Challenges and Possibilities: Multicultural Education in Gozo Schools

This dissertation chapter provides an introduction to a research project investigating multicultural education in Gozo primary schools. The study focuses on the increasing number of immigrant students and the resulting diversity within classrooms. It explores teachers' understanding of multicultural education, the role of Senior Leadership Teams (SLT), and how multiculturalism can be utilized as a pedagogical resource. The research aims to identify the challenges faced by teachers, the innovative teaching techniques being employed, and the creation of a learning community. The study also examines the perceptions and practices of teachers, LSEs, and SLTs regarding multiculturalism. The research outlines the structure of the dissertation, including the introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis, results, and conclusion. The significance of the research lies in its potential to enhance understanding of multicultural education, address challenges, and provide insights for future studies. The research also provides an overview of the island of Gozo, its history, and its increasing foreign population. The study emphasizes the importance of the research in evaluating the views of primary teachers about multicultural education and also the role of the SLT in primary schools regarding multicultural education.

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.
bout o oA G z
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

Gozitans still embrace the traditions of catholic in level which go beyond those of the mainland.
Along with this, the course also lead affects the mentality when it comes across to provide the
education to the students who belong to the diverse backgrounds.
Research significance
This research is essential as it allows the audience to encourage the knowledge and
understanding about the multicultural education in Gozo primary schools. The research is
important as it evaluates the possibilities, opportunities, and questions. The teachers who provide
the education to the multicultural children need to understand the value of the multicultural
education. The research is important as it helps in evaluating the views of the primary teachers
understanding about multicultural education in the Gozo primary schools. Furthermore, the
research is essential as it presents the information and knowledge to the audience about the role
of the Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) of the primary schools in regards to multicultural
education. This research will help the Gozo primary schools SLT to grab the possible
opportunities and eliminate the barriers that are majorly faced by them (Anna, 2018). Along with
this, the research is essential to provide insight into the different scholars to carry out future
studies related to this study. The role of the SLT’s can bring changes in multicultural education
on a positive and negative manner. The research shows that how multiculturalism becomes a
pedagogical resource in the classroom. In the classroom, multiculturalism has become a
pedagogical resource that helps in education (Awang, Farid, Long & Ab Rahman, 2018). All
these elements are essential for the audience to understand the concept of the multiculturalism
and associated possibility, challenges and opportunities.
Outline of the structure
The outline of the structure is effective to determine that is followed in this dissertation which
consists of an introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis, finding, and
conclusion (Silverman, 2016). The plan that is followed by the researcher is presented below: -
Introduction
In the dissertation, the first and foremost chapter is an introduction which consists of the basic
explanation of the topic and problem associated with it (Walliman, 2017). The explanation of the

topic Multicultural Education in Gozo Primary Schools with the possibility, challenges, and
questions are presented by the researcher. Along with this, this chapter allows the researcher to
present the statement of the research questions.
Literature review
The structure of the dissertation then includes a literature review which is a scholarly paper that
includes present theoretical knowledge about Multicultural Education in Gozo Primary Schools.
The information that is gathered in the literature review is considered as the second-hand data or
the used sources (Ghosh & Guchhait, 2020). The researcher reviews the opinions of the different
researchers that help in critical analysis of the literature related to the Multicultural Education in
Gozo Primary Schools.
Research methodology
The most vital chapter of the dissertation is a research methodology which consists of the
different tools, methods, approaches that are used by the researcher for collecting the data related
to the opportunities, possibilities, and challenges of multicultural Education in Gozo Primary
Schools. The explanation of the research methodology includes main questions and design,
statement of the selected research method, explanation of the methodology value and research
limitations (Kumar, 2019).
Results of the Study
In this chapter, the researcher presents the statement of the received results and also their
analysis and it also includes the comparison of the results that are obtained with the initial
goals/questions related to the Multicultural Education. The researcher ensures that the aims of
the research are attained by the researcher with the proper sourcing of the data (Gray, 2019).
Conclusion and recommendation
At the end of the study, this chapter of the dissertation provides the collective summary of the
entire study. In addition to this, this chapter provides recommendations for the different
strategies that are linked with the research matter. The recommendations are effective for
collecting the data in a successful manner (Ghosh & Guchhait, 2020).

Summary
It can be summarized from the chapter that this study will contribute in analysing the manner in
which the schools are attempting to apply such a change. Along with this, it will identify how to
tackle with the multicultural education within the Gozo primary schools. In the end, it will
provide a multicultural paradigm of any situation that majorly tends to be monoculture and
insular that can be adopted anywhere.

References
Anna, B. (2018). Everyday Multiculturalism, Recognition Theory and the Research
Methodology. In Honneth and Everyday Intercultural (Mis) Recognition (pp. 73-103).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Awang, J., Farid, M., Long, A. S., & Ab Rahman, Z. (2018). Interreligius peace in multicultural
society: A critique to the idea of peace multiculturalism. International Journal of Civil
Engineering and Technology, 9(9), 1485-1493.
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (Eds.). (2019). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives.
John Wiley & Sons.
Bezzina, C. (2018). The multicultural school in Malta: The leadership challenge. Leading and
Managing, 24(2), 1.
European commission. (2018). Population: Demographic Situation, Languages and Religions.
Retrieved from: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/population-
demographic-situation-languages-and-religions-49_en
Ghosh, S., & Guchhait, S. K. (2020). Literature Review and Research Methodology. In Laterites
of the Bengal Basin (pp. 17-31). Springer, Cham.
Gray, D. E. (2019). Doing research in the business world. Sage Publications Limited.
Jensen, K. R. (2017). Leading Global Innovation: Facilitating Multicultural Collaboration and
International Market Success. Springer.
Kumar, R. (2019). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications
Limited.
Manning, M. L., Baruth, L. G., & Lee, G. L. (2017). Multicultural education of children and
adolescents. Routledge.
Mayes, C., Cutri, R. M., Goslin, N., & Montero, F. (2016). Understanding the whole student:
Holistic multicultural education. Rowman & Littlefield.

Ogrutan, P. L., Machidon, A. L., & Dinu, A. (2019). Is There a Link Between Creativity and
Multiculturalism in Education?. TEM Journal, 8(2), 577.
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. US: Sage.
Vora, D., Martin, L., Fitzsimmons, S. R., Pekerti, A. A., Lakshman, C., & Raheem, S. (2019).
Multiculturalism within individuals: A review, critique, and agenda for future
research. Journal of International Business Studies, 50(4), 499-524.
Walliman, N. (2017). Research methods: The basics. New York: Routledge.