Prospective Teachers’ Intercultural Sensitivity alongside the Contextual Factors as the Affective Domain to Realize Multicultural Education

Abstract

The multicultural education of Indonesia calls for prospective teachers (PTs) with sufficient intercultural sensitivity. Hence, this mixed-method intercollegiate study aimed to quantitatively measure the intercultural sensitivity of PTs at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang and IAIN Curup and to qualitatively investigate the contextual factors underlying their intercultural sensitivity. 1,800 PTs of both universities were involved as the quantitative participants, and 10% of them were purposively selected as the qualitative participants to join interviews and FGDs. The findings revealed that the PTs of both universities had high intercultural sensitivity. Their intercultural sensitivity was underpinned by six contextual factors, such as interests in other cultures, frequently joining activities of other cultures, living in a multicultural environment, experiences of interacting with people of different cultures, the senses of family and friendship, and learning experiences in the crosscultural understanding course. The PTs’ high intercultural sensitivity implies that they are ready to teach Indonesian multicultural students under the national multicultural curriculum of Indonesia, K-13. However, external empowerments are required to maintain their current state of intercultural sensitivity because intercultural sensitivity is an affective or attitudinal domain vulnerable to change. Research limitations, implications, and recommendations are provided at the end of the data discussion and conclusion sections.