Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tun Abdul Razak

Jalan Dato’ Mohd Musa, 94300, Kota Samarahan

Sarawak.

Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan

(PISMP)

Name : Doreen Ting Jia Chzin

Index Number : 2014312340019

IC Number : 950521-13-5760

Class/Group : PISMPBI 1614

Code/ Subject : EDU 3063 (Culture and Learning)

Lecturer’s Name : Mr. Adrian Luat

 Contents

No. Contents Page

1. 1.0 Concept of culture and multiculturalism
1.1 Concept of culture
1.2 Concept of muticulturalism
2. Questionnaire ( Interview of a teacher from
SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese, Sarikei)
3. Effects of multiculturalism in the teaching and
learning processes in the classroom
4. Programs and activities taken by SK
Methodist Anglo-Chinese to handle the
challenges of multiculturalism in the school.
5. References
6. Appendices
1.0 Concept of culture and
multiculturalism
1.1 Concept of culture

Culture is a fuzzy set of basic assumptions and values,

orientation to life, beliefs, policies, procedures and behavioural
conventions that are shared by a group of people and that
influence each member’s behaviour and his/her interpretations
of the meaning of other people’s behaviour.

(Spencer-Oatey, 2008 :3)

Faizah A. Majid (2008) cited Abdullah (1996) in saying that the culture of a
society is the “glue that holds its member together through a common language,
dressing, food, religion, beliefs, aspirations and challenges”. Hence, culture could
determine how the society makes a living, the social units in which they live and
work, and meanings they assign to their lives. Faizah A. Majid (2008) quoted
Quinn & Holland (1987) in pointing out that notion of culture can be defined as
“culture is acquired knowledge, including beliefs, concepts and standards,
organised by cognitive structures that people use to function properly in a cultural
context.

According to Spencer Oatey (2008), there are some key characteristics of

culture. First, culture affects behaviour and interpretations of behaviour. Spencer
Oatey (2008) quoted Hofstede (1991) in saying that although certain aspects of
culture are physically visible, their meaning is invisible: ‘their cultural meaning lies
precisely and only in the way these practices are interpreted by the insiders.
Similarly, choice of clothing can be interpreted differently by different groups of
people, in terms of indications of wealth, ostentation, and appropriateness.
Besides, culture can be differentiated from both universal human nature and
unique individual personality. Culture is learned, not inherited. It derives from
one’s social environment, not from one’s genes. Moreover, culture is associated
with social groups. Culture is shared by at least two or more people, and live
societies which have larger population of people.

Besides, another characteristic of culture is culture is both an individual

construct and a social construct. Culture exists in each and every one of us
individually as much as it exists as a global, social construct. Individual
differences in culture can be observed among people in the degree to which they
adopt and engage in the attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviours that, by
consensus, constitute their culture. If you act in accordance with those values or
behaviours, then that culture resides in you; if you do not share those values or
behaviours, then you do not share that culture. Besides, another key
characteristic of culture is culture is learned. Culture is learned from the people
you interact with as you are socialised. Watching how adults react and talk to
new babies is an excellent way to see the actual symbolic transmission of culture
among people. Culture is also taught by the explanations people receive for the
natural and human events around them.

Malaysia is a country which is culturally diverse. Malaysia comprises of

different ethnics such as Malays, Chinese, Indian and indigenous people. Faizah
A. Majid (2008) quoted Abdullah (1996) in identifying that Malaysia have five
cultural values. According to Faizah A. Majid (2008) research, although each
group retains its own identity, certain values appear to be common to all
Malaysian groups.

Malaysians are collectivistic, that their identity is not determined by

individual characteristics, instead by the group to which the person belongs. For
example, Faizah A. Majid (2008) quoted Abdullah (1996) in claiming that the
identity of a person who is Malay is determined by the Malay community. The
Malaysian society will normally not see him/her as an individual but instead will
generalize his/her identity to that which describes Malays as a whole. Likewise,
for someone who is a Chinese, his identity is determined by what the local
society knows about the Chinese community and for an Indian’s identity to be
determined by what is known about the Indian community.

Besides, Malaysians are relationship oriented. Their lives are all centred
on family, village, country and four social group ties. This entails the mutual and
reciprocal obligations they have for each other.
 So, culture is a complex whole thing which includes knowledge, belief, art,
morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society.
1.2 Concept of multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a system of beliefs and behaviours that

recognises and respects the presence of all diverse
groups in an organisation or a society, acknowledges and
values their socio-cultural differences and encourages and
enables their continued contribution within an inclusive
cultural context which empowers all within the
organisation or a society.

