Identifying the Dimensions and Components of Multicultural Curriculum Planning Based on the Philosophy of Education
Keywords:
Multicultural Curriculum Planning, Philosophy of Islamic Education, Multicultural EducationAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to identify and explain the fundamental dimensions and components of multicultural curriculum planning based on the philosophy of Islamic education and to provide an indigenous and coherent framework for addressing cultural diversity within Iran’s educational system.
Methodology: This exploratory study employed a qualitative approach. Data were collected through a purposeful review of specialized literature, upstream policy documents, sources related to the philosophy of Islamic education, and relevant scholarly studies, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in curriculum planning, philosophy of Islamic education, multicultural education, cultural studies, teacher education, and lower secondary education. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and qualitative content analysis with MAXQDA. The analytical procedure included open coding, code refinement and integration, axial coding, and selective coding.
Findings: The analysis initially generated 62 open codes, which were reduced to 50 refined codes after eliminating or integrating overlapping concepts. Axial coding organized these codes into 10 major components: human dignity, respect for cultural diversity, equality of educational opportunities, cultural justice in the curriculum, intercultural dialogue, empathy and mutual understanding, cultural critical thinking, inquiry and reasoning, cultural coexistence, and reinforcement of shared identity. Selective coding subsequently grouped these components into five core dimensions: human identity, educational justice, cultural interaction, rationality and reasoning, and social cohesion. These dimensions were respectively grounded in the philosophical principles of intrinsic human dignity and common nature, justice and equity, dialogue and mutual understanding, religious rationality, and the concept of a unified community alongside unity in diversity.
Conclusion: Multicultural curriculum planning grounded in the philosophy of Islamic education can integrate human dignity, educational justice, cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, critical reasoning, and a shared Islamic–Iranian identity within a coherent indigenous framework. Its application may facilitate the development of culturally responsive and equitable curricula while promoting peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and social cohesion in culturally diverse educational environments.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hakimeh Pourmajidi (Author); Vida Andishmand; Zahra Zeinaddiny Meymand, Anahita Bahreinizadeh, Najmeh Hajipour Abaie (Author)
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