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.