(Najeemah Mohd Yusof, 2011)

There are five key terms that can explain the concept of
multiculturalism: beliefs and behaviours, recognition and respects,
acknowledgement and values, encouragement and empowers. Multiculturalism
is a set of interrelated parts of beliefs and behaviours which make up the whole
of how humans experience today’s world. It includes what people believe about
others, their basic paradigms, and how this impact and are impacted by
behaviour.

Multiculturalism also entails acknowledging the validity of the cultural

expressions and contributions are of equal value and social worth, or that all
should be tolerated. Multiculturalism thus means valuing what people have to
offer, and not rejecting it simply because it differs from what the majority regard
as important and of value. Multiculturalism will also encourage and enable the
contribution of the various groups to society or an organisation. According to
Hall (2000), multiculturalism is used to describe “the social characteristics and
problems of governance posed by any society in which different cultural
communities live together and attempt to build a common life while retaining
something of their original identity.

According to Najeemah Mohd Yusof (2011), multiculturalism, as the art

of managing diversity, is an inclusive process where no one is left out. In an age
of cultural pluralism, multiculturalism is needed to manage diversity effectively.
Malaysian school classrooms are characterised by its diversity whereby
students (Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak and other ethnic groups) come from
various cultural backgrounds. Education system is the best tool for these various
ethnic groups will work together. Education is a deliberate attempt to construct
human beings who will participate in society as productive citizens.

A multicultural classroom must thrive on these differences and use

them as a foundation for growth and development in Malaysia classrooms.
Multicultural education incorporates the idea that all students regardless of their
gender and social class and their ethnic, racial or cultural characteristics should
have an equal opportunity to learn in school. The main aim of managing
multiculturalism in Malaysia is to maintain national integration in which all these
various cultural communities could live alongside each other while maintaining
their original identities. Aligned with the globalisation era in education, Malaysia
faces challenges in creating a new multi-chanelled learning environment where
pupils from different cultural backgrounds can connect and work with one
another across classrooms and community.

So, in conclusion, according to Sharifah Norsana Syed Abdullah

(2010), multicultural education in Malaysia will be successful if the education
system can provide opportunity for students of different ethnic groups to interact
with each other through the subject ‘Pendidikan Moral’ and ‘Pendidikan Sivik
dan Kewarganegaraan’. The education system should bring all ethnic groups
together will lead to cross-racial contact, lead to better understanding of other
races and promote greater social tolerance and interaction.
 2.0 Questionnaire
( Interview of a teacher
from SK Methodist Anglo-
Chinese, Sarikei)
Questionnaire on multiculturalism in Malaysia

1. Describe the ethnicity in your school? (Example : Chinese, Malay,

Iban…the most ethnic, the least ethnic)

Malay, Chinese, Iban, Melanau (I’m not sure which ethnic has the most
number of pupils)

2. Do your school celebrate different culture celebration of different ethnics ?

Instead of grand celebration, our school usually holds a special assembly

and the teachers of that ethnic will treat the other teachers to eat. We will
only have slightly grand celebration for Chinese New Year and Hari Raya
Aidilfitri which sometimes it will be held at night.

3. Have you ever felt that your pupils had been treated differently due to
his/her culture background? Example of the treatment. How do you treat
other pupils of different races?

No, so far I do not see this problem in my school.

4. How important do you think it is that your pupils learn about other cultures
in Malaysia?

I think it is very important for the pupils to learn the culture of other races
and ethnics so that they know how to respect the others from different
races and ethnics which leads to unity, peace and harmony in our country.

5. Are you aware of any activities taking place in school that make children
aware of other cultures? Can you explain what these activities are?

Activities such as RIMUP, special assemblies and celebration of festivals

in our school will raise the pupils’ awareness of the culture of other races
and ethnics.

6. Different schools have different culture. Can you see the differences of
culture between the previous that you had been taught before and the
recent school?

In terms of the pupils’ relationship, I think my recent school has a better

one as my recent school consists of pupils from more races and ethnics
which gives the pupils chances to mix around and communicate with each
other. In my previous school, I always noticed that the Chinese pupils will
be neglected and isolated as they are the least among all the pupils which
consists of a majority of Iban pupils.
7. Are the mixture of culture brings effect to your teaching and learning
process? What are the effects and how do you handle it? Give some
examples.

