ORCID
- Suparna Bagchi: 0000-0002-2498-2892
Abstract
The present study is an exploration of teachers’, parents’ and students’ experiences and understandings of multiculturalism in four mainstream primary schools situated in a predominantly White location in Southwest England. It adopts qualitative methodology under a single case study design underpinned by a sociocultural theoretical framework. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted virtually with adult participants, students’ classroom activities and field notes supplemented by photographs of classroom and corridor displays. Study findings suggest strong support among participants for incorporating multicultural components in school teaching and learning. Findings also suggest varying levels of accessibility, knowledge and availability of resources around multiculturalism in school practice and environments, which can significantly shape participants’ experiences and understandings in the particular sociocultural and historical contexts of the study. Findings further suggest that amidst attempts to meet a range of differential needs in daily school routines, efforts towards multicultural practice are somewhat less noticeable. My study possibly ignites debates in the particular study location in Southwest England and places with similar sociocultural and historical landscapes on the inclusion of students from Global Majority through respectful recognition. It also illuminates the necessity for creating a learning environment where students across communities have multicultural education, which can be significant for their holistic development. My study is context-, place- and time-bound. Recommendations include teacher preparedness through culturally relevant professional development, an embedded multicultural school curriculum focus and atmosphere and inclusive attitudes among inhabitants of the wider community. My study is an original contribution to empirical knowledge for exploring multiculturalism and seeing the primary national curriculum as a cultural practice and mediating artefact, using a sociocultural theoretical framework in a Southwestern English city. It relates to educational concerns, linking clearly to European considerations of how multicultural education and school practice can be experienced.
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
2025
Embargo Period
2025-04-29
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Bagchi, S. (2025) Experiences and Understandings of Multiculturalism in Mainstream Primary Schools in Southwest England. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Retrieved from https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/sc-theses/87
