Razi University

   Despite the growing recognition of multicultural education (ME) globally, this area remained underexplored in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Although teachers have expressed positive attitudes toward ME, little research has explored how these attitudes translate into actual classroom practices. To fill this gap, the present study examined the (mis)alignment between self-reported and observed ME practices of 20 Iranian EFL teachers in language institutes and the factors contributing to discrepancies through the lens of AT. Grounded in Banks’ (2009) ME framework and interpreted through Engestr?m’s (2014) AT, the study adopted a qualitative design including semi-structured individual interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews in the first phase. Subsequently, the researchers examined the impact(s) of a nine-session awareness-raising intervention on shifting five of the EFL teachers’ practices from surface-level to more meaningful approaches to ME. The workshop, which covered theoretical and practical aspects of ME, was structured around action-research principles and required teachers to apply ME strategies in their classrooms, engaging them in iterative cycles of implementing, observing, and reflecting on their ME practices. The effectiveness of the workshop was examined through 35 journals, an 80-minute focus-group interview, and 10 post-intervention observations, compared with pre-intervention observation. Analysis of interviews and observations in the first phase of the study revealed that the most frequently enacted and reported dimensions were Content Integration and Empowering School Culture, representing the most surface and deepest layers of Banks’ model. Stimulated recall interviews identified tensions across all AT components, with community emerging as the strongest constraint. Additionally, findings of the second phase of the study indicated meaningful pedagogical and cognitive shifts after the workshop from surface-level practices to deeper engagement with most aspects of Banks’ framework; although, the extent of change was uneven. Teachers integrated cultural references at multiple levels, promoted critical literacy, addressed gender and socioeconomic stereotypes, experimented with equitable assessments, and fostered safe, inclusive classroom environments. They also redefined fairness and restructured participation strategies. Situating ME practices within sociocultural and institutional contexts, this study recommends expanding public ME programs, enhancing teacher autonomy, and developing more accurate placement mechanisms to reduce implementation tensions in the classroom. The findings highlight the need for societal and institutional ME action-oriented PD models with scaffolded practice, iterative implementation-reflection cycles, and contextually relevant materials, alongside institutional and managerial support to sustain ME. Limitations are discussed and directions for future research are offered.