Yes, of course. As a teacher who teaches pupils from different cultural

background, I have to be very careful and aware of what I am going to say
when I am teaching so that I will not touch on any sensitive issues which
may offend the pupils from other races and ethnics. Besides, when I am
teaching, I need to consider all the pupils so that I will not neglect pupils
from any race or ethnic.

8. What is your school policy to handle the issue of mixture of culture in

school?

All the pupils must be treated same way regardless of their races and
ethnics.

9. Describe the on-going programs carried out by the school to handle the
pupils of different cultural background.

RIMUP, awareness campaign, talks

10. Do you think that the pupils at Malaysia respect and appreciate other
cultures? Give some examples how the pupils respect other pupils from
different cultural background based on your experience.

Yes. The Chinese and Iban pupils will use their right hand when they
shake hand with Malay friends. There are a number of Chinese girls wear
baju kurung as their uniform to the school instead of wearing pinafore.
When there is a prayer before a ceremony, the pupils will remain silent.

11. How much do you feel that your pupils know about the practices and
values of different cultures in Malaysia?

They learn through friends’ sharing and from Pendidikan Moral, so most of
the pupils they know about the practices and values of different culture in
Malaysia.

12. Are you aware of any tensions or problems between children at Malaysia
due to cultural backgrounds. Give some examples based on your
experience.

So far I do not encounter this problem.

13. Do you have any ideas that you think would help the school enrich the
children’s cultural awareness?

As a teacher, I think an educator plays an important role in enriching the

children’s cultural awareness. Teachers need to instill the right thinking
and values among the pupils so that they are always aware of cultural
differences in this multiracial country to ensure all of us can live peacefully.

14. What are the methods of provision to special needs children? (Example :
Inclusion, mainstreaming, segregation , exclusion)

Segregation. This group of children needs extra care and attention.

Segregation does not mean to isolate them from the crowd, but to let them
to have a chance to learn how to take care of themselves and learn
something under extra care and love.
 3.0 Effects of
multiculturalism in the
teaching and learning
processes in the
classroom
3.0 Effects of multiculturalism in the teaching and learning processes in the
classroom

(a) Curriculum orientation –pedagogy and resources

Multicultural education is not to be taught as a ‘stand-alone’ subject but

teacher plays an important role to infuse it throughout the curriculum. According to
Robinson & Jone Diaz (2006), good primary school pedagogy reflects and empowers
the diverse cultural backgrounds of the children and families with whom they work.
According to Anna Christina Abdullah (2009), in terms of pedagogy and resources,
pupils in the classroom are seated or carry out their activities in mixed groupings in
terms of different ethnics and culture. Based on my interview with a teacher, Mr. Wee
from SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese, Sarikei, he did arrange their pupils’ seating
arrangements in mixed ethnics and culture and also mixed ability in order the pupils
can share their cultures among themselves and high-proficiency pupils can help low-
proficiency pupils. Teachers also should choose posters, books, CDs, images, songs
and other resources used in either in the classroom or outside the classroom
represent realistic linguistic, cultural, and social practices of the pupils. The challenge
that are related to the provision above that the teacher faced include the choice of
children’s books. Teacher who want to share other cultures may unintentionally
choose books that are racialist in content. So, Anna Christina Abdullah (2009) cited
Council on Interracial Books for Children published Guidelines for Selecting Bias-
Free Textbooks and Storybooks (1980) in saying that when teachers choose a story
book for the teaching purposes, there are nine guidelines to be considered. The
guidelines are : (i) checking illustrations for stereotypes, (ii) checking the story line
(do not touch the sensitivity of any ethnic groups in the class or political issues), (iii)
looking at the lifestyles, (iv) weighing relationships between people (suitable to the
primary school pupils), (v) noting the heroes, (vi) considering the effect on a child’s
self-image, (vii) considering the author’s or illustrator background, (viii) examining the
author’s perspective, and (v) watching for loaded words. Based on my interview with
Mr. Wee, he agrees with me that mixture of culture brings effects to the teaching and
learning process. He tells me that as a teacher who teaches pupils from different
cultural background, he has to be very careful and aware of what he is going to say
when he is teaching so that he will not touch on any sensitive issues which may
offend the pupils from other races and ethnics. Besides, when he carried out teaching
and learning process, he needs to consider all the pupils so that he will not neglect
pupils from any race or ethnic. For example, he will not tell the animal story that
related to pigs that may touch sensitivity of Malay ethnic. So, suitability of materials
and resources for the pedagogical purposes will affect the effectiveness of teaching
and learning process in the classroom.

