Every student feels valued in my classroom 10 There is a planned programme of induction

and orientation for all students and parents in this school.

11. There is a variety of extra-curricular activities that are designed specifically for minority ethnic groups.

12. Rules and regulations of the school are designed to take account of cultural differences

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14. The school takes appropriate action when a specific group of students appears to be having social or academic difficulty.

15. The school provides counselling services related to students’ academic needs.

16. The school provides counselling services related to students’ social needs.

17.Counsellors serving in that capacity have the knowledge and skills required for effective cross-cultural counselling.

18.Teachers have the knowledge and skills required for effective cross-cultural counselling. 19. There is a procedure for conflict mediation when students experience ethnic or cultural harassment in the school or beyond. To what experts are local communities

involved in the life of the school?

20. The school has established mutually supportive relationships with community groups and agencies.

21. There is a peer mediation programme in the school.

What is known about educational performance and exclusion disparities between students of various ethnic groups in the two countries?

13. The school monitors the progress of all groups of students by ethnicity.

Table 4.8 in Appendix C indicates how the content areas discussed relate to the teacher and student questionnaires and to the Head Teacher/Principal’s interview schedule. It is important to note that questions for teachers and pupils were similarly framed.

4.3.1.4 Interview

In order to probe the views of individuals and groups more deeply, a number of interview schedules were designed, again related to significant aspects of multicultural education. The interview is a flexible tool for data collection. Newby (2010) explains the benefits of interviews below.

Interview can range from asking different respondents a series of common questions to a conversation around a topic. There most important characteristic is flexibility. If a question is misunderstood, it can be rephrased. If a point is made that throws new light on an aspect of interest, then we can explore it further. It is this ability to re-ask questions that helps researchers establish whether they are being told the truth or a version of the truth that places the interviewee in a good light

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4.3.1.5 Construction of the interview with school principals/head

teacher

The interview schedule for principals in Sri Lanka and the head teacher of the English school consisted of sixteen structured questions which were relevant to multicultural policies and practices and the nature of the teaching learning process in the school. It included questions under six main categories. There are:

• Cultural differences • Languages

• Policy • Issues

• Support for individual difference • School routines (see 4c in Appendix C)

A justification for including these areas has been discussed above (section 4.2). There was one principal from Sri Lanka and one head teacher from England who participated in the pilot study. The pilot of the interview schedule was used for the main study without any changes because all questions appeared to be understood and covered focus areas for the research. Table 4.17 shows questions of the principal/head teacher interview schedule mapped against the objectives of the main study.

Table 4.17: Principal/head teacher interview schedule items mapped against research focus

Objective of the research Question

What have been some of the important issues associated with schools of multicultural backgrounds in each country and what are the similarities and differences?

2. What do you see as the main issues and needs of minority ethnic students living in your area? Do you do anything in particular to raise the achievement of minority ethnic students?

14. Do you ever have any incidents of bullying or abuse you think might be racial? If so how you do deal with racist behaviour?

15. Do you have a policy for dealing with racist incidents or discriminatory behaviour? 16. Is there anything else you can tell me about multi-cultural work in this school?

Do students of all ethnic backgrounds feel included in these schools and are relationships between them and with staff harmonious?

3. What are the principles driving your multicultural policy in this school?

4. How does your school promote inter-racial understanding among school staff and the different

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ethnic student groups?

5. Are parents, relatives and friends of minority ethnic pupils involved in the work of school? If so, how?

6. Do you encourage the use of minority ethnic languages in your school? If so, how do you do it?

7. When announcements are made in the school, for example in assemblies, which language are they made in?

8. Which languages are signs, posters and notices written in around in the school?

9. Is there any form of planned programme for students to learn English/Sinhala as an additional language?

10. How do you assess students with special needs who do not speak English/Sinhala well?

11. Do you have any classroom policy about including material and activities from all the cultural backgrounds of your students?

12. Is communication with students’ families and friends who do not speak English/Sinhala an issue for the school? If so, how do you deal with it?

To what extent are local communities involved in the life of the school?

13. Do you think it is important for minority ethnic community groups and/or their leaders to be involved in this school? If so, why? What can they do? What is known about educational performance and

exclusion disparities between students of various ethnic groups in the two countries?

1. What different minority ethnic groups do you have among the students at your school? Do you monitor student performance by ethnic group?

Interview process

Before conducting interviews with all principals and the head teacher an official letter outlining the purpose of the research and interview schedule was sent to them. After obtaining permission to conduct interviews, the interviews were then conducted. Each interview took place between thirty to forty minutes. All interviews in the schools in Sri Lanka were conducted in Sinhala and the interview with the head teacher of school of England was conducted in English and digitally recorded.

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4.3.1.6 Construction of the interview schedule with policy makers in Sri

Lanka

There were sixteen structured questions in the policy makers’ interview schedule which were relevant to multicultural education in Sri Lanka.

It included questions under five main categories. These are: • Cultural differences

• Languages • Policy • Issues

• Support for individual difference (see 4d in Appendix C).

The issue of school routines discussed in the principals’/head teachers’ interviews was not pertinent here.

The interview schedule for policy makers was piloted by one policy maker in Sri Lanka. Subsequently no changes were made for the main study. Table 4.18 below shows questions in the policy maker interview schedule in relation to the objectives of the main study.

Table 4.18: Policy maker interview schedule items mapped against research focus

Objective of the research Question

What are some of the important issues associated with schools of multicultural backgrounds each country and what are the similarities and differences?

10) What national policies have been initiated to respond to the increasing level of cultural diversity in school?

Do students of all ethnic backgrounds feel included in these schools and are relationships between them and with staff harmonious?

1) What do you think about the claim that education is an effective doorway for assimilation into mainstream society for people from diverse cultural heritages, ethnic groups, social classes and points of origin?

2) Should the curriculum reflect the different backgrounds of minority ethnic students in England / Sri Lanka?

3) Should schools provide for the teaching of minority languages within the normal school curriculum?

4) Would you expect school textbooks to reflect multicultural society?

Should they recognize cultural diversity? Should they value this diversity?

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Should they show ‘other’ religions, languages, lifestyles as valuable?

5) Should textbooks show equal regard for and acceptance of different ethnic?

6) Do you think that minority groups have a right to see their cultures positively and prominently represented in the curriculum?

7) How can policy makers work to change people’s stereotypical attitudes towards people of the other backgrounds by using the school curriculum? 8) Is it government policy that school curricula should help students to understand other people around the world?

9) Do you have a policy for assessing children in languages other than Sinhala if Sinhala is not their first language?

11) What / Who have been the driving forces behind