TOWARDS A MULTICULTURALLY COMPETENT TEACHER IN BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

The primary goal of this study is to focus on teachers' perception of their own multicultural competence. This study examines the perception of teachers of themselves in their competency of multicultural knowledge, awareness and practice. The study reflects the teachers' level of multicultural competence as a desired ideal and its correlation with the existing level of teachers' competency. The study puts forward a research question: To what extent do teachers' perceive themselves to be multiculturally competent. Do teachers perceive multicultural competence as significant in fostering the ideals of a sustainable society? For this purpose the survey was designed to measure the characteristics of a multiculturally competent teacher by using a 5 point scale. This article sets forth a variety of questions to re-direct process of revision and refinement of multicultural training in Latvia. Learning sensitivity towards other groups requires time and energy. This takes time to learn to observe, empathize, and appreciate other people's ways of doing things in order to become culturally competent. Multicultural people have a broader, richer and more accurate worldview.