Current Educational Practices from Multicultural Perspectives in Oromia Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges

Debela Tezera

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.8n.3p.01

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the current educational practices from multicultural perspective in secondary schools of Eastern Wollega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. To realize this, survey method was adopted to collect data from 5 experts, 10 principals, 51 teachers, and 102 students. The students were select randomly by using simple random sampling techniques while experts, principals, and teachers were selected by the availability sampling method. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collections. The collected data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, and narration of words. The findings revealed that respondents were highly aware of multicultural education. However, it was not implemented into educational practices. Furthermore, lack of skills, knowledge, negative attitude, and discrimination based on prejudices, ethnocentrism, politics, and religion were the main challenges. The study confirmed that establishing clubs could boost multicultural education awareness and positive attitude. It could also raise the students, teachers, and the society’s awareness about multicultural education. Teachers should encourage students in practicing tolerance and respecting differences. Furthermore, school principals and Oromia Education Bureau should create different mechanisms for nurturing multicultural education and creating a means to minimize discrimination. Finally, the study indicates the need for preparing teachers, students, and the school community to build unity within diversity and tolerance in the schools.

Highlights

Multicultural Education (MCE) emerged during the civil right movement of the 1960s and 1970s in America
The purpose of this study is to examine the current educational practices from multicultural perspective in secondary schools of Eastern Wollega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia
The study can conclude as the implementation of MCE was low. The implications of this finding that there was lack of knowledge, skills, positive attitude toward the importance of MCE, shortage of instructional materials from a multicultural perspective, and ideological views based on racism, prejudices, and ethnocentrism were the main challenges in the implementation of MCE

Summary

Introduction

Multicultural Education (MCE) emerged during the civil right movement of the 1960s and 1970s in America. Some restrict multicultural to local schools and still others provide direction for school reform in all set despite their characteristics For this reason, there is no comprehensive concept about MCE accepted by scholars. 3-4) MCE is believed that: MCE is the concepts and deliberate process designed to teach learner’s to recognize, accept, appreciate cultural ethnic, social class, religious, gender differences, and learners during these crucial developmental years a sense of responsibility and commitments toward the of ideal of justice, equality, and democracy. Jagannath (2004) states that MCE is an education for freedom that is essential into ethnically polarized issues It aims to create equal opportunities for students from racial, ethical, social, and cultural groups. The results shows that the participants of the study were diversified with their religion

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion