Ethno Cultural Minority Students Experiences of Schooling: Manifestations, purposes and Roles of Hidden Curriculum in Ethno Culturally Diverse Primary Schools of Amhara Region, Ethiopia
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Date
2024-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The focus of this research was to explore and understand the role of hidden curriculum in shaping the
lived experiences of ethnocultutral minority students. Close observation and in-depth interviews were
conducted with 32 students and 8 teachers purposefully selected from four ethno culturally diverse
primary schools. A phenomenological thematic case by case and cross-case analysis was used to
exploreand understand the manifestations and functions of the hidden curriculum in shaping the lived
experience of minority students. The resulting codes and categories under each case were organized
around themes related to the research questions.The emerging themes were examined using theories of
critical pedagogy, cultural reproduction, culturally responsive schooling, hidden curriculum and
multiculturalism. The study's findings revealed that the hidden curriculum is manifested through beliefs
implicitly embedded in curriculum adaptation, classroom instruction and assessment techniques,
disciplining practices, leadership positions, labeling language, and the celebration of marked national
holidays. These beliefs subtly embedded in the process and structure of schooling, negatively shaped the
lived experiences of ethnocultural minority students. As a result, students from ethnocultural minorities
exhibited resistance toward schooling and the educational system as a whole. Furthermore, by
perpetuating and fostering the implicit perceptions and beliefs ingrained in the design and operation of
the educational system that hinder equitable quality education for all, primary school teachers and
students from ethnocultural majority groups played detrimental roles. The result showed that the hidden
curriculum is counterproductive to the goals of critical thinking, problem solving, and unity in diversity
thereby discouraging equality, equity, and social justice. Ethno culturally diverse primary schools are
lacking in the practical implementation of multi-cultural and culturally responsive education. Despite its
profound impact on the socialization, lived experience, and identity of ethnocultural minority students,
policymakers paid no attention to the effects of hidden curriculum on the ethnocultural minority students.
The goal of achieving unity through diversity, which was not accompanied by an understanding and
accommodation of our differences, resulted in a seemingly equal educational system that effectively
marginalized and oppressedethnocultural minority students. The nature of the hidden curriculum, how to
manage it, and how it functions to promote the interests of ethnocultural majority students should be
understood by teachers in multicultural and intercultural school environments. Therefore the research
recommends policymakers should eradicate such a discriminatory, inhuman social treatment and
prejudiced policy and practice environment that excludes the experience, aspiration and dreams of
minority students. And hence the real and concrete malpractices that the research has uncovered must be
stopped with urgency. Regional and national level Policy frameworks that are inclusive, culturally
responsive and critical have to be designed by regional education bureau and ministry of education
respectively and practically implemented in order for the life goals of minority students to be realized.