EFFECT OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON INCLUSIVITY IN MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between school management strategies and inclusivity in multicultural classrooms in the public secondary schools in Delta State. The study was anchored on Banks’ Multicultural Education Theory and Gay’s Culturally Responsive Teaching Theory. The study addressed the problem of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, inadequate teacher preparedness, and weak inclusive practices in culturally diverse classrooms. Both descriptive survey and ex-post facto designs were adopted. The population of the study comprised 7,500 teachers, while a sample of 364 teachers was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled School Management Strategies and Inclusivity Questionnaire (SMSIQ). The instrument was validated by experts, and a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and simple linear regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that language barriers and cultural misunderstandings were significantly associated with reduced students’ participation and classroom inclusivity, while teacher preparedness and school management strategies showed significant positive relationships with inclusive classroom practices. The regression results showed moderate to strong relationships among the variables, with R² values ranging from 0.48 to 0.58. The study concluded that inclusive leadership practices, teacher professional development, and culturally responsive policies are important for promoting inclusivity in multicultural classrooms. However, the study was limited to teachers in public secondary schools in Delta State and relied mainly on self-reported data. The study recommended that educational authorities should strengthen multicultural education policies and provide continuous teacher training on inclusive classroom management.