Primary school teachers’ attitudes towards integrating multiculturalism into curriculum implementation in Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia

Teachers’ multicultural attitudes were conceptualized as their beliefs, perceptions, and affective orientations toward cultural diversity in increasingly heterogeneous school contexts. This study examined primary school teachers’ attitudes toward integrating multicultural issues into curriculum experiences in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. An embedded mixed-methods design in which quantitative data gathered through questionnaire was given more weight and qualitative data obtained through interview and observation was employed. Through stratified random sampling techniques, quantitative data were collected from 342 primary school teachers, complemented by in-depth interviews with six participants selected on the basis of purposive sampling. The quantitative results indicated that teachers demonstrated a moderate positive orientation toward multicultural education and learner diversity. Inferential analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in multicultural attitudes by gender. However, teachers who had completed prior coursework or professional training in multicultural education reported significantly higher attitude scores than those without such exposure. One-way ANOVA results further showed that younger and less experienced teachers exhibited significantly stronger multicultural attitudes than older and more experienced teachers. Additionally, proficiency in languages other than the instructional language was positively associated with multicultural attitudes, whereas academic qualification showed no significant relationship. The qualitative findings supported the survey results and highlighted teachers’ strong interest in professional development to enhance multicultural competence. The findings underscore the importance of targeted pre-service preparation and continuous professional development in strengthening teachers’ readiness to implement multicultural education. The study offers important implications for teacher education programs, in-service training, and policy initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive and culturally responsive schooling in diverse educational contexts.