Multiculturalism as a topic of interest for Comparative Education in Wolfgang Mitter's publications

Abstract

This article aims to analyse multiculturalism as a topic of interest for the field of Comparative Education, based on an exploratory study from the publications of the comparatist Wolfgang Mitter (1927–2014). This exploratory study analysed 42 selected studies published between the years 1964 and 2017, and verified that Mitter focused his approaches on cultural pluralism, especially in Eastern European countries and the challenges facing educational systems in the context of globalisation. The theme of multiculturalism emerges as a topic of interest in the field of Comparative Education. Also, it demonstrates a macro perspective on the educational systems, educational policies and the international challenges facing education.

Full text

https://doi.org/10.20396/rbec.v4i00.16593!
RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Multiculturalism as a topic of interest for Comparative
Education in Wolfgang Mitter’s publications
Multiculturalismo como tema de interesse para a Educação
Comparada nas publicações de Wolfgang Mitter
Multiculturalismo como tema de interés para la Educación
Comparada en las publicaciones de Wolfgang Mitter
Maiza de Albuquerque Trigo
1
Rooney Figueiredo Pinto
2
ABSTRACT
This article aims to analyse multiculturalism as a topic of interest for the field of
Comparative Education, based on an exploratory study from the publications of the
comparatist Wolfgang Mitter (1927–2014). This exploratory study analysed 42
selected studies published between the years 1964 and 2017, and verified that Mitter
focused his approaches on cultural pluralism, especially in Eastern European countries
and the challenges facing educational systems in the context of globalisation. The
theme of multiculturalism emerges as a topic of interest in the field of Comparative
Education. Also, it demonstrates a macro perspective on the educational systems,
educational policies and the international challenges facing education.
Keywords
Wolfgang Mitter. Comparative Education. Multiculturalism.
1
University of Luxembourg.
E-mail: maiza.trigo@uni.lu | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6292-9259
2
Univeristy of Coimbra.
E-mail: rooneypinto@uc.pt | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2787-5689

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
RESUMO: Este artigo visa analisar o multiculturalismo como um tópico de interesse
para o campo da Educação Comparada, com base no estudo exploratório das
publicações do comparatista Wolfgang Mitter (1927-2014). Foram analisados 42
estudos selecionados publicados entre os anos 1964 e 2017. Verificou-se que Mitter
centra as suas abordagens no pluralismo cultural, especialmente nos países da
Europa de Leste e nos desafios enfrentados pelos sistemas educativos no contexto
da globalização. O tema do multiculturalismo surge como um tema de interesse para
o campo da educação comparada. Também demonstra uma perspetiva macro sobre
os sistemas educativos, as políticas educativas e os desafios internacionais
enfrentados pela educação.
Palavras-chave: Wolfgang Mitter. Educação Comparada. Multiculturalismo.
RESUMEN: Este artículo pretende analizar el multiculturalismo como tema de interés
para el campo de la Educación Comparada, a través de un estudio exploratorio de las
publicaciones del comparatista Wolfgang Mitter (1927-2014). Se analizaron 42
estudios seleccionados publicados entre los años 1964 y 2017. Se comprobó que
Mitter centra sus abordajes en el pluralismo cultural, especialmente en los países de
Europa del Este, y en los desafíos que enfrentan los sistemas educativos en el
contexto de la globalización. El tema del multiculturalismo emerge como un tema de
interés para el campo de la educación comparada. También demuestra una
perspectiva macro sobre los sistemas educativos, las políticas educativas y los
desafíos internacionales que enfrenta la educación.
Palabras clave: Wolfgang Mitter. Educación Comparada. Multiculturalismo.
Introduction
The comparatist Wolfgang Mitter (1927-
2014) was born in Trautenau (Trutnov), in
the region of Bohemia – Czechoslovakia,
during a period of significant transformations
in the European scenario. He received a
scholarship to complete his doctorate in
1954 at the Free University of Berlin under
the supervision of Professor Werner Philipp
3
(CESE, s.d.). In 1948 he started a degree in
history, English language and literature,
Slavic languages and literatures and
philosophy at the University of Mainz.
3
Werner Philipp (1908-1996) taught at the University of Mainz from 1946-1952 and taught Russian and Eastern European
history at the Free University of Berlin until 1934, when he immigrated to the United States.
4
The Development of Karamzin's Political Views [Free translation].
5
Born in the Russian province of Mikhaylovka, Simbirsk in 1776, Nikolay Mikhaylovich Karamzin was an influential
historian and poet whose research focused on Russian history (Britannica, 2021).
In line with his background in history,
language and literature, it is possible that
Mitter developed an interest in the
relationship between education and
historical and social context while still
attending Russian and Eastern European
history classes at the University of Mainz.
With the thesis Die Entwicklung der
politischen Anschauungen Karamzins
4
(Mitter, 1955), explores the theme of the
political and philosophical ideas of Nikolay
Karamzin
5
(1776-1826).

