| Summary: | The research was undertaken to analyse and evaluate the nature and quality of
interactions in multicultural primary school classrooms. Special attention was
focused on the influence 25 independent variables had on the dependent
variable, namely group membership.
Literature indicates that warm and nurturant relationships within the family help
the child to achieve independence and promote social adjustment outside the
home. Literature also reveals that self-acceptance and acceptance of others are
dependent on the self-concept, and that acceptability in peer groups is enhanced
by characteristics such as friendliness, cooperation, emotional stability and
intellectual ability. It is essential to mention that some researchers claim that
within multicultural classrooms, pupils often interact in racially and culturally segregated patterns. Others maintain that no racial and cultural discrimination
is evident in the choice of friends in multicultural classrooms.
The empirical research was undertal<.en by administering four measuring
instruments, namely own designed questionnaire, the sociogram, the self-concept
scale for primary school pupils and the children's personality questionnaire to
121 standard five pupils in multicultural primary schools. The administering of
these instruments was aimed at determining the influence of the independent
variables on the dependent variable. The stepwise discriminant analysis method
revealed that of the 25 independent variables, only six, namely family
background, friendship skills, gender, scholastic achievement and personality
factors E (submissive versus dominant) and Q3 (undisciplined versus controlled)
contributed to the variance in group membership.
The multiple discriminant function was used to determine how close the
individual scores of children were, in a given friendship group. The general
pattern obtained, indicated that children choose each other on the basis of
similar characteristics. A point that clearly came to light, is that race and
language/culture do not contribute to the variance in group membership.
Children formed various friendship groups across racial and cultural lines.
In view of the aforementioned findings, the researcher made recommendations
on ways in which parents and teachers can create suitable teaching and learning
environments for children from diverse cultural milieus. === Psychology of Education === D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)
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