Designing a Multicultural Curriculum Model for Lower Secondary Education Based on the Philosophy of Islamic Education

Hakimeh  Pourmajidi; Vida Andishmand; Zahra  Zeinaddiny Meymand; Anahita Bahreinizadeh; Najmeh  Hajipour Abaie

doi:10.61838/qz9et056

Authors

Hakimeh Pourmajidi PhD Student, Department of Philosophy of Education, Ke.C., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7833-2596
Vida Andishmand Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ke.C., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8028-9833
Zahra Zeinaddiny Meymand Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ke.C., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7602-7707
Anahita Bahreinizadeh Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ke.C., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5758-9176
Najmeh Hajipour Abaie Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ke.C., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6111-6224

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/qz9et056

Keywords:

Multicultural Curriculum, Lower Secondary Education, Islamic Philosophy of Education, Educational Justice, Cultural Diversity, Curriculum Design, Delphi Method

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to design and validate a multicultural curriculum model for lower secondary education based on the philosophy of Islamic education.

Methods and Materials: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, relevant scholarly literature, policy documents, and semi-structured interviews with purposively selected experts in curriculum planning, Islamic philosophy of education, multicultural education, cultural studies, teacher education, and lower secondary schooling were analyzed using thematic analysis in MAXQDA. The extracted concepts were organized into philosophical dimensions, components, and indicators and used to develop the initial curriculum model. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed 40-item questionnaire based on five philosophical dimensions and 10 components was administered to 100 lower secondary teachers working in culturally diverse educational settings. Content validity was assessed using CVR and CVI, construct validity through exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring, and reliability through Cronbach’s alpha. The proposed model was subsequently validated through three Delphi rounds with 15 experts. Quantitative analyses were conducted in SPSS.

Findings: The qualitative analysis yielded five philosophical dimensions—Human Identity, Educational Justice, Cultural Interaction, Rationality, and Social Cohesion—comprising 10 principal components. The questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, with mean CVR=.79, CVI=.91, KMO=.837, a significant Bartlett test, χ²(780)=2111.837, p<.001, and a five-factor solution. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .820 to .900 across dimensions and was .940 for the total scale. Delphi validation showed increasing convergence, with the overall mean rising from .823 in Round 1 to .853 in Rounds 2 and 3, while the mean coefficient of variation declined from 1.79% to 1.05%. Friedman tests were significant in all three rounds, p<.001.

Conclusion: The findings support a coherent and expert-validated multicultural curriculum model grounded in Islamic educational philosophy and structured around dignity, justice, dialogue, rationality, and social cohesion, with potential applicability to lower secondary curriculum design and implementation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abduh, A., Rosmaladewi, R., & Andrew, M. (2023). Strategies of Implementing Multicultural Education: Insights from Bilingual Educators. International Journal of Language Education, 7(2), 343-353. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v7i2.48498

Afzali, A., Sadeghi, A., Kian, M., & Abbasi, E. (2023). Designing a Multicultural Literacy Curriculum Model for Student Teachers at Farhangian University. Iranian Curriculum Studies Quarterly.

Ajani, O. A., & Govender, S. (2026). Revising Pre-Service Teacher Education for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Multicultural Curriculum Challenges and Prospects in South Africa. European Journal of Education, 61(1), e70493. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70493

Ambarini, R., Yuliasri, I., Widhiyanto, W., Yuniawan, T., & Sukarno. (2025). Empowering Multicultural Curriculum Integration through Microteaching: An Experiential and Stakeholder-Informed Approach. The New Educational Review, 81, 167-181. https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.2025.81.3.11

Bagheri, K. (2022). An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Volumes 1 and 2). Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company.

Gube, J., & Bryant, D. A. (2025). Making Space for Ethnic Diversity through Global Education: A Zone Theory Perspective. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 27(1), 219-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749039.2025.2505880

Hamidizadeh, K. (2024). Meta-Synthesis in Reidentifying the Components of Multicultural Education. Intercultural Studies, 19(61), 85-112.

