Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The study investigates how three public schools in Northern Thailand implement multicultural education within linguistically and culturally diverse classroom contexts. It specifically examines how schools manage curriculum design and instructional practices to support students from multiple ethnic backgrounds. A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school administrators and teachers, as well as classroom and school-based field observations. The findings indicate that schools adopt three main strategies to operationalize multicultural education: (1) integration of multicultural content into existing subjects through curriculum enrichment and transformation, including the development of locally relevant courses and bilingual instructional models, (2) inclusion of schools that implement supplementary activities promoting intercultural understanding and positive intergroup relations among students, and (3) enhancement of teachers' multicultural competencies through professional development, policy support, and community engagement. Overall, the study shows that multicultural education in the selected schools is implemented through incremental adaptation rather than full curricular restructuring. These practices are supported by national policy frameworks, local educational authorities, school leadership, and community stakeholders. The study contributes to existing literature by providing empirical evidence from Thailand on how multicultural and multilingual education can be jointly operationalized within a national curriculum system while maintaining local cultural responsiveness.
Institutions: Chulalongkorn University, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,180
Funder: Chulalongkorn University
OpenAlex ID: W7214115106