Teachers Awareness, Perception and Practices towards Diversity in the Classroom at Selected Primary Schools of Jimma Town

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess primary schools teachers’ awareness, perception and practices towards diversity in the selected primary schools of Jimma town. In order to achieve this objective, descriptive survey design was employed for the study. Teachers, students, principals, supervisors and lesson conducted in the classroom were the main sources of data. Stratified sampling for study site selection, convenient sampling for principals and cluster supervisors and stratified sampling followed by simple random sampling techniques for teachers and purposive sampling techniques for students were used. Questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion and observation check list were the main instruments of data collection. Accordingly, the data were collected from ninety eight teachers, twenty-eight students, four principals, five vice principals, four cluster supervisors and twelve lesson observations. The quantitative data collected through questionnaire and observation checklist were analyzed using percentage and mean with the help of SPSS version 24 software. The qualitative data gathered through open-ended questionnaire, focus group discussion and interviews were analyzed qualitatively by summarizing the words of respondents to supplement the quantitative data. The findings revealed that teachers had inadequate awareness about students’ diversity, had positive perception about students’ diversity and low practices to address diversity in the classroom. In addition, the findings depicted that teachers and students tendency to favor traditional/lecture strategy, teachers inadequate awareness of diversity in the classrooms, students’ low interest to attend lesson, low parent- school relationship and low commitment of principals and supervisors support as the main challenges to address diversity in the schools understudy. In conclusions, teachers had positive perception about students’ diversity that could serve as a fertile ground to obtain benefit from addressing diversity. Teachers’ had also inadequate awareness and low practices in addressing diversity that could hamper the quality of teaching and learning in the classrooms of Jimma town primary schools under study. Thus, researcher recommended adequate awareness raising trainings, extensive orientations and follow-up to improve teachers’ awareness and practices in addressing diversity.