(b) Teachers’ awareness towards multiculturalism

Multicultural education is not only reflecting the diversity of society, also to

raise awareness towards inequality, discrimination, stereotypes caused by
differences. Teachers’ attitudes have direct implications and may determine the
success or failure of multicultural education in schools. As multicultural agents,
teachers help pupils of diverse cultural backgrounds negotiate between home, school
and community. Based on the research done by Mohamed Najib Abdul Ghaffar, he
concluded that most teachers still not really implemented multicultural aspects during
instructions and classroom assessment. Many teachers do not know or understand
what multicultural education is, and they do not know how to use effective practices,
teachers are not providing the best education opportunities that they can for their
pupils regardless of the pupils’ backgrounds and learning needs and the curricular
content area. So, teachers need to learn how to infuse culturally responsible and
responsive pedagogy across the curriculum and throughout the school environment
to assure equitable learning opportunities for all pupils. Based on my interview with
Mr. Wee, he thinks it is very important for the pupils to learn the culture of other races
and ethnics so that they know how to respect the others from different races and
ethnics which leads to unity, peace and harmony in our country. For example, in his
school, there are a number of Chinese girls wear baju kurung as their uniform to the
school instead of wearing pinafore. When there is a prayer before a ceremony, all the
pupils will remain silent and pray. Malaysian pupils can learn different ethnics’ culture
through friends’ sharing and from two subjects, ‘Pendidikan Moral’ and ‘Pendidikan
Sivik dan Kewarganegaraan’, so most of the pupils they know about the practices
and values of different culture in Malaysia. As we all know, in this 21st century of
teaching and learning, education should be more fully student-centered and inclusive
of the voices and experiences of the pupils. From the interview, in terms of the pupils’
relationship, Mr. Wee thinks that his recent school has a better one as his recent
school consists of pupils from more races and ethnics which gives the pupils chances
to mix around and communicate with each other. In his previous school at Song, he
always noticed that the Chinese pupils will be neglected and isolated as they are the
least among all the pupils which consists of a majority of Iban pupils. Moreover, the
composition of teachers at SK Cardinal Vaughan are mostly Malays and Iban and
only a few of the teachers are Chinese So, teachers should have multicultural
awareness. Teachers’ multicultural awareness is the ability to teach pupils with
various cultural backgrounds. Teachers should have complex cultural, social and
emotional awareness, sensitivity, knowledge in various fields and skills and feel the
responsibility to address multicultural issues in the teaching and learning process.

(c) Learners’ acceptance towards multicultural education

Learners have to accept that our country, Malaysia is a multi-racial country
that the learners are from three different ethnic groups namely Malay, Chinese, and
Indian. In SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese, most of the pupils are come from different
cultural backgrounds, for example, Chinese, Malays, and Iban. There are two
streams of schooling in this school which are Malay stream and Chinese stream. So,
in this school, they do not encounter the problem of racist as all their pupils from
different ethnics work together in a group and respect each other race and culture.
This can brings the harmony in the classroom environment as there are no racism
happened in this school. For example, in the interview, Mr. Wee stated that his pupils
come from different cultural backgrounds can work as a team when representing the
school to participate in competition like Choral Speaking competition, basketball
competition and action song competition. In this school, when they celebrate any
ethnic festival like ‘Chinese New Year’, ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ and ‘Hari Gawai’, they will
wear traditional costumes like Cheongsam, ‘samfu, ‘baju kurung’, ‘baju Melayu’ and
‘ngepan’ to perform their traditional dance during the assembly. This means that they
do not segregate each other. They work together in unity, peace and harmony. In this
school, learners accept multicultural education, so this means that this school is a
successful school.
4.0 Programs and activities
taken by SK Methodist
Anglo-Chinese to handle
the challenges of
multiculturalism in the
school.
Programs and activities

Based on my interview with Mr. Wee, the activities and programs that held
by SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese to handle the multiculturalism in school are
RIMUP(Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan), celebration of several
festivals like Chinese New Year, ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’, and ‘Hari Gawai’,
‘Perkhemahan Unit Beruniform’, ‘Aktiviti Gotong-royong’, ‘Program Masak-
memasak’, ‘Sambutan Hari Kemerdekaan’, ‘Sesi Permuafakatan dengan ibu
bapa’, and religious class like ‘Kelas Moral di Gereja’ and ‘Kelas Agama’.

