Characteristics and Necessities of Developing a Multicultural Curriculum in Iran; Review of Challenges, Presentation of Strategies

The present paper is aimed at developing a framework for a curriculum compatible with cultural diversity in Iran. A curriculum is basically a political-cultural document and a contextualized, culture-sensitive topic which would prove effective only if its building blocks are compatible with the cultural characteristics of society and those of the learner. The present paper tries to build on descriptive-analytical method to initially examine Iran’s cultural and ethnic diversity and then argue in favor of the necessity to develop multicultural curricula from a “national” and “transnational” perspective. “Multicultural curriculum” approach and “requirements of the times” can be listed as transnational and global necessities of such curricula. As for domestic necessities, the current paper will focus on “upstream rules” and “Iran’s special geopolitical conditions”. This paper will then explain the goals of a multicultural curriculum before turning its focus to challenges associated with development of such curricula. At the end, practical strategies to introduce a multicultural curriculum, based on challenges that lie ahead and in line with upstream rules of the country, are presented for Iranian education policymakers and planners.