International teachers' understanding of culture for curriculum and teaching

One of the missions of multiculturalism education is to create a more pluralistic society. It is directly connected with political struggle and social change. This study examines the perceptions of international teachers about how they mediate and transmit an often-required Western curriculum to meet the needs of a diverse multinational population within their classrooms.;To do this, I interviewed twelve international educators, surveyed 100, and collected artifacts from twenty on issues of culture. The assumption here, is that given the varied context and the diversity of the international school community, beneficial insights would be uncovered and then, perhaps, contribute and enhance the multicultural education movement.;However, while these educators have diverse backgrounds, and while they are well traveled, few if any explicitly stated that their motivations for teaching in international schools is to promote multicultural awareness. Many of them are committed educators but few seem to be cognizant of their role of building bridges between cultures. Nor, do many seem determined to imbed their lessons in the local cultural context on strictly pedagogical grounds.;My findings suggest that professional development and community education must occur in order for teachers and the school community at large to make a shift in thinking about and understanding what enhanced multicultural schools should look like. Most importantly, this development process of understanding must connect multiculturalism to social and political issues both within the school community and within the host country.