Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the practices of multicultural education in secondary
schools of Buno Bedele Zone. To achieve the objectives, the study employed descriptive
research design and quantitative research method. About 210(100%) teachers selected using
simple random sampling, and 10 vice principals, 10 principals and 10 supervisors were
selected using purposive sampling from 10 secondary schools out of 34 total schools in the
zone. Standardized questionnaire items containing 32 items were employed along with
interview items. Analysis of quantitative data was made using frequency, percentage, mean
and standard deviation. The analysis found that there moderate level of content integration
(M = 3.06), low level of practices of equity pedagogy (M = 2.91), low level of practices of
prejudice reduction (M = 2.88), and low level practices of empowering school culture (M =
2.50) this reveals that there is no conducive school culture that support multicultural
education in secondary schools of the study site. Students were not proficient in using
language (M = 2.90). The findings also shows that students are not proficient in using the first
language of the majority of the population and in using English which is the instructional
media in secondary school teachers (M = 2.90, SD = 1.07), and cultural competency were
moderately practiced (M = 3.03). The findings of the study found out that there were low level
of multicultural education practices in the dimensions of equity pedagogy, prejudice reduction,
empowering school culture and linguistic proficiency. It was also found out that the extents of
content integration and cultural competency were high when compared with other variables.
It was also found out from the study that lack of focus from school leadership teachers team
(M=3.76, SD = 0.95), lack of training on multicultural education teachers (M = 3.03, SD =
0.68) and lack of clear guide lines on multicultural education affected implementation of
multicultural education in secondary schools of Buno Bedele zone. For this reason it can be
concluded that multicultural education practices are getting less focus and multicultural
education was not practiced properly to the diverse students in class room when analysed in
general in secondary schools of Buno Bedele zone. Teachers, principals, supervisors and
educational leader at different level should monitor and evaluate the practice of multicultural
education and check how schools are running multicultural education and should take
measure to make correction or give training to teachers.
