Multicultural Education in Gozo Primary Schools. Possibilities, Challenges and Questions

Abstract 500
Chapter 1: Introduction
Research title:
Multicultural Education in Gozo Primary Schools.
Possibilities, Challenges and Questions
Research questions
Q1. What do teachers understand by multicultural education?
Q2. What is the SLT’s role regarding multicultural education?
Q3. How will multiculturalism become a pedagogical resource in the classroom?
Focus of the study
The focus of the study is on multicultural education in Gozo Primary Schools to determine the
possibilities, challenges, and questions. The term multicultural education is referred to any form
of the education or teaching that includes the histories, texts, values, belief, and also the
perspectives of the people that belongs to the diverse cultural backgrounds (Banks & Banks,
2019). The importance of the multicultural education is that it offers the individual with the
opportunity to determine their own social and cultural biases which contribute in breaking down
those biases and make the changes in their perspective with their own setting. Along with this,
multicultural education can ultimately affect the way students can perceive themselves. As the
perspective of the student of the multicultural remains positive then it allows the others student
to become exposed to the subject that might contribute in encouraging and conclude in the
consistent as well as positive attitudes towards the other cultures (Bezzina, 2018).
Over the past 15 years, there is a significant improvement in the number of immigrants due to
various factors that are cultural factors, financial factors and religious factors. The upward shift
in immigration is also reflected in the rise of the foreign national’s participation in education.
During the year 2014/2015, foreigners are accounted for approximately 6.7% of the overall
enrolled students in formal education. This leads to the rise in 1.7 population points over the

previous academic year (European commission, 2018). The research shows that the majority of
the foreign students were nationals of European Union (EU). Along with this, it has been
determined that ministry for the education and employment identifies the importance of the
linguistic diversity as well as supports learning language as a lifelong task that is required
majorly for the economic competitiveness and societies that are inclusive (European
commission, 2018).
The rise in the immigrants affected Gozo primary schools. Every school need to develop their
own policies and a plan that include a particular requirement of the immigrant children. The
primary school's classrooms of Gozo are becoming more diverse in terms of the language, race,
ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and other mental health challenges (Manning,
Baruth & Lee, 2017). The improvement in the cultural diversity contributes in improving more
students that belong to the different culture with various needs that are required to be attained.
The study reflects that teachers are dealing with the various types of challenges where they not
coping in the class. The reason behind this is that syllabus is required to be included and diverse
learner’s requirement. Thus, the dynamics of the classrooms are required to be changed with the
motive to form the learning community. In the multicultural education system, the teacher’s
works as a facilitator as it contributes in bringing the philosophical concept that is built on the
ideals of equality, justice, freedom and many others (Mayes, Cutri, Goslin & Montero, 2016).
Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) together with the teachers are looking for the innovative ways
that majorly lies on a least common dominator that allows them to be able to reach towards their
students more effectively, especially when their entire classes consists of the students with the
diverse backgrounds. This leads to the acute requirement for the development of the innovative
techniques of the teaching which at times that might actually result in forming more work for the
teachers (Jensen, 2017). It has been found that various games and activities in the multicultural
classrooms in an excellent way in order to encourage inclusivity and also foster students to share
their heritage. It is considered as one of the beneficial ways for the teachers to get students to
indulge in the different styles of the study to immerse them in their entire learning. The sharing
about oneself within the confines of an activity is often much simpler than being asked open-
ended questions and also put on the spot. However, it seems to be a problem that is a cause of the

frustration to the different teachers who are not always observing the good results that they aim
to reap at the opening of every scholastic year (Ogrutan, Machidon & Dinu, 2019).
The aim of this study is to question the manner in which Gozitan primary schools are presently
transforming classroom of multicultural into the learning community. Along with this, the
purpose of the study is to provide the insight into the areas of teacher strength that can contribute
in enhancing the wellbeing of the student and determine the areas that need the collaboration
between the teacher as well as the counsellor. Strong, consultative, collaborative relationships
with the teachers can contribute in enhancing the efficacy of both in the best interest of children.
Along with this, teachers can become early identifiers of the needs of the children’s that remains
beyond their comfort zone and also make suitable referrals to the counsellors (Banks & Banks,
2019). This study explores and focuses on the perceptions and practices of the teachers, LSEs
and SLTs in relation to the multiculturalism as well as the creation of the learning community
within the classroom.
It is important to emphasise on the manner in which heads, teachers, and assistant heads of the
Gozo primary schools perceive their role currently within the multicultural education and manner
in which they view the multiculturalism as a barrier or opportunity in order to attain the
objectives as well as targets that are set out in the curriculum.
About Gozo
Gozo is an island present in the Mediterranean Sea which is one of the 21ts that make up the
Maltese archipelago. Inhabited for the thousands of the years, the place evidence of the historic
immigration and it is ruled by the Phoenicians, Arabs, French, and many others. It has been
found that the island-state of Malta is situated in the Mediterranean Sea which is south of the
Sicily (Italy) as it consists of the three islands which include Malta, Gozo and Comino of which
Malta is considered as the largest island. In its history, the Maltese archipelago was always
strategically vital for the domination of the Mediterranean (Vora et al, 2019). The study shows
that Gozo compared to its south-eastern neighbour is more rural in character as well as less
developed. Although, during these past years the populations have been expanding and has a
substantial number of the foreigners are settling on the island. It has been determined that there is
a tendency of the being insular as well as such changes that are present within the culture and the
education as it leads to a higher impact. In the recent surveys, this has been witnessed that the