Based on my interview with Mr. Wee, as a teacher, he thinks an educator

plays an important role in enriching the pupil’s cultural awareness. To enrich the
pupils’ cultural awareness in SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese, the school held a
program named RIMUP program. Teachers need to instil the right thinking and
values among the pupils so that they are always aware of cultural differences in
this multi-racial country to ensure all of us can live peacefully. RIMUP
(Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan) is a program that encourages
more interaction among students from different school types, ethnicities, and
religious beliefs. Its implementation was first institutionalised in the Education
Development Master Plan 2006-2010 under the Nation Building Thrust. Through
the Malaysia Education Blueprint, the aspirations and implementation of RIMUP
have been revitalised and improved by focusing on three aspects: culture and
arts; sports and games; and patriotism and national identity. It is an on-going
program that held by SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese to ensure that the pupils
aware of cultural differences in this country, Malaysia. Unity is best inculcated
since young, especially when children are not prejudiced towards any race or
religion. So, according to Daily Express (2014, October 20), the former Prime
Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pointing out that unity should be an
important goal in the nation's school system so that the country continues to be
stable, peaceful and enjoy the fruits of past generations. It is for this reason that
the government's RIMUP program was set up in order to focus on unity among
all ethnicity in the country, he said. According to Sarban Singh ( 2015,October
1st ) in ‘The Star Online’, Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said, "Strengthening
unity among the various races must be made priority. We cannot be only
focusing on doing well economically or academically.” In SK Methodist Anglo-
Chinese, the activities that the school held during RIMUP programme are playing
traditional game like ‘Ketingting’, cook traditional food and ‘Traditional Costume
Catwalk’ So, teachers need to instil the right thinking and values among the
pupils so that they are always aware of cultural differences in this multiracial
country to ensure all of us can live peacefully.

Besides, this school also celebrate different cultural festivals like Chinese
New Year, ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ and ‘Hari Gawai’. During the celebrations, the
pupils will perform their traditional dance like ‘Tarian Kipas’ during Chinese New
Year, ‘Ngajat’ dance during celebration of ‘Hari Gawai’ and ‘Joget dance’ during
celebration ‘Hari Raya Puasa’. During the celebration of Chinese New Year, the
school will distribute Mandarin oranges to all the pupils. During the celebration,
they will greet their friends from other ethnic groups like ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’ for the
Chinese pupils, ‘Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai’ for the Dayak pupils and ‘Selamat
Hari Raya Puasa’ for the Malay pupils. This will help to strengthen the bond
between the pupils and help them to be aware that Malaysian of different ethnic
groups celebrate different cultural festivals.

In this school, one of the activity held to handle the challenges of the
multiculturalism in SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese is ‘gotong-royong’. This is an on-
going program that held by the school to ensure the cleanliness of the school
compound. Through this activity, pupils of different races learn to cooperate with
each other and help each other in order to make sure this activity carried out
successfully. To beautify the school compound, headmistress also ask the
creative students to draw murals at the wall of school building. Beautifying school
compound is an important way to produce a conducive study environment. Pupils
would like to study in a school which is beautiful and gorgeous rather than study
in a school which is full of weeds.
 Based on the interview, Mr. Wee stated that his school also organised
‘Program Masak-Memasak’ where the teachers will teach their pupils to cook
different types of traditional food from different culture. This program is an on-
going program that held in the afternoon. For example, teachers will show how to
prepare the dough and make kuih-muih. The pupils will help the teachers to
make it. Examples of traditional kuih-muih are ‘Ang Koo Kueh’, ‘cucur sayur’, and
‘putu piring’. This will help the pupils aware of different traditional food from
different culture and most importantly they can cooperate with each other to
make sure the food is cooked successfully.

Besides, the activities carried out by the school to handle the challenges
of multiculturalism in SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese are co-curricular activities
especially outdoor activities. For example, basketball competition involves
different types of ethnics of pupils. Not only Chinese pupils can participate the
basketball competition, but Dayak and Malays also participate in the competition.
Although the pupils come from different cultural backgrounds, they are willing to
work as a team to represent the school for the competition. There are also other
competitions that involves group of pupils of different races. There are ‘Choral
Speaking competition’, ‘Action Song competition’ and ‘Choir competition’. The
school also had organised ‘Perkhemahan Unit Beruniform’. Some activities that
had carried out during the camp are marching, building the tent, cooking, group
discussion and motivational talk.This can indirectly help the pupils to respect
each other, cooperate among themselves and learnt from each other as they are
from different cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, Mr. Wee also stated that this school celebrate National Day
every year. The school compound will be surrounded by Malaysia’s flags and
Sarawak’s flags. During the assembly of celebration of National Day, the pupils
will perform singing the patriotic songs like ‘Keranamu Malaysia’ and ‘Jalur
Gemilang’ on the stage with their traditional costumes. During that week, the
school will held different competitions like drawing poster competition and also
writing essay competition based on the theme patriotism. This activities indirectly
can instil patriotism in the pupil’s heart and mind.

