Teachers’ perceptions of mathematics teaching in multicultural classrooms: A study of challenges and practices in primary and secondary education

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.