Improving the awareness of cultural diversity through learning about Thai literature: a perspective from ethnic minority B.Ed. students in Thailand

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Wijitnawin, P, Gallellalage, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9958-1906, Kerdaroon, N and Thongeiam, B, 2021. Improving the awareness of cultural diversity through learning about Thai literature: a perspective from ethnic minority B.Ed. students in Thailand. In: Proceeding: Asian Scholars Network International Conference. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Asian Scholars Network, pp. 69-76. ISBN 9789672476245

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Abstract

Cultural diversity is generally studied in the context of teacher education. However, within the Thai literature classroom, the awareness of cultural diversity is rarely discussed in detail, especially among students from different cultures. The aim of this research is to explore ethic minority Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students' perspectives on the awareness of cultural diversity and the feeling of non-discrimination between the B.Ed. students who have different cultural backgrounds. This research involved 15 ethnic minority B.Ed. students at a Capital City University (pseudonym) in Bangkok, Thailand. The participants were volunteers who were invited to share their opinions within a focus group discussion. Research data were examined and interpreted by using an interpretative phenomenological analysis technique. The qualitative results showed that the boundaries of cultural diversity awareness were considered regarding the unclear terminology of cultural diversity and the inability to apply Thai literature's themes and ideas to their prior knowledge. Suggestions were given regarding offering further opportunities for ethnic minority students to read and discuss about their preferred Thai literature. The limitation of this research is that the participants did not represent the full range of ethnic minority groups in Thailand. Hence, research findings could be limited when applied to educational settings which have minorities who were not part of this study. Future studies could be considered regarding the relationship between cultural norms and diversity and could also investigate ethnic minority B.Ed. students' stereotypes and beliefs in learning about Thai literature.

Item Type:	Chapter in book
Description:	Paper presented at the International Virtual Conference on Education, Social Sciences and Technology 2021 (IVEST2021), Online, 31 July 2021.
Creators:	Wijitnawin, P., Gallellalage, R., Kerdaroon, N. and Thongeiam, B.
Publisher:	Asian Scholars Network
Place of Publication:	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date:	31 July 2021
ISBN:	9789672476245
Identifiers:	Number Type 1456324 Other
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	09 Apr 2025 14:50
Last Modified:	09 Apr 2025 14:50
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53391