Other than that, the school also give motivational talk to the pupils like
‘Motivational talk for Year 6 pupils’ in order to give them motivation to learn. This
school also have religious class for the pupils from different religions like
Christians and Islam. The religious classes are ‘Kelas Moral di Gereja’ and ‘Kelas
Agama’. This helps pupils to have deeper understanding of their own religion and
at the same time respect other people’s religion.

In addition, cooperative learning situations can be provided by the

teachers during teaching and learning process so that the pupils share common
problems, goals, tasks, and success with individuals from groups other than their
own. This can in form of . Children will benefit from such inter-group relations and
develop a host of interpersonal competencies including respect, empathy, and
perspective-taking.

Teacher also should infuse 1 Malaysia Concept in his/her teaching and

learning process in the multicultural classroom. Mostly, the subjects that the
teacher can infuse 1 Malaysia concept through are ‘Pendidikan Moral’ and
Pendidikan Sivik dan Kewarganegaraan’. But sadly to hear that most of the
‘Pendidikan Sivik dan Kewarganegaraan class are being replaced by the main
subject class like ‘Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Inggeris, Mathematics and Science
class. In order to inculcate the sense of belongings, as well as the spirit and
values of togetherness regardless of race and religion, Malaysian Prime Minister
Dato Seri Najib Razak had launched the “1 Malaysia Concept “ on 16 September
2008. During the launching of 1 Malaysia concept in 2008, the Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib Razak said,

Under the concept 1Malaysia, being tolerant is just the beginning;

the next paradigm is to move from tolerance to total acceptance. In
other words, when we accept the differences in our society we
 accept diversity as something unique, something that provides us
with a very colourful tapestry in our society, something that actually
can give us strength and not otherwise.”

(Dato Seri Najib Razak, 2008)

“1 Malaysia Concept” is a guiding principle to build a united and

progressive nation. So, teachers should infused this concept in their teaching in
order to create a classroom environment which leads to peace, unity and
harmony. Moreover, we can also instil the patriotism in the pupils’ minds and
heart. The teachers can encourage the pupils to feel free to share their culture
among themselves and all the pupils have to accept other pupils’ culture as they
are. Teachers also should allow children to “naturally” explore their differences
and similarities among themselves.

Teachers should implement equity pedagogy in their teaching and

learning in the classroom. Equity pedagogies are pedagogical innovations
specifically designed to address issues of educational equity. One focus of equity
pedagogies is to develop and use teaching techniques and methods that can
address different learning styles and to develop pedagogical approaches that
facilitate the educational achievements of lower performing students. In SK
Methodist Anglo-Chinese, the school tend to segregate the special needs pupils
from the ‘Perdana Class’ pupils as this group of pupils need extra care and
attention. Segregation does not mean to isolate them from the crowd, but to let
them to have a chance to learn how to take care of themselves and something
under extra care and love. However, equity pedagogy go beyond this to articulate
a model of learning and teaching in which pupils are expected to actively
participate in the creation of knowledge, and in which education is seen as a
means to help students re-envision their worlds and opportunities and to think
about the role that they will play in larger issues of democracy and social change.
So, based on my interview with Mr Ron, as a teacher, he thinks an educator
plays an important role in treating all the pupils fairly. Teachers should not bias or
prejudice to any ethnic group of pupils. For example, the teacher is come from
Chinese cultural background, so she/he treat the Chinese pupils better than other
ethnic groups of pupils. So, implementation of equity pedagogy by the teachers
plays an important role to handle the challenges of multiculturalism in school.

Conclusions

Creating multicultural classrooms is a growing priority for all teachers and

administrators. This includes restructuring the curriculum and classroom
evaluation, but, more importantly, it includes embracing difference and opening
up the classroom for communication. Our world is multicultural, and children
need to experience the diversity outside their immediate environment. If the
children are to know about minority groups, they must be taught about them in
the same way that are taught about majority groups. Otherwise, children can
grom to adulthood unaware of the experiences of other cultural groups. This is a
colourful world let us, the future teachers, make sure that we paint our
classrooms with these colours every single day.
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