Two School Administrators’ Perspectives on How Intercultural Education is Promoted in Their Elementary Schools

This study examined the perspectives of 2 elementary school administrators (1 principal of a faith based school, and 1 vice-principal of a public school) towards intercultural education and how it was implemented in their schools. A generic qualitative research methodology guided this study. Face-to-face interviews that used a guide with open-ended questions were used to collect data. Participants were administrators in their respective schools, had been involved in intercultural activities at their school, and were professional acquaintances of the researcher. The interviews were digitally recorded and the interview transcripts were reviewed by participants to ensure accuracy. The administrators’ understanding of intercultural education tended to be limited to learning and celebration of various cultures. The intercultural education strategies used in the respective schools focussed on developing a knowledge base and provided limited intercultural interaction. The public school had greater resources available than the private faith-based school. However, the resources were not always used to facilitate intercultural education. Teachers and administrators were provided with very few professional development opportunities focussed on intercultural education.

Dimensions of intercultural education in the twenty-first century.

Resumen basado en el del autor

Religious diversity and intercultural education : a reference book for schools.'Diversidad religiosa y educación intercultural : un libro de consulta para las escuelas'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. El manual es el resultado de un proyecto del Consejo de Europa llevado a cabo entre 2002 y 2005 titulado 'The Challenge of intercultural education today: religious diversity and dialogue in Europe' (El reto de la educación intercultural hoy: diversidad religiosa y diálogo en Europa)

La educaci??n intercultural : un reto en el presente de Europa = Intercultural education : a present-day challenge for Europe

Edici??n biling??e en espa??ol e ingl??s

¿Puede un modelo educativo intercultural combatir la discriminación y la xenofobia? = Can an intercultural education model combat discrimination and xenophobia?

In this article we present a qualitative study conducted with six indigenous and six mestizos from Intercultural University of Chiapas. The aim of the study is to exemplify the mutual perception between different ethno-linguistic groups, as well as the possible change occurred after the admission to the University. That is, opinions about the other group after and before entering the University. We conclude that a higher education intercultural model can promote mutual understanding and relationship between indigenous and mestizos and thus combat prejudices and stereotypes

Intercultural Education and Intercultural Competence in Higher Education in Ukraine

The establishment of independent Ukraine in 1991 created a political and social climate that entailed a need and possibility for democratic educational reforms in Ukraine. An integration of Ukraine in multicultural European and global society can be supported academically by infusing intercultural education in primary, secondary, and higher education curricula.

The other of myself: representations of portuguese teachers about intercultural education related concepts

Having into consideration that we live in a multicultural society, it is important to analyse how far people view and accept each other. Therefore, one should reflect upon concepts such as: representations and stereotypes, because they are interpersonal constructs which are (re)built during the interaction of different sociocultural groups. In this study, we focus our attention on the representations a sociocultural group – Portuguese teachers - has of intercultural education and the role of teachers and educators in the promotion of an intercultural approach at school. We believe that teachers have the responsibility to: find out the representations students have of the Other; reconfigure stereotyped representations; and create representations which favor dialogue and relationship with the Other flourish. Following a sociolinguistic approach (Müller, 1998; Vasseur, 2001; Vasseur & Hudelot, 1998), which is related to the construction and diffusion of representations in discourse, we analyse the discourse of teachers during a workshop called ‘The Other and Myself’, in which they build and discuss about a didactic mask that portrays their own vision of both themselves and their ideas of intercultural education.

New directions in intercultural early education in Australia

Early education in Australia encompasses both early education and care(ECEC) and the early years of school. Educational approaches to cultural and linguistic diversity have varied not only by sector but also by jurisdiction based on distinct curriculum frameworks and policies. In Australian early education, provision for cultural and linguistic diversity has been framed largely by multicultural discourse, as defined by a complex history of progressive, yet often superficial reforms. Current initiatives serve to change this trajectory and the positioning of stakeholders. The incorporation of intercultural rather than multicultural approaches offers new possibilities for early education and directs attention to real challenges for ECEC. They re-position Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Australians, and direct attention to both Australia’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity and to the role of early childhood educators in enacting more inclusive pedagogies. Challenges yet to be addressed include the cultural understanding of Australian early childhood educators, particularly those who identify as Anglo- Australian, deeper policy enactment in pedagogic practice and negotiation with diverse families and communities. This paper will address the historical and current policy contexts of intercultural early education in Australia, the development of intercultural initiatives, and emerging issues as national policies are introduced. The discussion draws on responses to intercultural early education in New Zealand and Canada to consider approaches to intercultural priorities in Australia. The paper will attend predominantly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives as a core element of change in Australian early childhood policy, focusing on ECEC.

Towards an international approach for geography education

"Geography education is indispensable to the development of responsible and active citizens in the present and future world" is one of the main statements in the International Charter on Geographical Education. This charter was edited in 1992 by Haubrich, chair of the Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union (IGU). Twenty years later this statement is still true. Geography educators all over the world are looking for ways to talk with young people about their image of their world and to help them to develop their knowledge, skills and ideas about the complex world we live in. However, different ideas exist about what geography we should learn and teach and how. The Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union tries to help to improve the quality and position of geography education worldwide promoting the dissemination of good practices and research results in the field of geography education.

A module-based approach to foster and document the intercultural process before and during the residence abroad.

This article contributes to the debate on what form of preparation and support can enhance the intercultural student experience during the Year Abroad. It presents a credit-bearing and multi-modal module at a UK university designed to both prepare students prior to departure through a series of workshops and activities on an e-portfolio and help them engage in meta-reflection on intercultural issues during their stay. The presentation of the curricular components of the course and instances extracted from student blogs are contextualised within theoretical considerations on intercultural education and a holistic approach to student development. The longitudinal evolution of the module is presented in the context of an iterative approach leading to a cycle of revisions and amendments. With its pragmatic stance this article aims to address one of the concerns recently expressed about intercultural education, namely that although intercultural theories are suitably incorporated in the latest thinking on communicative competence, there is a lack of evidence-based practice.

Hacia una educación intercultural: diversidad y convivencia en un centro de Pamplona

“Hacia una educación intercultural: diversidad y convivencia en un centro de Pamplona” es un trabajo que hace un recorrido por la sociedad multicultural actual y pretende acercar la experiencia multicultural vivida en un colegio del barrio de San Jorge de Pamplona. Este trabajo se centra en la interculturalidad como realidad social y la educación intercultural como elementos fundamentales para convivir desde la comunicación y el intercambio cultural. Ante los cambios sociales producidos en España debido a la inmigración, la escuela se ha visto inmersa en un proceso de cambio. La educación intercultural encuentra una respuesta positiva ante esta nueva realidad y, mediante el trabajo, podemos hacernos una idea de cómo se está viviendo este cambio y qué supone para el sistema educativo.