Jaberi Safa, N., Armand, M., & Essareh, A. (2023). Designing and Validating an Optimal Economic Education Curriculum Model Based on the Sustainable Development Approach in Lower Secondary Education. Education Journal, 39(3).

Khobir, A., Rosalina, K., Hasanah, F. N., & Rif'iyati, D. (2021). Multicultural Islamic Education: Gus Dur and Cak Nur Perspectives. Social Sciences and Education Research Review, 8(2), 119-139.

Kim, E. (2025). Exploring the Integrated Application of Banks' Approaches to Multicultural Curriculum Reform and Critical Service-Learning (CSL). Convergence Education Review, 11(2), 101-122. https://doi.org/10.69742/cer.2025.11.2.101

Lee, D. (2025). Analysis of Multicultural Education Types and Acculturation from the Perspectives of James Banks and John Berry. Character Education, 19(3), 147-171. https://doi.org/10.18015/edumca.19.3.202508.147

Moslehi, J. (2024). Designing a Futures-Oriented Curriculum Model Based on Identified Educational, Cultural, and Social Needs of Lower Secondary Students. Curriculum Studies Quarterly.

Mukhsin, M., Mutaqin, A. Z., & Nasir, M. (2024). The Implementation of Multicultural Islamic Religious Education in the Families of Primary School-Age Children in Putrajawa, Selaawi Garut. Dinamika Ilmu, 24(2), 197-219. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v24i2.9008

Nakhzari Moghaddam, L., & Akbari Borang, M. (2025). Designing a Multicultural Art Curriculum Model for Upper Primary Education Based on Iran's Ecosystems. Strategic Studies of Education, 3(2).

Nesterova, Y. (2019). Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education Approaches to Indigenous People's Education in Taiwan. Multicultural Education Review, 11(4), 253-270. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2019.1686561

Norouzi, V., Adib, Y., Yari Hajatloo, J., & Badri Gargari, R. (2021). A Research Synthesis to Identify the Components of a Multicultural Curriculum. Cultural Society Research Quarterly, 17(1).

Parker, J. L. (2019). Multicultural Education as a Framework for Educating English Language Learners in the United States. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education, 4(1), 22-35. https://doi.org/10.32674/jimphe.v4i1.1404

Qin, H., & Zhou, Z. (2026). Feasibility of Implementing a Multicultural Curriculum through Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives of Educational Science Experts. Scientific reports, 16, 18137. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-48953-x

Raihani, R., Issabekova, G., Maulana, T., & Abdrakhman, G. (2025). Multicultural Education in Indonesia's "Merdeka" Curriculum. Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 16(1), 413-432. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2025.2.413.432

Rouhi, A., Nateghi, F., Azizi, N., & Jalalvandi, M. (2022). Presenting a Curriculum Model Based on Attention to All Subcultures in Iran's Lower Secondary Curriculum System. Curriculum Research, 5(11), 6606-6625.

Sadeghi, A., & Azizi, Y. (2022). Identifying and Formulating the Principles of Multicultural Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Educational Innovations, 21(1), 7-26.

Saedi Abriz, L. (2026). Multicultural Education in Iranian Classrooms: Challenges and Practical Strategies. Paya Shahr(83), 393-409.

Taghavizadeh Golpayegani, N. (2023). Analysis of the Impact of Cooperative-Based Education on the Development of Cultural Interactions in Multicultural Environments. Research and Innovation in Education and Development, 3(1), 24-35.

Toudeh-Ranjbar, M., Araghi, F., & Shakiba, A. (2022). Management of Multigrade Classes.

Yim, J. M. (2024). Development and Application of a Dance Education Program Using the Banks Multicultural Curriculum Approach. Journal of Sport and Dance Science, 4(3), 191-204. https://doi.org/10.54109/jsds.2024.4.3.17