Diverging Perspectives: Comparing Iranian High School Teachers and Curriculum Designers’ Perceptions of Multicultural Curriculum Components in ELT Textbooks

This study examines the integration of multicultural curriculum (MC) components—objectives, content, methods, and evaluation—into Iran's Vision series English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks, with a focus on the perceptions of high school teachers and curriculum designers. A qualitative content analysis of the textbooks revealed limited multicultural themes, including superficial coverage of global cultures, underrepresented Iranian diversity, and minimal engagement with social justice issues, suggesting a gap in culturally responsive content. Quantitative analysis, involving a yes/no questionnaire administered to 26 teachers (10 males, 16 females) and 38 curriculum designers (26 males, 12 females), using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-tests, which showed significant differences across all MC components. Teachers consistently perceived less multicultural integration than designers, highlighting a disconnect between design intentions and classroom realities. This mixed-methods study highlights the importance of collaborative curriculum development and teacher training in aligning perceptions and enhancing multicultural education, ultimately preparing students better for a diverse and globalized world.