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
His trajectory as a researcher interested in
comparative education was established
mainly in the 1960s. From 1956 to 1964, he
taught at the classical humanist secondary
school Friedrichsgymnasium Kassel in
Hesse (Germany) and, from 1964 to 1972,
assumed a chair of General and
Comparative Education at the
Paedagogische Hochschule in Lüneburg,
Lower Saxony (Germany) and
simultaneously took over as Professor of
Comparative Education at the University of
Hamburg, North Germany (Aleksandra,
2014). Mitter also held positions in different
institutions and research associations within
the field of Comparative Education (Table 1).
Mitter was also Editor of the International
Review of Education (UNESCO-Institute for
Education, Hamburg) and the German
journal Bildung und Erziehung between
1971 and 1997. In the following years, he
was nominated to the German Commission
for UNESCO (Honorary Member), Academia
Europaea (Conferred Member), Russian
Academy of Education (Conferred Member),
holding positions or being nominated to
honours and awards by different
organisations dedicated to research in the
field of Comparative Education.
He intensifies the studies on educational
science, particularly on the development of
educational curricula from a comparative
education perspective. In addition to several
books’ reviews, where it can be seen his
deep critical sense for the subject of
education, with particular interest in
education in the USSR and Eastern Europe,
the main publications include: Das
sowjetische Schulwesen
6
(Mitter, 1970), On
the Efficiency of the Soviet School System
(Mitter, 1973), Didaktische Probleme und
Themen in der UdSSR
7
(Mitter, 1974),
Sekundarabschlüsse mit Hochschulreife im
internationalen Vergleich: Ergebnisse einer
Untersuchung über Bildungssysteme
sozialistischer Staaten
8
(Mitter & Novikov,
1976), Pädagogische Forschung und
Bildungspolitik in der Sowjetunion:
Organisation, Gegenstand, Methoden
9
(Mitter & Novikov, 1978).
6
The Soviet school system [Free translation].
7
Didactic problems and topics in the USSR [Free translation].
8
Secondary qualifications with higher education entrance qualification in international comparison: results of a study on
education systems of socialist states [Free translation].
9
Pedagogical Research and Educational Policy in the Soviet Union: Organisation, Subject, Methods [Free translation].

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Table 1 – Positions held, honours and awards – Wolfgang Mitter
Year
Comparative Education Organization
1964–1972
Chair of General and Comparative Education, Paedagogische Hochschule (Teachers College),
Luneburg, Professor of Comparative Education, University of Hamburg
1972
Head of the General and Comparative Education, German Institute for International
Educational Research, Frankfurt am Main
1974–1995
Professor at University of Frankfurt am
1978–
1981;
1987–1995
Director, German Institute for International Educational Research, Frankfurt am Main
1978–
1981;
1987–1995
Director of Institute for International Educational Research
1981–1985
President of the Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE)
1985
Award of the Order “Chevalier de Léopold II” (Belgium)
1991–1995
President of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES)
1992
Goethe Plaque of the Land Hessen (Germany)
1997-2000
President of the World Association of Educational Research (WAER). Honorary member
1998
Medal “650 years of Charles University Prague.”
2001
Honorary Doctorate (Dr. h. c.), Faculty of Education, Carl-von-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg
2010
“Nummus memorialis argenteus” (Commemorative Silver Medal) of the Charles University
1998
Medal “650 years of Charles University Prague”
Source: adapted from Academia Europaea (Aleksandra, 2014).
Although he maintains his interest in the
education system in Russia and its
neighbouring countries, he broadens his
focus to the new globalised contexts of
societies and multiculturalism. For this
comparatist, multiculturalism is a
phenomenon that manifests itself in diverse
geographical contexts and social spheres,
requiring strategies that include ethnic,
religious and cultural pluralism in education
policies (Mitter, 1987).
Multiculturalism and challenges for an educational pluralism
Multiculturalism can be approached in
different fields of investigation and distinct
perspectives, being predominantly inserted
in approaches centred on social sciences,
particularly in sociology, psychology and
anthropology (DomNwachukwu, 2010). In
an anthropological approach, we can
assume that multiculturalism is not a new
phenomenon; it has manifested throughout
various moments in human history with the
coexistence of different ethnic groups and
religions in the same society or social group
(Linton, 1936; Roegholt, Wardekker & Oers,
1988, Halbwachs, 2010).
Multiculturalism highlights social frictions
more forcefully in a context where education
is more vulnerable to political, economic,
and social issues (Mulusa, 1992). In
reaction, temporary adjustment measures

