acquisition of first-hand experience (Leback, 2007). In the qualitative findings of a study examining preschool teachers' attitudes and practices towards using picture books to teach cultural diversity (Zhang, 2022), it was reported that picture books alone are not enough to explain cultural diversity, and that they should be planned together with field trips that will enable children to gain first-hand experience. Learning through experience can help children learn about cultural diversity and help them lose prejudices by interacting with individuals from different cultures.…”