Mapping the Path from Multicultural Competence to Democratic Attitudes: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Author : F Slen AHN KIRALP

Abstract :The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prospective teachers’ multicultural competence levels on their attitudes towards democracy and multicultural education through structural equation modelling (SEM). Accordingly, SEM based on a correlational survey design was employed. The sample consisted of 352 prospective teachers studying in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected using two scales measuring multicultural competence and attitudes towards democracy. Multicultural competence comprised three dimensions (awareness, knowledge, and skills), while attitudes consisted of five dimensions (democracy, equality, pluralism, sensitivity, and participation). The analysis process was conducted in three stages. First, descriptive statistics and the internal consistency coefficients of the scales were evaluated. In the second stage, SEM was applied. Two latent variables were included in the model: the first, Multicultural Competence, represented by three observed variables (awareness, knowledge, and skills); and the second, Attitudes, represented by five observed variables (democracy, equality, pluralism, sensitivity, and participation). Path coefficients (standardized regression weights, β) and correlations within the model were analyzed. In the third stage, the overall fit indices of the model were examined. The adequacy of the model was evaluated based on widely accepted goodness-of f it criteria. In light of the findings, several recommendations have been presented.

Keywords :Multiculturalism, Multicultural Competence, Multicultural Education, Democracy, Prospective Teacher.

Conference Name :INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PSYCHOLOGY, LANGUAGE AND TEACHING (ICPLT-25)

Conference Place Edinburgh, UK

Conference Date 1st Oct 2025