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
are adopted, not necessarily effective in
social advancement through education.
Although it is not an entirely positive context
that benefits educational pluralism, as in the
case of societies with some established
social structure, this scenario may reveal a
modernisation of community and a path to
more equity in education (Brunner, 1992).
The first approaches to multicultural
contexts and their impact on educational
practices were developed in the first
decades of the 1960s in Anglo-Saxon
countries, specifically Canada, Australia, the
USA and the United Kingdom (Catarci,
2015). Educational pluralisms emerge from
regional or even national contexts where
multiculturalism is present in society, and the
school, as a social microcosm, reflects
multicultural realities (Banks, 2016) that
need to be considered for a more equitable
society.
In the United States, multiculturalism in
education surged in the 1960s in response
to civil rights movements (Banks & Banks,
2013). Multiculturalism also emerged as a
measure of social inclusion and equity in
countries that were recovering democracy
after the end of totalitarian and authoritarian
regimes, but “this acceptance does not
disburden schools and teachers the need of
coping with conflicts, all the more so as
conflicts constituent element of democracy
in West” (Mitter, 2010, p. 144).
Although the terms multiculturalism and
educational pluralism are epistemologically
close, it is essential to note that they are not
the same thing. From a praxeological point
of view, while multiculturalism addresses the
cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious
diversity of society (Rattansi, 2011),
educational pluralism focuses on the context
of education and the socio-cultural reality of
the school.
Banks & Banks (2013) point out that it is
essential to see at least five dimensions: 1.
Construction of knowledge; 2. Reduction of
prejudices; 3. Strengthening of school
culture; 4. Pedagogy of equity, and 5.
Integration of contents (Figure 1).
From the authors' perspective, it is possible
to explore matters related to multiculturalism
as a social element inserted in the contents
of the school (dimension 5), leading the
students to understand the cultural diversity
of the school community as part of their
construction of knowledge (dimension 1). As
well as discussing the individual and
collective damage related to prejudice
(dimension 2) and understanding the
differences to exercise respect and
tolerance. The simple conscious adoption of
these dimensions may promote the
empowerment of the school culture
(dimension 4) and the development of a
pedagogy of equity (dimension 5).
Multicultural education is not necessarily an
education for a pluriform society.
Educational pluralism in a multicultural
school should not aim to standardise
identities, but help promote greater
awareness that tolerance of the other is as
necessary as acceptance of my identity,
culture, and worldview.

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Figure 1 – The Dimensions of Multicultural Education
Source: Banks & Banks (2013, p. 19).
Study Purpose
This article aims to analyse multiculturalism
as a topic of interest for the field of
comparative education, based on an
exploratory study from the publications of
the comparatist Wolfgang Mitter.
Adopting a qualitative analysis approach, a
narrative literature review was conducted
with systematised procedures to map the
publications of Wolfgang Mitter available in
three international reference databases.
The selection of databases, the search
procedures and identification of sources,
data extraction and analysis will be
described in this topic, utilising the
recommended guidelines for investigations
with systematised literature reviews for
research in education (Cohen, Manion, &
Morrison, 2018; Zawacki-Richter, Kerres,
Bedenlier, Bond, & Buntins, 2020).

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Method
Study Search
The research was conducted using Web of
Science (WoS), Scopus and EBSCO
Discovery Service (EDS) as data sources.
The choice is justified by the fact that
databases and indexers are recognised as
relevant within the Social Sciences,
particularly in the field of Comparative
Education.
The strings established for the search and
data collection allowed locating the most
significant number of author publications
available in each selected database [Author:
AU "Mitter, Wolfgang" / Search mode:
Boolean / 1920-2021 / All databases].
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria were elaborated to
meet the research objective, allowing a
selection of the publications found from the
established parameters. Nevertheless, due
to linguistic limitations, only publications
written in English or German were
considered from the start.
The results underwent the first selection
considering the thematic of “multiculturalism
in education”
10
as an eligibility criterion. The
second eligibility criterion is based on the
type of scientific publication, including all
studies published as articles, conference
papers, book sections, and books.
Therefore, publications that did not meet
these eligibility criteria were excluded (e.g.,
other publication types such as book reviews
and publications that do not address the
thematic criterion).
Findings
Screening and Extraction Procedures
After collecting data in the databases
EBSCO, WoS, e Scopus, the results were
entered into the Syras 1.10.0 online platform
for the manual screening by the article's
authors (SCIPILOT, 2020). Publish or Perish
8 (Harzing, 2007) and VOSviewer 1.6.18
(CWTS, 2022) were used for automated
analysis of the results included in the review.
As demonstrated in the PRISMA flow
diagram (Figure 2), 269 papers were
identified in the databases: EBSCO (n=236),
Scopus (n=27) and Web of Science - WoS
(n=6). From this first result, 102 duplicated
records were eliminated by automatic
10
This selection was based on the screening of the results, considering the occurrences of words, both in English and
German, related to the theme, such as: “interdisciplinarity”; “intergroup”, “cultural”, “culture”, “pluralism”, “diversity”,
“foreign”, “global”, “globalism”, “globalization”, “international”, “multicultural”, “multiculturalism”, “integration”,
“migrant”, “migration”, “immigrant”, “immigration”, “groups”.
verification of the databases and 37 by
manual verification.
After eliminating the results due to duplicity
or other reasons, 130 records were inserted
into the Syras online platform, and 24
duplicate records were detected by the
platform, which was eliminated. The
screening was then done with the universe
of 106 papers, of which only 46 were
selected for analysis, using the eligibility
criteria set.
Only articles, book chapters, books or
reports written in English or German that
address the topic of multiculturalism in
education were considered eligible. As not
all records had an abstract, during the entire

