Teachers’ perceptions of mathematics teaching in multicultural classrooms: A study of challenges and practices in primary and secondary education
Full Text (PDF)
Nataly Pincheira 1 * , Ángel Alsina 1 , Yeni Acosta 2 , Paula López-Serentill 1 , Jordi Freixenet 3
More Detail
1 Department of Subject-Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Girona, SPAIN2 Department of Pedagogy, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Girona, SPAIN3 Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, Polytechnic School, University of Girona, Girona, SPAIN* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study explores in-service primary and secondary school teachers’ perceptions of teaching mathematics in multicultural classroom contexts. This study employed a survey-based descriptive research design, based on the administration of the survey-MARIAN instrument to 50 Spanish teachers working in public multicultural schools. The findings indicate that: (a) algebra is perceived as one of the most challenging topics to teach at both primary and secondary levels, while computational thinking emerges as one of the most complex areas to teach; (b) active methodologies and digital technologies are moderately integrated across both educational stages, whereas familiarity with the Montessori approach differs substantially between primary and secondary teachers; and (c) language barriers are identified as the main challenge in teaching mathematics in multicultural settings. Overall, the results suggest that teachers demonstrate a positive orientation toward active, inclusive, and contextualized approaches to mathematics teaching; however, their implementation remains limited and uneven. These findings highlight the need for targeted professional development and pedagogical frameworks that support inclusive mathematics education in culturally diverse classrooms.

Keywords

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 11, November 2026, Article No: em2956

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19680

Publication date: 27 Oct 2026

Article Views: 18

Article Downloads: 9

Open Access References How to cite this article