Session Information
07 SES 04 A, Teachers' Professional Development Regarding Social Justice
Paper Session
Contribution
Over the last three decades, most Western-European societies have become characterized by diverse and transitory migration processes, consisting of migrants frequently moving within the European space, refugees and asylum seekers, migration in the context of family reunification, marriage migration and exchange students and high skilled workers. Traditional processes of acculturation of intergenerational assimilation no longer seem to occur automatically. This recent wave of migration puts much pressure on many European societies when it comes to concepts such as social cohesion, integration, citizenship, identity, and language (Van Avermaet, 2009a and 2009b).
In Western-Europe, present-day integration policies often make use of the notion ‘active citizenship’, aimed at encouraging – or coercing – migrants to participate socially, politically and economically in the host society. In the literature, multiple definitions of ‘active citizenship’ can be found, all including some common characteristics (Odé & Walraven, 2013) 1) social involvement and participation; 2) active participation in public debate, political and democratic institutions; 3) active citizenship has to be inclusive of all members of society; 5) active citizenship supposes certain cognitive and social skills; and 6) loyalty towards the society a person lives in.
Also the Flemish government frames integration policies and citizenship courses as a compelling question to migrants to take up active citizenship, defining it as follows (Inburgering, Flemish Department Home Affairs): ‘to respect the basic principles of the democratic rule of law and to actively participate in society.’
Questions about the meaning of national identity, and how to maintain social cohesion and preserve national, cultural and linguistic heritage are of growing concern for policy makers and society as a whole (Van Avermaet 2009). The national language and knowledge of society are considered essential and definable elements of citizenship (and a successful integration process) (Shohamy, 2006).
But not only integration policies are aimed at promoting active citizenship and social cohesion. In the Flemish education system, each individual teacher – regardless the subject being taught - has to contribute to preparing students for active participation in society in later life (Curriculum Secondary Education). However, very little is known about what (Flemish) teachers’ beliefs are with respect to citizenship education, and even less is known about the prevalence of various citizenship education beliefs across different teachers and schools.
Another characteristic of current Flemish education policies and practices is a prevailing monolingual paradigm – solely focusing on proficiency in the national language as the key factor for active citizenship. Educational failure (being failure of educational integration) of non-Dutch speaking students is primarily – and often exclusively – explained by insufficient skills in Standard Dutch. Again, little is known about the extent monolingual beliefs of teachers interact with their beliefs on citizenship education.
The main purpose of this study is to gain insight in the beliefs of teachers in secondary schools in Flanders regarding citizenship education. We distinguish four research questions (RQ):
RQ1: What are the different dimension of citizenship education beliefs among teachers?
RQ2: Does the prevalence of different dimensions of citizenship education vary across teachers and schools?
RQ3: Does teacher or school characteristics have an influence on the prevalence of different dimension of citizenship education?
RQ4: Are teacher beliefs about monolingualism related to different dimension of citizenship education?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
- Curriculum Secondary Educaton: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/curriculum/secundair-onderwijs/vakoverschrijdend/context5.htm - Inburgering, Flemish Department Home Affairs: http://www.inburgering.be/sites/default/files/Inburgering_toelichting_adhv_regelgeving_LR.pdf - Odé, A. en Walraven, G. (2013). Binding en Burgerschap. Buurtbetrokkenheid in Rotterdam en Den Haag. Garant. - Pulinx, Van Avermaet & Agirdag (2015). Silencing linguistic diversity: the extent, the determinants and consequences of the monolingual beliefs of Flemish teachers, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism - Shohamy, E. (2006). Language Policy. Hidden agendas and new approaches. New York: Routledge. - Van Avermaet, P. (2009). Fortress Europe? Language policy regimes for immigration and citizenship. In Hogan-Brun, Mar-Molinero and Stevenson (eds): Disourses on Language and Integration. Critical perspectives on language testing regimes in Europe. 15-44. Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins. - Van Avermaet, P. & Gysen, S. (2009). Language policies for citizenship and integration. The Belgian case. In: Extra, G., M. Spotti & P. Van Avermaet (Eds.). Language Testing, Migration and Citizenship: Cross-National Perspectives. London: Continuum.
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