이 논문은 다문화가정 아동들의 자아정체성(self-identity) 문제를 초등 도덕교과와 연관하여 그 해결방안을 모색해 보고자한 것이다. 현재 우리 사회는 다문화가정의 아동들이 급격하게 증가하고 있으며, 이들 아동들은 가정생활이나 학교생활에서 많은 어려움을 겪고 있다. 예를 들면, 정체성 혼란, 언어소통의 어려움, 문화적 차이와 사회적 편견으로 인한 어려움 등이 그것이다. 이런 다양한 어려움들로 인해 다문화가정 아동들은 학교생활에 적응하기가 어려울 뿐만 아니라 사회성 발달이 저하되고 낮은 자존감을 형성하는 등 건강한 자아정체성을 확립하지 못하는 결과를 초래하고 있다. 현재 다문화교육을 통해 이러한 문제들을 개선하고 있으나 아직도 부족한 것이 사실이다. 따라서 다문화가정 아동들의 자아정체성을 확립하기 위해서는 중점적으로 지도할 수 있는 교과가 필요하며, 여기에 가장 적합한 교과 중의 하나가 바로 도덕과라는 데는 반론의 여지가 거의 없을 것으로 생각된다. 다문화가정 아동들의 자아정체성 확립과 관련하여 초등 도덕과에서 이루어질 수 있는 다문화교육 중에는 도덕 교과의 내용영역에서 직접 지도할 수 있는 부분과, 공동체교육이나 전통 예절교육과 연관하여 지도할 수 있는 부분 등으로 나누어볼 수 있다. 예를 들어 초등 3학년의 도덕 교과부터 ‘도덕적 주체로서의 나’에 대한 인식을 명확히 갖도록 지도함으로써 자아정체성 확립에 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이며, 또한 공동체교육을 병행하여 나와 함께 살아가는 가족, 이웃, 사회에 대한 인식을 확장시켜 나감으로써 사회적 정체성도 길러줄 수 있을 것이다. 그리고 저학년부터 전통 예절교육을 통해 다문화 속에서 살아가는 아동들에게 문화적 동질성과 보편성 및 차이성을 길러주어 긍정적인 자아정체성을 확립하도록 지도하는 일도 반드시 필요할 것이다.

The main purpose of this paper is to suggest that roles for moral education to establish self-identity of children in multicultural Families. In the flow of rapid increasing numbers of multicultural families, it is very urgent to make successful adaptation for children and take them to form a healthy self-identity. since multicultural education and moral education have something in common in terms of purpose and contents and both are in harmony educationally, a way of multicultural education can be expected which stresses the elementary moral studies' own nature. And fundamental causes of problems that multicultural family children are experiencing currently involve prejudices and discrimination they feel in society. They are actually what happens frequently in schools and the studies on this indicate that prejudices which still remain in our society increase social exclusiveness. In order to improve it, multicultural education has stressed community education and traditional etiquette education and it is uncontroversial that the subject of teaching this intensively is the subject of moral studies. This paper is examining them focused on self-identity education among a variety of directions in relation to multicultural education which can be done in the subject of elementary moral studies. A self-identity education of children in multicultural families is proposing ways to search for answers to the questions about themselves so that they can build their own identities amid differences and diversity and based on this, understand others. Therefore, in order to solve problems occurring in multicultural society based on these contents, we are to provide a role of the subject of elementary moral studies so as to develop basic traits focused on the fundamental qualities(for example, to establish self-identity) that they are equipped with as members of community living in multicultural society.

The main purpose of this paper is to suggest that roles for moral education to establish self-identity of children in multicultural Families. In the flow of rapid increasing numbers of multicultural families, it is very urgent to make successful adaptation for children and take them to form a healthy self-identity. since multicultural education and moral education have something in common in terms of purpose and contents and both are in harmony educationally, a way of multicultural education can be expected which stresses the elementary moral studies' own nature. And fundamental causes of problems that multicultural family children are experiencing currently involve prejudices and discrimination they feel in society. They are actually what happens frequently in schools and the studies on this indicate that prejudices which still remain in our society increase social exclusiveness. In order to improve it, multicultural education has stressed community education and traditional etiquette education and it is uncontroversial that the subject of teaching this intensively is the subject of moral studies. This paper is examining them focused on self-identity education among a variety of directions in relation to multicultural education which can be done in the subject of elementary moral studies. A self-identity education of children in multicultural families is proposing ways to search for answers to the questions about themselves so that they can build their own identities amid differences and diversity and based on this, understand others. Therefore, in order to solve problems occurring in multicultural society based on these contents, we are to provide a role of the subject of elementary moral studies so as to develop basic traits focused on the fundamental qualities(for example, to establish self-identity) that they are equipped with as members of community living in multicultural society.

self-identity, the subject of moral, multiculture, difference and diversity, community education.