From beliefs to practice: an Activity Theory analysis of EFL teachers’ multicultural education using Banks’ framework

Despite the interest in teachers’ reported multicultural education (ME), research remains limited on how this attitude is translated into practice. This study examined the (mis)alignment between self-reported and observed ME practices of 20 Iranian EFL teachers’ in language institutes, and the factors contributing to discrepancies. Grounded in Banks’ (2009) ME framework and interpreted through Engeström’s (2014) Activity Theory (AT), the study adopted a qualitative design including semi-structured individual interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews. Analyses revealed that the most frequently reported and enacted dimensions were Content Integration and Empowering School Culture, the most surface and deepest layers of Banks’ framework. Stimulated recall interviews identified tensions across all components of AT, with community emerging as the most influential constraint. Situating ME practices within sociocultural and institutional contexts, this study recommends expanding public ME programmes, enhancing teacher autonomy, and developing more accurate placement mechanisms to reduce implementation tensions in the classroom.