Author(s): Nanthawan Watthanawara, Nongyao Nawarat, Bupa Anansuchartkul, Sitthinat Praputnitisarn
This study aimed to develop local curriculum with the strategy of participatory research in a multiracial school in Wat Ket Karam, Muang district, Chiang Mai province. The research methodology was Participatory Action Research which required the cooperation of people in the community in developing and integrating multicultural education concept to the local curriculum. The study was separated into four stages: 1) planning (to prepare and study the community), 2) curriculum development, 3) implementation, and 4) evaluation. The result of the study in the first and the second stages showed that the local curriculum currently used in the school was not related to the life style and culture in Wat Ket community and was not related to multicultural learners who came from different racial background. In the mean time, the result of the stage three was the construction of grade 4 to 6 new local curriculum based on multicultural education concept. The result of the last stage, which was about curriculum implementation and evaluation, showed that there were positive effects towards the learners. First, the learners were able to see the cultural differences of people living in Wat ket community equally. Secondly, the learners accepted various forms of culture and life style among different groups of people living in Wat Ket community. Thirdly, the learners respected culture and life style of every group of people in Wat Ket community. Finally, the learners understood and saw the cultural value of every group of people in Wat Ket community, which was related to the research objectives.