Analysis of the Knowledge Paradigm of Qualitative Research on Multicultural Education in Korea: Based on Lather's Classification

This study explores the knowledge paradigms that form the qualitative research on multicultural education in Korea. It refers to Lather's (2007) classification of qualitative research knowledge paradigms using 'Understand,' 'Emancipate,' and 'Deconstruct.' ‘Understand’ focuses on contextual understanding or exploring phenomena, ‘Emancipate’ emphasizes practical approaches to social change, and ‘Deconstruct’ explores multilayered perspectives beyond fixed knowledge structures. This study uses these analytical criteria to map multicultural education knowledge in Korea and propose future directions. To this end, 112 qualitative studies published in the representative academic journals on multicultural education in Korea, 'Multicultural Education Studies' and 'Cultural Exchange and Multicultural Education' from 2008 to 2024 were analyzed by three paradigms. The study results showed that the paradigm of 'Understand' is emphasized in qualitative research on multicultural education in Korea, and the paradigms of 'Emancipate' and 'Deconstruct' have relatively limited focus. In terms of methodological aspects, the methodology and knowledge paradigm were mixed, and the bias of research participants was identified as an essential task to be solved. This study proposed a more refined reconfiguration of the stages of Korean multicultural education, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach between methodological rigor and flexibility, in-depth exploration of the positions of research participants, and collaborative, interactive research approaches.