Integrating Immigrant Children into Primary Schools in The Czech Republic and Norway

Author(s):

Klara Zaleska(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Poster

Session Information

ERG SES C 04, Poster Session

Poster Session

Time:

2015-09-07

11:00-12:30

Room:

307. [Main]

Chair:

Norman Brady

Contribution

This poster presents data from master study which deals with the topic of Integrating immigrant children. The main research question is: What are the main characteristics of integrating immigrant children into primary schools in the Czech Republic and Norway and what aspects do influence this integration? Theoretical framework was legislation of both countries and also Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital.

Method

I have chosen a comparative study in my thesis. The first part of thesis was theoretical. In this part I compared legislation of both countries dealing with the topic of integrating immigrant children into the school. Criteria of comparing were: departments which are in charge of integrating immigrant children, laws dealing with integrating immigrant children, statistical data: the number and nationality of immigrants in both countries, history and development of immigration in both countries. The second part was empirical. In this part I present data from my research which I made both in the Czech Republic and Norway. I made two case studies of primary schools (one in Brno - CZ and one in Oslo - NO). Criteria of choosing schools were: City with similar number of inhabitants, school with a similar number of pupils and teaching staff, schools with high number of immigrant children, schools distinguishing by work with immigrant children. I used three techniques of data collection in both cities for high quality of data: analysis of documents, participant observation and interviews. I've done interviews with three types of respondents: teachers, pupils and parents also for higher quality and credibility of data.

Expected Outcomes

The main research question was: What are the main characteristics of integrating immigrant children into primary schools in the Czech Republic and Norway and what aspects do influence this integration? On the theoretical level Norway is more prepared to accept and integrate immigrant children. Norway has longer tradition in acceptation immigrants and has also higher number of immigrant population than the Czech Republic has. Norwegian schools can offer many types of support to immigrant children and whole families (f.e.: bilingual education, mother tongue education and education in the mother tongue, focus on multicultural education, bilingual teachers). Czech teachers are complaining about lack of material for education immigrant children and would like to have more opportunities for their support (there are almost no bilingual teachers, no bilingual education etc. in the Czech Republic). Nevertheless the empirical research has showed that the Norwegian school (which is characterized by accepting immigrants, specially from Africa and Asia) have left all Norwegian pupils (during ten years). On the other hand, the research at Czech school shows that there is a good relationship between Czech and immigrant children, and teachers and Czech pupils aren't leaving the school. The question is now: What does influence the integration process? Why have all Norwegians left the school and why the Czechs are staying? Poster and thesis shows detailed answer. Here are just mentioned some aspects which were important when we speak about integration: ability to speak the majority language, contact with major society, nationality of immigrant children at both schools, education of parents and family background, the age of migration, level of attention to the immigrant children and high number of immigrant children.

References

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Author Information

Klara Zaleska (presenting / submitting)

Masaryk University, Faculty of arts

Departement of Education

Sokolov

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