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
screening process, the introductions of the
records accessible for reading by the
researchers were checked.
During this procedure, it was verified that, at
the moment, it would only be possible to
have access to the full texts of 42 studies
included in the review (Table 2), forming the
corpus of content analysis.
Figure 2 – PRISMA Flow Diagram 2020 v1
Source: Databases and registers (Page, et al., 2021).
Analysis of selected studies
The analysis was performed automated and
manually by MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022
(release 22.1.1). From the methodological
standpoint, a deductive analysis was initially
adopted using an analytical framework
structured at the beginning of the
investigation and in line with the descriptors
used in the research. As some
complementary information emerged from
the data, inductive analysis was also
constituted with categories of codes that
emerged from the results.
From the set of studies included (Table 2), it
was verified that five are book sections (BS),
one is a conference paper (CP) published in
a journal, and 36 are articles (A) published
predominantly in scientific journals in the
field of comparative education between the
years 1964 and 2017. As expected, due to
the author's background, 14 works (33%)
are publications in German and 28 (67%) in
English in this set of selected studies.
Records identified through database searching
(n = 269)
Records removed before screening:
Duplicate records removed (n = 102)
Records removed for other reasons (n = 37)
Reports sought for retrieval
(n = 106)
Reports not retrieved for being duplicated
(n = 24)
Reports assessed for eligibility
(n = 46)
Reports excluded (n = 60):
Book Review (n = 22)
About other topics (n = 38)
Studies included in review
(n = 42 )
Identification of studies via databases and registers
Identification
Screening
Included
Total records retrieved (n = 130)
Records excluded (n = 139)

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Table 2 – Overview of Included Studies (n=42)
Author(s)
Publication Title
Type*
Journal
Vol/Issue
Pages
Mitter, 1964
Russischunterricht 1964 in Der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (G*)
A
Osteuropa
14(9)
634-639
Mitter, 1972
Russischunterricht an Sowjetischen Schulen der Nationalen Minderheiten (G*)
A
Osteuropa
22(1)
43-55
Mitter, 1973
On the Efficiency of the Soviet School System (E*)
A
Comparative Education
9(1)
34-47
Mitter, 1976
Wege zum Hochschulstudium und Bildungsaspirationen von Jugendlichen in osteuropäischen Ländern (G*)
A
Osteuropa
26(11)
977-996
Mitter, 1977
The Policy-Oriented Task of Comparative Education (E*)
A
Comparative Education
13(2)
95-100
Mitter, 1978
Sekundarberelch II - Abschluß der Jugendschule oder Beginn der Erwachsenenbildung? Skizzierung einiger
Grundfragen im Spiegel internationaler Tendenzen (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
31(1)
486-495
Mitter, 1980
Education in the Federal Republic of Germany: The Next Decade (E*)
A
Comparative Education
16(3)
257-265
Mitter, 1980
Gegenwartsfragen des ungarischen Bildungswesens (G*)
A
Osteuropa
30(2)
108-118
Mitter, 1982
School systems and social equity in western and communist countries: A historical-comparative appraisal (E*)
A
International Journal of Educational Development
2(3)
213-224
Mitter, 1984
Foreword (E*)
CP
European Journal of Education
19(1)
7-9
Mitter, 1985
Goal Aspects of Teacher Education (E*)
A
European Journal of Teacher Education
8(3)
273-282
Mitter, 1985
Primarschulpädagogik – internationale Entwicklung. Zu diesem Heft (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
38(3)
277-280
Mitter, 1986
West Germany (E*)
A
Education and Urban Society
18(4)
437-448
Mitter, 1986
Bilingual and Intercultural Education in Soviet Schools (E*)
BS
Tomiak J.J. (eds) Western Perspectives on Soviet Education in
the 1980s
97-122
Mitter, 1987
Integration und Reintegration von Minderheiten im Bildungswesen (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
40(3)
255-258
Mitter, 1987
Expectations of schools and teachers in the context of social and economic changes (E*)
A
International Review of Education
33(3)
263-276
Mitter, 1987
The Teacher and the Bureaucracy: Some considerations concluded from a Soviet case (E*)
A
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education
17(1)
47-60
Mitter, 1988
Erziehungsziele und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung. Kommentar zur 13. Konferenz der Comparative Education
Society in Budapest, 27. Juni – 1. Juli 1988 (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
41(1)
337-350
Mitter, 1990
Educational Reform in West and East Germany in European Perspective (E*)
A
Oxford Review of Education
16(3)
333-341
Mitter, 1991
Teacher Education in Europe: Problems, Challenges, Perspectives (E*)
A
British Journal of Educational Studies
39(2)
138-152
Mitter, 1991
Comprehensive Schools in Germany: Concepts, Developments and Issues (E*)
A
European Journal of Education
26(2)
155-165
Mitter, 1992
Education in Present-Day Germany: Some considerations as mirrored in comparative education (E*)
A
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education
22(1)
53-67
Mitter, 1992
Educational Adjustments and Perspectives in a United Germany (E*)
A
Comparative Education
28(1)
45-52
Mitter, 1992
Current Trends in Educational Research in Europe (E*)
A
European Journal of Teacher Education
15(1)
53-64
Mitter, 1992
Multicultural Education: Basic Considerations in an Interdisciplinary Approach (E*)
A
Prospects
22(1)
31-40
Mitter, 1993
Das Bildungssystem im Loyalitätskonflikt in historisch-vergleichender Sicht (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
46(4)
375-391
Mitter, 1993
Education, democracy and development in a period of revolutionary change (E*)
A
International Review of Education
39(6)
463-471
Mitter & von
Kopp, 1993
Nationale Loyalität und kulturelle Identität im Konflikt. Zu diesem Heft (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
46(4)
369-374
Mitter, 1997
Challenges to Comparative Education: Between Retrospect and Expectation (E*)
A
International Review of Education
43
401-412
Mitter, 1998
Globalisierung im Bildungswesen zwischen Realität und Utopie. Herausforderungen an “Bildung und Erziehung"
zur Jahrhundertwende (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
51(1)
101-118
Mitter, 2000
Zusammenprall oder Interaktion von Kulturkreisen? (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
53(4)
411-428
Mitter, 2003
A decade of transformation: Educational policies in Central and Eastern Europe (E*)
A
International Review of Education
49(1)
75-96
Mitter, 2004
Nation-States versus Regions in European Education: Trends, Perspectives, Problems (E*)
A
European Education
36(3)
5-18
Mitter, 2004
Rise and decline of education systems: A contribution to the history of the modern state (E*)
A
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education
34(4)
351-368
Mitter, 2005
Educational Research in the Federal Republic of Germany (E*)
BS
Nisbet, J; Megarry, J.; NisbetWorld, S. (Eds) Yearbook of
Education 1985
-7
Mitter, 2005
Educational Issues in a Globalising Society: Learning Between Progress and Risk (E*)
A
World Studies in Education
6(1)
5-22
Mitter, 2007
Introduction-Book-The Education Systems of Europe (E*)
BS
Hörner, W., Döbert, H., KOPP, B.V., Mitter, W. (eds) The
Education Systems of Europe
1-10
Mitter, 2007
Education in Europe: The Way Ahead (E*)
BS
Hörner, W., Döbert, H., KOPP, B.V., Mitter, W. (eds) The
Education Systems of Europe
852-866
Mitter, 2007
Das deutsche Bildungswesen im internationalen Vergleich (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
60(2)
135-148
Mitter, 2009
Strukturdimensionen des Bildungswesens - funktionale Differenzierung versus soziale Ungleichheit (G*)
A
Bildung und Erziehung
62(3)
265-280
Mitter, 2010
Between retrospect and expectation: Trends and dimensions of education in East-Central Europe (E*)
A
Orbis Scholae
4(2)
41-60
Mitter, 2017
Educational issues in the multicultural society of Germany (E*)
BS
Education and Cultural Differences: New Perspectives
429-449
*A-Artigo; CP-Conference Paper; BS-Book Section / (G*) German / (E*) English
Source: data compilation by the author

