Characteristic features of developing multiculturalism as a students’ personality trait and the basis of positive intercultural relations in the context of modern education

Introduction. The authors study the problem of developing the concept of students’ multicultural identity in modern education. The purpose of the research is to identify the characteristics of multiculturalism as a personality trait of students, serving as the basis for positive intercultural relationships in the student environment. Materials and Methods. The research methodology is determined by the research question: which factors determine the multicultural environment of an educational institution. The research methods include analysis of scientific literature on multiculturalism, interviews and questionnaires, Results. The study confirms that one of the factors of a multicultural environment is tolerance, recognizing the equal rights of different ethnic groups of college students. However, intolerant behaviors are evident in both national groups (Kazakh and Russian), while college students have a sufficient level of ethnic identity. The study has revealed multiculturalism as a personality trait mainly among students in the groups with both Kazakh and Russian languages of instruction, who speak both languages, whereas for mono-lingual students who have insufficient experience of communication in multicultural environments, the development of multicultural competence requires special multicultural educational environment. Conclusions. In conclusion, the authors summarize the characteristic features of developing multiculturalism as a personality trait, which serves as the basis of positive intercultural relationships between college students.