PREPARING TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS MULTICULTURALLY: A COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL APPROACH

The increasingly changing global realities, the new geo-political and sociopolitical conditions across the world have contributed to the evolving trends and practices in various educational systems. In particular, the multicultural movement and internationalization of the curriculum and instruction have been on the rise in many countries especially those directly affected by world events. Thus the roles of schools and educational institutions have shifted to embrace a more comprehensive approach to educating globally competent citizens. In addition, it is imperative that teachers and administrators become cultural brokers and social engineers who have the ability to lead and empower their students beyond the local context of their school systems. Accordingly, the global multicultural construct is seen as a conducive rationale to prepare teachers and administrators for the diverse democratic classrooms with a far-reaching goal of promoting peace and harmony across the globe. The paper outlines an alternative approach based on democratic principles and values in light of the growingly changing social forces that affect educational systems worldwide. It provides pedagogical implications for teachers, school administrators, and stakeholders to enhance their effective professional and educational roles in helping all learners to succeed in the international arena. The paper lists foundational guidelines that should underlie the structure of social studies curriculum planning, pedagogical practices, and assessment; and based on those guidelines, a second set of specific principles are proposed that can best govern the structure of social studies to ensure student success.