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
It can be seen that publications in English
occur in a more diverse range of journals
(14). In contrast, German-language
publications are concentrated in two
journals: Osteuropa (4) and Bildung und
Erziehung (10) (Table 2). Also found that
more than half of the selected records are
publications in the journals Bildung und
Erziehung (n=10), Osteuropa (n=4),
Comparative Education (n=4), International
Review of Education (n=4), Compare (n=3)
and European Journal of Education (n=2).
Graph 1 – Journals and languages of publications
The distribution of the works shows the
author's interest in the topic, with studies in
the field of comparative education
distributed between the years 1964 and
2017. The author had at least one
publication related to the theme (Graph 2). It
was also found that there are more
publications in the years 1987 (n=3), 1992
(n=4), 1993 (n=3) e 2007 (n=3) (Table 2).
Graph 2 – Selected studies distributed per year and language of publication
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Bildung.und.Erziehung
Osteuropa
Comparative.Education
International.Review.of.Education
Compare:.A.Journal.of.Comparative.and.International…
European.Journal.of.Education
European.Journal.of.Teacher.Education
British.Journal.of.Educational.Studies
Education.and.Cultural.Differences:.New.Perspectives
Education.and.Urban.Society
European.Education
International.Journal.of.Educational.Development
Orbis.Scholae
Oxford.Review.of.Education
Prospects
World.Studies.in.Education
English German
0
1
2
3
4
5
Mitter,.1964
Mitter,.1972
Mitter,.1973
Mitter,.1976
Mitter,.1977
Mitter,.1978
Mitter,.1980
Mitter,.1982
Mitter,.1984
Mitter,.1985
Mitter,.1986
Mitter,.1987
Mitter,.1988
Mitter,.1990
Mitter,.1991
Mitter,.1992
Mitter,.1993
Mitter.&.von.Kopp,.1993
Mitter,.1997
Mitter,.1998
Mitter,.2000
Mitter,.2003
Mitter,.2004
Mitter,.2005
English
German

