Analysis of longitudinal relationship among elementary and middle school students’ multicultural acceptance, self-concept, and community consciousness using the latent growth model

Abstract

As the proportion of multicultural family increases in Korea, there has been an acceleration in the emergence of a multicultural and multiracial society, resulting in more students with different cultural backgrounds in schools. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve harmony and integration among people from various cultures and backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to identify how multicultural acceptability affects self-concept and community consciousness by using longitudinal data collected for elementary and middle school students using a latent growth model, and to confirm the relationship between these variables. As a result of the study, first, it was confirmed that the multicultural acceptance of elementary and middle school students influences the development of self-concept and community consciousness. Second, a positive correlation was found between the three variables of multicultural acceptance, self-concept, and community consciousness. This study has implications for establishing educational measures relating to multicultural acceptance, self-concept, and community consciousness for adolescents, who are at the stage where perceptions and attitudes toward diverse races and different cultures are cultivated. © 2021 Published by KURA Education & Publishing.