Retrospects and Prospects of Multicultural Teacher Education in the Higher Education Institutions of Ethiopia: Adama University in Focus

Abstract

The objective of this research was to assess the retrospects and prospects of multicultural teacher education in Ethiopia in general and in Adama University in particular. A descriptive survey research method was used in the study. The subjects of the study include officials working at the various positions of the university, students of the university, and 150 teachers. The subjects were selected using purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques. To collect the data, questionnaire, interview, and focused-group discussions were employed. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results of the study revealed that except addressing gender issues, Adama University did not practise multicultural teacher education. To help the University exercise multicultural teacher education, recommendations like arranging adequate short and long term trainings to raise the awareness of the instructors about multicultural teacher education, revising the current curricula and integrating them with multicultural education, developing a guideline for multicultural teacher education, giving multicultural teacher education as a course across departments in higher learning institutions, etc. are suggested.