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Coding and Content Analysis
An initial set, created in an automated way
by the software, was composed of 27
keywords such as codes with a broader
scope and which served as a starting point
for manual analysis and inductive coding
process. The automated analysis of
MAXQDA allowed us to verify the
frequencies of the words of the set of
descriptors associated with multiculturalism
in education, its presence in the text
segments and the percentage of segments
where it appears in the group of selected
studies (Table 3). In some studies, words
emerged which were different from the initial
descriptors used in the research but with
similar meanings. They were included
because they reflected the thematic
framework of the texts.
The data showed that 70% of the selected
studies featured the word 'international' in
references to the theme of education. Also,
the words “integration” (55%), “cultural”
(60%), “global” (50%), “groups” (55%),
“culture” (38%) and “foreign” (43%).
Together, these six words stand out in 612
coded text segments.
These words in comparative education
denounce the axis of Mitter's reflection,
especially his international perspective of
education in a context of globalisation and
interaction of human groups and cultures,
national and foreign. He states that “In the
current period, education systems are
affected by the growing influence of global
changes, concerning both their internal
processes and their positions in the
perceptions by the society.” (Mitter, 2007, p.
853).
It is interesting that although the word
"multicultural" appears in only 1/3 of the
analysed studies (Table 3), the segments
where the five words occur most frequently
present approaches related to
multiculturalism. This approach appears
particularly when referring to Eastern
European societies such as Croatia and
Serbia and the multi-ethnic and international
context of Southeast Europe (Mitter, 2000).
Table 3 – Frequencies and segments of text where the keywords code was located
Keyword
Code
Ranking
Frequency of
words
Coded segments
(all studies)
Total of studies
where KW were
located
n
%
n
%
n
%
KW-international
1
438
28,50
221
14,44
30
71,43
KW-integration
2
196
12,75
99
6,47
23
54,76
KW-cultural
3
194
12,62
194
12,67
25
59,52
KW-global
4
82
5,34
82
5,36
21
50,00
KW-groups
5
80
5,20
80
5,23
23
54,76
KW-culture
6
79
5,14
79
5,16
16
38,10
KW-foreign
7
78
5,07
78
5,09
18
42,86
KW-multicultural
8
58
3,77
58
3,79
11
26,19
KW-diversity
9
45
2,93
45
2,94
14
33,33
KW-Globalisierung
10
41
2,67
41
2,68
7
16,67
KW-Kultur
11
37
2,41
37
2,42
10
23,81
KW-multiculturalism
12
35
2,28
35
2,29
6
14,29
KW-pluralism
13
34
2,21
34
2,22
14
33,33
KW-globalization
14
29
1,89
29
1,89
8
19,05
KW-migrant
15
22
1,43
22
1,44
10
23,81

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
KW-Vielfalt
16
11
0,72
11
0,72
7
16,67
KW-Pluralismus
17
8
0,52
8
0,52
4
9,52
KW-Ausland
18
7
0,46
7
0,46
3
7,14
KW-immigration
19
7
0,46
7
0,46
5
11,90
KW-Einwanderer
20
4
0,26
4
0,26
3
7,14
KW-globalism
21
4
0,26
4
0,26
2
4,76
KW-Globalismus
22
4
0,26
4
0,26
3
7,14
KW-immigrant
23
4
0,26
4
0,26
2
4,76
KW-Migranten
24
3
0,20
3
0,20
2
4,76
KW-Fremd
25
2
0,13
2
0,13
2
4,76
KW-interdisciplinarity
26
2
0,13
2
0,13
2
4,76
KW-kulturell
27
2
0,13
2
0,13
2
4,76
Source: data compilation by the authors.
Mitter's studies point to an ongoing concern
with the political and social aspects affecting
educational policies, systems, and teacher
education, especially in Germany, Russia
and neighbouring Eastern European
countries.
The thematic analysis of the networked
content, using the VOSviewer platform as a
resource, allowed us to verify that the theme
of “Eastern Europe” in connection with
comparative analysis of and former the
Soviet Union, educational policies,
transformation, democratic citizenship and
globalisation predominate in Wolfgang
Mitter's research (Figure 3).
Figure 3 – Thematic network of the selected works (by VOSviewer)
Mitter's approach to Eastern Europe refers
to inclusion as a factor for integration and
development. Mitter recalls the social and
educational landscape and the challenges
for Europe due to social, economic and
political contexts. Although the topic appears
prominently in the thematic analysis, it is not
always the catalyst of the discourse.
In Western Europe, the streams of the border-
crossing migrant workforce have expanded, for
a long time already, by those of refugees and
asylum seekers. Central Europe is likely to be
included in this trend rather soon. The Russian
Federation is worth mentioning too in this
connection because it is confronted with the
challenge to integrate millions of ethnic Russians
'returning' from former non-Russian Soviet
republics. (Mitter, 2007, p. 859).

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
In the 42 works analysed, words related to
multiculturalism in education stood out
among the thematic clusters between the
years 1980 to 2010, such as globalisation,
European union, educational change,
international education, immigrants, cultural
differences, cultural pluralism, politics of
education, among others (Figure 4).
11
Figure 4 – Word clusters (by VOSviewer)
The thematic clusters also allow us to
observe that the studies published in the last
two decades of the previous century call for
reflections on the scope of comparative
education, topics such as “developing
countries”, “multicultural education”, “cultural
differences”, “police formation”,
“immigrants”, “educational policies”,
“international education” and “educational
research”. Meanwhile, studies in the first
decade of this century relate, among other
topics, approaches such as “education” and
“globalisation”, “European union” and
“educational change”, “cultural pluralism”
and “learning” (Figure 4).
Texts discuss the positive aspects of
globalisation [“At first sight we get aware of
globalisation that makes the boundaries
permeable not only for commodities, but
11
Larger circles indicate a larger volume of cluster words.
also for people.” (Mitter, 2004, p. 357)], but
also the challenges this context presents for
education systems.
Within the shift of paradigm concerning the
societal world system, as observed by Cowen
and Beck, the emergence of new `educational
spaces' can be identified as an essential factor
of change. At closer view it is an indicator of the
decline of the ‘state (national) education system’.
The shift takes place in the regional and global
dimensions. (Mitter, 2004, p. 357)
Cultural aspects are highlighted as the
approaches reflect on education systems in
a macro perspective of definitions of nation
and culture (Mitter, 1988). In this sense, the
characteristics of cultural, political and
economic diversity in the Southern East
European region should be observed in an
analysis of the impact of multiculturalism on
educational systems (Mitter, 2000).

