ACADEMIC STAFF’ S COMMITMENT,CHALLENGES,AND PROSPECTS IN IMPLEMENTING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION IN ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The main objective of this was to examine academic staff’s commitment, challenges, and prospects in implementing multicultural education in some selected Ethiopian Public Universities. To do so, the mixed method approaches with an explanatory sequential design was adopted. For quantitative data, 388 academic staff were selected using stratified proportionate random sampling, while for qualitative data, 18 academic leaders, 2 curriculum experts, and 6 student council members were purposively selected. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires while qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation, and document review. Quantitative data were analyzed in both descriptive statistics (Frequency, Present, Mean, SD, and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple linear regressions, ANOVA and SEM While qualitative subjected to thematic analysis. Quantitative data analyses revealed that the status of MCE implementation was at a low level (M=2.34 SD=0, 49). The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that on the three dimensions of commitment (i.e., Affective, Continuance, and Normative), the academic staff’s status was found to be statistically significant and positively associated with each other (Affective, 27% Continuance, 23% and, Normative, 9%) predicting multicultural education implementation. The correlation coefficient between the dimensions of multicultural education implementation and commitment was positive (r=0.305) and statistically significant (p<0.01). The correlation coefficient among the dimensions of multicultural education implementation and challenges was negative (r=−0.317) and statistically significant (p<0.01). On the other hand, the findings revealed varying degrees of influence across the three dimensions of the challenge, i.e., institutional challenges showed a negative effect on MCE implementation with a coefficient (B = -0.05, p = 0.03<0.05), while academic staff-related challenges showed a negligible effect (Estimate = -0.016, p = 0.948). In contrast, materials-related challenges demonstrated a negative effect (Estimate = -0.185, p = 0.098).The qualitative analysis confirmed the low level of MCE implementation. It also unraveled the major challenges, prospects, and strategies for the implementation of MCE in the study context. From the findings, conclusions were drawn, and vital recommendations and important future research directions were mapped out.