Indigenous Philosophies in Multicultural Classrooms: A Case Study on Teacher Integration and Barriers in Davao Occidental

Indigenous philosophies taught in multicultural settings have played a crucial role in students’ learning experiences by emphasizing contextualized activities, such as incorporating cultural beliefs and practices into classroom discussions. Hence, this study explores how teachers integrate Indigenous philosophical perspectives in multicultural classrooms. In-depth individual Interviews were conducted with seven Manobo and B’laan teachers in Marabatuan, José Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, using a qualitative case study approach. Teachers were selected based on specific criteria: teaching experience and the integration of Indigenous knowledge in lessons. A thematic analysis was conducted to interpret the collected data. Results revealed three overarching themes: (1) integrating indigenous philosophies: culturally grounded and inclusive teaching in multicultural classrooms, highlighting the use of indigenous narratives, practices, and local knowledge, its connections to universal human values, integration of culturally responsive pedagogy, and promotion of intercultural understanding; (2) indigenous philosophies as catalysts for cultural involvement and transformative learning, focusing on proliferated engagement, cultural pride and identity, appreciation for diversity, and challenges in cultural awareness and expression; and (3) barriers to integrating indigenous philosophies: systemic, instructional, and resource challenges, exploring curriculum-related constraints, lack of resources, teacher preparedness and limited training, time constraints and instructional workload, language and communication barriers, and limited institutional and peer support. To address this, it exemplifies careful curricular deliberation, integrating the power of reinforcing indigenous knowledge systems to expand students’ experiential learning and strengthen Filipino diversity. Moreover, the study corroborates the need for institutional support among teachers to develop teaching strategies and design lessons. Furthermore, the findings support theories of culturally responsive pedagogy and decolonial theory, recognizing the positive influence of indigenous worldviews tailored to formal education in contemporary contexts. Therefore, inclusive education must be strengthened by aligning curricula with indigenous philosophical perspectives.