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
The approach to multiculturalism seems to
focus more on practical issues that inhibit the
success of the strategies adopted rather
than on theoretical issues. This sense states
that the integration of children of different
nationalities and cultures almost always
needs to be done in an international school.
This context is fascinating in the case of
families that move for professional reasons
so that parents have the resources to invest
in better adjustment conditions.
These children often have to cope with individual
adjustment difficulties, but these are
comparatively easy to overcome through private
remedial instruction or special educational
measures typical of international schools
(individual or small-group language courses,
etc.). The success of these schools is rooted in
above average teaching/learning conditions,
extraordinary financial contributions by parents,
and the motivation of students and parents.
(Mitter, 1992, p. 432)
Although Mitter does not develop criticisms
of this alternative for specific cases, his
investigations highlight the importance of
looking at multiculturalism broadly, avoiding
isolated or individualistic actions in public
schools that reveal a counter-tendency to
educational pluralism.
Final Considerations
The paper analysed multiculturalism as a
topic of interest for the field of comparative
education from an exploratory study of the
publications of the comparatist Wolfgang
Mitter. The exploratory mapping revealed 42
studies published between 1964 and 2017
(the latter being a posthumous publication).
Although 14 selected publications were
written in German, the theme of
multiculturalism was more explored in the
English language publications. There is a
higher connection between the topics
related to the central theme.
The author is concerned not with presenting
ready-made solutions but with comparing
different educational realities, especially in
the case of Eastern European countries.
National educational policies do not always
balance the various aspects related to
cultural diversities and changes in the
international scenario. Because of the
phenomenon of globalisation, a theme
present at many points in the selected
studies, the relationship between school and
government should be strategically
rethought to verify the challenges imposed
on efficient learning in a multicultural
context.
It is increasingly observed that individuals in
different societies manifest behaviours of
isolation and individualism that prevent the
development of a shared identity (Cantle,
2012). These two realities represent a small
part of the complexity that multiculturalism
involves and how challenging this context is
for designing policies that consider pluralism
in education.
It can be seen that Wolfgang Mitter's studies
approach multiculturalism in several
aspects, allowing the reader of his works to
observe his macro vision of education. In the
last century, the author denounces the
urgency of developing educational policies
that consider cultural diversity a relevant
element of the educational systems. As well
as the need to increasingly investigate the
subject from an international perspective of
education.
Although it was not possible to explore all the
results obtained in this paper, it was possible
to verify how the theme of multiculturalism

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
emerges as a topic of interest in comparative
education in Wolfgang Mitter's studies. At
the same time, it also demonstrates the
author's innovative and always humanistic
thinking, contributing to a macro look at
educational systems, educational policies,
and the international challenges facing
education.
Recebido em 27 de junho de 2022
Aprovado em 20 de outubro de 2022
References
Aleksandra, N. (2014, May 05). Wolfgang Mitter - Short autobiography. Retrieved March 29,
2022, from Academia Europaea: https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Mitter_Wolfgang/CV
Bach, T. (1922). Education in Czechoslovakia. Bulletin, 39, 1–26. Retrieved from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED540381.pdf
Banks, J. A. (2016). Cultural Diversity and Education: Foundations, Curriculum, and
Teaching. New York and London: Routledge.
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. (2013). Multicultural Education: Issues and perspectives. USA:
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Britannica, T. E. (2019, July 24). Bohemia. Historical region, Europe. Retrieved March 28,
2022, from Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/place/Bohemia
Britannica, T. E. (2021, December 08). Nikolay Mikhaylovich Karamzin. Retrieved March 29,
2022, from Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikolay-
Mikhaylovich-Karamzin
Brunner, J. (1992). The new educational pluralism in Latin America. Prospects, 22, 185–194.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02195545
Cantle, T. (2012). Interculturalism: The New Era of Cohesion and Diversity. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Catarci, M. (2015). Interculturalism in Education across Europe. In M. Catarci, & M. Fiorucci,
Intercultural Education in the European Context: Theories, Experiences, Challenges (pp.
1-34). London and New York: Rotledge.
CESE. (n.d.). Professor Wolfgang Mitter (1981-1985). Retrieved March 29, 2022, from CESE
- Comparative education Society in Europe: https://mail.cese-europe.org/the-archive/5-
past-presidents/295-professor-wolfgang-mitter-1981-1985
Chisholm, I. M., Carey, J., & Hernandez, A. (2002). Information Technology Skills for a
Pluralistic Society. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(1), 58–79.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2002.10782370
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (8th ed.).
London: Routledge.
CWTS, L. U. (2022, January 24). VOSViewer - Visualizing Scientific Landscapes. Retrieved
April 15, 2022, from VOSviewer: https://www.vosviewer.com
DomNwachukwu, C. S. (2010). An Introduction to Multicultural Education: From Theory to
Practice. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Enguita, M. F. (2013). Igualdade, equidade e outras complexidades da justiça educativa.
Revista Portuguesa de Educação, 26(2), 205–224. https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.3253

