Polarization in the classroom. A new challenge to intercultural education.

Author(s):

Yvonne Leeman

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

7. Social Justice and Intercultural Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

07 SES 07A, The Strength of Imagination

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-11

15:30-17:00

Room:

BE 016

Chair:

Francesca Gobbo

Contribution

The proposed presentation is based on an ongoing research project into the dilemmas teachers encounter in their work in multi-ethnic schools in the Netherlands (Leeman 2006, 2008). Global trends in polarization between religions and the recent societal context in the Netherlands characterized by mounting selection and the hardening of the debate on integration brought new problems like polarization and radicalization into the multi-ethnic classroom. In policy documents a rather disciplinary view of citizenship education is propagated.

Method

Qualitative methods were used including interviews and document analysis of policy-documents. We analyzed the reports of five group interviews with different groups of professionals in education (20 professionals including teachers and school leaders in each group) on polarization and radicalization of pupils and the quality of current educational answers available. These interviews have been held in the city of Amsterdam in 2007 and 2008. In addition interviews were held with pupils and teachers of 32 multi-ethnic schools in different regions of the Netherlands about the interethnic aspects of conflicts that occurred in the schools. These interviews were held in 2007

Expected Outcomes

In general not at the start but in the escalation of a conflict ethnic-cultural diversity could play a significant role. The majority evaluates their professionalism as insufficient to react to conflicts and the radicalization of pupils. The main advise mentioned is: “Keep in contact with all pupils”. In the discussion of these results I will develop a different perspective by emphasizing a connection between teaching the subjects and the pedagogical involvement with pupils and by stressing the development of the intercultural sensitivity and the imagination of the teacher (Kohl 1994; Judson 2008) and by doing so linking their professionalism not only to their cognitive but to their political and emotional lives too.

References

Bhatti, G., Gaine, C., Gobbo, F. & Leeman, Y. (eds) (2007) Social justice and intercultural education an open-ended dialogue. Stoke on Trent UK/ Sterling USA: Trentham Books. (213 pag.) ISBN-13: 978 1 85856 403 6 Judson G. (ed)(2008) Teaching 360 : Effective learning through the imagination. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Kohl, H. (1994) “Iwon’t learn from you” And other thoughts on creative maladjustment. New York: The New Press Leeman, Yvonne (2006) Teaching in ethnically diverse schools: teachers’ professionalism. European Journal of Teacher Education 29 (3) 341-356. ISSN 0261-9768. Leeman, Y. (2008) Education and diversity in the Netherlands, European Educational Research Journal 7(1) 50-59. www.wwwords.eu/EERJ http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2008.7.1.50

Author Information

Yvonne Leeman

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Educational Studies

Amsterdam

157

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