Twenty-first century global communications have brought the world to our fingertips which have facilitated, among other things, migration, increasing diversity, and dynamic community relationships. The challenge is then to make multicultural communities thrive (Cantle, 2018). The awareness of issues of diversity, racism, and cultural cohesion has heightened following the killing of George Floyd in the USA in 2020. Isabelle Mukadi, a Black Lives Matter British activist claimed in a BBC interview (2020) that it is high time to have a revision of the National Curriculum. This is necessary for the increasing awareness among students from ethnic minorities who are interested in a curriculum, which can link to their lived experiences and identities. This is particularly relevant in areas of historically low diversity which have more recently experienced a rise in their minority population and where inclusive growth was highlighted as a challenge in two consecutive Plymouth Council Reports (2019).

Multicultural education might better support the inclusion of these children. It involves two essential elements: equity and cultural awareness, which entail, fulfilling the educational, social, and psychological requirements of ethnically diverse children and preparing all pupils for a multiracial society through an awareness of and a commitment to the desire for change among both the majority and ethnic minority communities. The National Curriculum today is the center point of the educational enterprise with the teachers as the curriculum framers. A revised Curriculum can be the starting point in which the teachers might play a significant part. The task design is crucial where teachers can place equal importance not only on ‘how’ the task is taught but also on ‘what’ and ‘why’ it is taught as all these three are intricately interwoven. The teachers might use the curriculum as a means to encourage difficult conversations breaking the stereotypical barriers, thus helping to create students’ conception of a multicultural Britain. This may boost a plural and hospitable dimension to national identity for the ethnic minorities, telling the national story where they see themselves as important characters as well, thus creating "a common identity in which all can see themselves, and giving all a sense of belonging to each other" (Modood, 2014). A sense of belonging thus fostered among students of diverse backgrounds might uplift their self-esteem and help in their confidence building process.

My research aims to explore multiculturalism in South West England primary schools.

My research questions are:

1. What are the perspectives and experiences of practitioners, students and parents on multiculturalism in SW England primary schools?
2. How or to what extent are their perspectives and experiences shaped by the primary National Curriculum in England?

I have adopted the sociocultural theory which helps to understand individuals’ cognitive development as being inseparable from their social, cultural-historical context. Following Vygotsky’s concept of communication in the zone of proximal development, Rogoff proposed the idea of guided participation in cultural activities in which children learn while they participate in and are guided by their community’s practices by using particular tools and involvement with cultural institutions (2003). Teachers and other adults (like policymakers through policies and intervention programmes, no matter how invisible they are in the interaction) might extend or constraint the children’s opportunities by influencing decisions in the daily school routine. Schooling may be considered as a broad form of sociocultural activity where teachers skilfully knit together the perspectives of children and their own through Curriculum delivery and meaningful dialogue. I find socio-cultural theory relevant for its multiculturalism approach to curriculum enactment.

Amidst COVID-19, following my conversation with the gatekeeper, I have crafted a predominantly remotely conducted research study based on sensitive, innovative and respectful research methods. I have adopted a qualitative multiple case study research design in four primary schools located in the south-western city of Plymouth, United Kingdom. This will help to understand the prevailing trend on multiculturalism in other schools with similar demography and location. An opportunistic negotiated sampling has been adopted to identify and gather rich data. Participants in each school include one Year Group (8-10 years old), the teacher, head of Year Group, headteacher, and two BAME (Black, Asian, minority ethnic) and two non-BAME parents. Data has been collected through semi-structured interviews via Zoom with the adult participants, observation of students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of the corridor and classroom displays. The purpose of involving children and adults is to have a co-construction of meaning as an epistemological approach, which contains a wide range of specific views regarding the nature of knowledge, and how it is constructed and communicated. I am following the BERA guidelines in my research (2018). Among the standard list of things, I have included a detailed COVID 19 safety protocol as a “Covid times” researcher. My research involved tricky dilemmas which called for a sensitive and ethical handling of uncomfortable conversations around multiculturalism and race equality during the data collection process. Another dilemma revolved around a prolonged negotiation period with a whole range of voices in my research. I had to rope walk, given that the schools are already stretched to limits in the ongoing pandemic. I had to ensure my adaptability to participants’ needs as their participation ability and responses may change further and abruptly motivated by the pandemic situation. Personally, readjusting to social interactions as an academic going through tremendous emotional turmoil, also seemed to contribute to my flexible and accommodating attitude. My logical methodological exploration has to be rigorously instilled further now into my day-to-day expectations, as I enter my next stage of research: data interpretation & analysis. I am using NVivo, Word, and Excel for data analysis and interpretation. I have selected thematic analysis to flexibly explore ways in which themes can form reality in specific ways in the participants’ lived experiences about multiculturalism (Braun and Clarke, 2013). Validity, reliability and credibility are being sought at all stages of my research.

There are a few studies (Knight’s doctoral thesis, 2018). The 2013 Plymouth University project conducted by Cotton et al. did not study settled ethnic minorities exclusively. Until the primary education system introduces a curriculum embracing all communities, the children from ethnic minorities will continue to live in an ‘invisible state’ and more so, in areas where these people are comparatively fewer. The originality lies in attempting a holistic exploration of multiculturalism, possibly for the first time applying the socio-cultural theory. We are passing through a phase of alienation in the ongoing pandemic, aftermath of Brexit, and BLM movement. Although set in a local context of a south-western British city, my research is a timely topic of study related to educational concerns. It clearly links to Europe-wide considerations of how cultural awareness can be experienced through the practice of multicultural education in educational institutions. My research may contribute to the ongoing studies supporting a multicultural curriculum, thus, having a wider appeal to a broader audience with national and international interests. My findings may also guide policymakers to identify potential areas where culturally relevant intervention programs can be directed. I have finished coding my data which constitutes an initial stage of data analysis. Till now, the analysis findings hint towards three broad revelations: Initial analysis suggests three broad findings: • Some gaps in multicultural knowledge among practitioners and parents, • Doubtfulness towards multiculturalism among practitioners, stemming possibly from a rigid outlook, • A general enthusiasm towards multiculturalism among students I am hopeful that my research study may encourage the educators to raise awareness about the inclusion of children from ethnic minorities which in turn, might assist in creating safe places for them in schools and the society, at large.

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