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Greger, D., & Walterová, E. (2007). In Pursuit of Educational Change: The Transformation of
Education in the Czech Republic. Orbis Scholae, 1(2), 11–44.
https://doi.org/10.14712/23363177.2018.165
Halbwachs, M. (2010). Morfologia Social. (F. d. Miranda, Trans.) Lisboa: Edições 70.
Harzing, A. (2007). Publish or Perish. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from Research in
International Management: https://harzing.com/resources/publish-or-perish
Linton, R. (1936). The Study of Man. New York: Appleton Century Crofts, Inc.
Mitter, W. (1955). Die Entwicklung der politischen Anschauungen Karamzins. In H.
Jablonowski, & W. Philipp, Forschungen zur osteuropäischen Geschichte (Vol.
Historische Veröffentlichungen. Bd 2., pp. 165-285). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz: Freie
Universität Berlin Osteuropa-Institut.
Mitter, W. (1970). Das sowjetische Schulwesen. Frankfurt and Mainz: Akad.
Mitter, W. (1973). On the Efficiency of the Soviet School System. Comparative Education,
9(1), 34–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3097884
Mitter, W. (1974). Didaktische Probleme und Themen in der UdSSR. Hannover: Schrödel.
Mitter, W. (1987). Expectations of Schools and Teachers in the Context of Social and
Economic Changes. International Review of Education, 33(3), 263–276.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00615298
Mitter, W. (1988). Erziehungsziele und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung. Bildung und Erziehung,
41(3), pp. 337–350. https://doi.org/10.7788/bue.1988.41.3.337
Mitter, W. (1992). Educational Issues in the Multicultural Society of Germany. In D. Ray, & D.
Poonwassie, Education and Cultural Differences. New Perspectives (pp. 429-447). New
York / London: Garland Publishing.
Mitter, W. (2000). Zusammenprall oder Interaktion von Kulturkreisen? Bildung und Erziehung,
56(4), 411–428. https://doi.org/10.7788/bue.2000.53.4.411
Mitter, W. (2004). Rise and decline of education systems: A contribution to the history of the
modern state. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 34(4),
351–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305792042000294788
Mitter, W. (2007). Education in Europe. The way ahead. In W. Hörner, H. Döbert, B. Kopp, &
W. Mitter, The Education Systems of Europe (pp. 852-866). Dordrecht, The Netherlands:
Springer.
Mitter, W. (2010). Teacher Education in Europe: Problems, Challenges, Perspectives. British
Journal of Educational Studies, 39(2), 138–152.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.1991.9973880
Mitter, W. (2014, May 05). Wolfgang Mitter - Short autobiography. Retrieved March 28, 2022,
from Academia Europaea: https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Mitter_Wolfgang/CV
Mitter, W., & Döbert, H. (2007). Introduction. In W. Hörner, H. Döbert, B. v. Kopp, & W. Mitter,
The Education Systems of Europe (pp. 1-10). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Mitter, W., & Novikov, L. (1976). Sekundarabschlüsse mit Hochschulreife im internationalen
Vergleich: Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung über Bildungssysteme sozialistischer Staaten.
Weinheim, Basel: Beltz Verlag.
Mitter, W., & Novikov, L. (1978). Pädagogische Forschung und Bildungspolitik in der
Sowjetunion: Organisation, Gegenstand, Methoden. Weinheim: Beltz.

RBEC: Rev. Bras. Educ. Comp., Campinas, SP, v. 4, p. 1-17, e022007, 2022 – ISSN 2595-7171
Mulusa, T. (1992). Pluralistic education in sub-Saharan Africa. An overview. Prospects:
quarterly review of education, 22(2)/82,159–170. Retrieved from
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000095317
Page, M., J.E., M., Bossuyt, P., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T., Mulrow, C., & al, e. (2021). The
PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ,
372(71), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Potočárová, M. (2021). School and educational objectives of the interwar period in the 1st
Czechoslovak Republic. Polska Myśl Pedagogiczna, 7, 349–364.
https://doi.org/10.4467/24504564PMP.21.019.13949
Rattansi, A. (2011). Multiculturalism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University
Press.
Roegholt, S., Wardekker, W., & Oers, B. V. (1998). Teachers and pluralistic education.
Journal of Curriculum Studies, 30(2), 125-141. https://doi.org/10.1080/002202798183666
SCIPILOT. (2020). Syras - Systematic review screening tool. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from
SCIPILOT: https://www.scipilot.com.au
Zawacki-Richter, O., Kerres, M., Bedenlier, S., Bond, M., & Buntins, K. (2020). Systematic
Reviews in Educational Research: Methodology, Perspectives and Application.
Wiesbaden: Springer VS.