Multicultural education has become increasingly important in Taiwanese preschools, which reflect the country’s growing multiethnic population, particularly those from Southeast Asia. Preschool teachers play a pivotal role in fostering equity through culturally responsive teaching. However, their practices are strongly influenced by their ethnic attitudes and are often constrained by implicit biases and inadequate professional preparation. This study examined the relationship between preschool teachers’ ethnic attitudes and culturally responsive teaching, paying particular attention to the mediating roles of social inclusion and interethnic interaction. Data were collected from 410 Taiwanese preschool teachers using a validated survey instrument and analysed via partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results revealed that positive ethnic attitudes significantly predict the adoption of culturally responsive teaching, and that social inclusion and interethnic interaction fully mediate this relationship. These findings highlight the importance of aligning teachers’ beliefs with classroom practices. They extend intergroup contact theory to early childhood education and provide empirical evidence for mechanisms that foster equity in multicultural classrooms. The results underscore the need to cultivate positive ethnic attitudes, strengthen teacher professional development, and implement inclusive strategies that promote social inclusion and interethnic engagement, thereby reducing prejudice and advancing social justice in early education.
Hsu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.