Session Information
07 SES 03 A, Discrimination in Education
Paper Session
Contribution
An understanding of education that is non-discriminatory is essential for immigrants as well as for all students. However, there are findings indicating that immigrants living in Europe face difficulties in accessing inclusive education and encounter discriminatory behaviors during their educational processes(Brown,2015;HRCReport,2021;Koopmans,2008;Unia,2021). On the other hand, studies conducted globally indicate that teachers' positive attitudes and pedagogical love approaches towards immigrant and refugee students enhance these students' motivation toward education (Kaukko,Wilkinson&Kohli,2021;Määttä&Uusiautti, 2012;Zaidi et al.,2021). However, there is a research gap that can enable us to focus more on the feelings and compare the experiences of discrimination and pedagogical love together. Learning and trying to understand what the experience of discrimination and pedagogical love means in the world of immigrants and their deep feelings and emotions regarding how it affects them can be considered as a step in order to eliminate the problem of an inclusive(Palliser,2021) immigrant education and to contribute to the development of a non-discriminatory pedagogical understanding. When it comes to experiences that include the relationship between me and the other, such as discrimination and love, the idea of eliminating the centrality of the self status(Mevlana Rumi,2014) and placing the ethical relationship perspective that prioritizes otherness(Levinas,1969) at the center of the pedagogical relationship will be the theoretical pursuit of the study.
Within the framework of the idea of eliminating egocentrism, both in the philosophical context and in a social practice such as pedagogy, the attempt to establish a bridge between the idea of self and otherness in Anatolian philosophy (the samples that the deconstruction of the idea of selfness and identity from Turkish Literature(Atay,1998;Şafak,2003) and Sufi's Philosophy(Mevlana Rumi, 2014; Yunus Emre,1990;Bektaş-ı Veli,2013) and the understanding of ethics and hospitality that prioritizes otherness and difference in the philosophies of Levinas(1969;1981) & Derrida(1999;2000), is located in the ground of the idea of non-discriminatory pedagogy in this study. Questioning the centrality of the position of self in the pedagogical relationship between teacher and student means questioning the hierarchy between them and a position of power that pacifies the student as an otherness and erodes his otherness for the sake of mass purposes, and it will also mean questioning a logic of discrimination that tries to make the individual, social and cultural otherness of the student as an otherness the same(Egéa-Kuehne,2008;Standish,2008). This study will fulfill the effort to develop discussions and suggestions on a non-discriminatory pedagogical philosophy in the centrality of the concepts of otherness, sensitivity, love and ethics by starting from the deep feelings and thoughts based on the concrete experiences of immigrant individuals who also have a position of otherness in society.
In this context, this research aims to reveal the experiences of discrimination and pedagogical love encountered by Turkish immigrants in Belgium during their education process and to discuss the idea of a non-discriminatory pedagogy based on these experiences within a philosophical framework. In order to achieve this aim, the following research questions will be answered in this research:
1- What are the feelings and thoughts of Turkish immigrants educated in Belgium regarding the experiences of discrimination they encounter during their education process?
2- What are the feelings and thoughts of Turkish immigrants educated in Belgium regarding the experiences of pedagogical love they have had with their teachers during their education process?
3- What are the thoughts of Turkish immigrants regarding the effects that their experiences of discrimination and pedagogical love?
4- How can a theoretical perspective be proposed on the thouth of Non Discriminatory Pedagogy based on the discrimination and pedagogical love experiences of Turkish immigrants within the relational ground of Anatolian Philosophy and the philosophies of Levinas & Derrida?
Method
Research Approach This study adopted a qualitative research approach. In this research, the phenomenological method was used as it allows for the exploration of experiences free from prejudice. The phenomenological method was employed to explore the discrimination and pedagogical love experiences of Turkish immigrants in an unprejudiced manner, focusing on emotional and mnemonic connections to fully comprehend the meaning of these experiences for the participants (Sart, 2015; Patton, 2018). Study Group The study group consisted of Turkish immigrants born and raised in Belgium who received primary and secondary education in Belgium and were above 18 years of age. A non-probability sampling technique, enabling the purposeful inclusion of individuals with specific characteristics relevant to the research topic, was used. More specifically, the snowball sampling method, a type of non-probability sampling, was applied (Neuman, 2014). Interviews were conducted with a total of 28 participants, comprising 13 men and 15 women who met the criteria, until data saturation was reached. Data Collection Tools and Procedure A semi-structured interview form, developed by the researcher and containing open-ended questions, was utilized in this study. The form was reviewed by experts, and ethical approval was obtained from the KU Leuven Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants, and audio recordings were taken. Each interview lasted approximately 30 minutes. After the interviews, audio and video recordings were transcribed. Data Analysis The data obtained from the in-depth interviews were subjected to descriptive analysis. First, a data analysis framework was established based on research questions, the theoretical framework, and interview data (Şimşek & Yıldırım, 2006; Kümbetoğlu, 2015). Next, the data were processed according to the thematic framework. The findings were described and supported with quotations when necessary. Cause-and-effect relationships were explained, comparisons were made, and the findings were interpreted (Şimşek & Yıldırım, 2006). The views of immigrants were analyzed by focusing on their "emotions" regarding positive and negative experiences and the "impacts" these experiences had on them. Based on these analyses, an educational philosophical discussion on non-discriminatory pedagogy was conducted, and recommendations were proposed.
Expected Outcomes
Aligned with the research questions, the research findings reveal that; The majority of participants have experienced discrimination in school settings due to differences in language, culture, traditions, names, appearance, and religion. The majority of participants' experiences of discrimination have led to emotional distress, feelings of humiliation, inferiority, aversion to education, and resentment toward teachers. In some cases, participants have responded to discrimination with various reactions, expressing their sorrow and feeling hurt, meaning that they have been able to demonstrate an ethical resistance or a resistance of otherness that can be interpreted from a Levinasian perspective. The experiences of pedagogical love can positively influence immigrant students' educational lives and future aspirations. Support and positive attitudes from teachers have significantly enhanced their motivation for education. Teachers' sensitivity to individual differences helps immigrant students feel valued and secure. While experiences of discrimination lead to loss of self-confidence and disengagement from educational processes, experiences of pedagogical love have the opposite, positive, transformative effect. Philosophical Discussions and Suggestions The hospitality-focused and ethics-centered approaches of Anatolian Philosophy and the philosophies of Levinas and Derrida, which prioritize the"other" are expected to provide a strong foundation for developing a non-discriminatory pedagogical framework that respects students' differences rather than disregarding them for general educational goals. Levinas’ idea of positioning the "other" at the center of ethical relationships, Derrida’s emphasis on "difference," and Anatolian Philosophy’s critique of the egocentric self are likely to offer critical tools for questioning hierarchical structures in teacher-student relationships and notions of power within education. The study is anticipated to provide insights into how love can serve as a transformative tool in teacher-student interactions within this theoretical framework. Based on these outcomes, this research aims to make significant contributions to the development of non-discriminatory pedagogical thought and the philosophy of inclusive education, particularly for disadvantaged students.
References
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