Teachers to the Challenge of Intercultural Education: Analysis of Educational Thought of Teachers in Schools of Andalusia (Spain)
Author(s):
Juan Leiva Olivencia (presenting) Juan Leiva Olivencia (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2011
Format:
Poster

Session Information

04 SES 9.5 PE/PS, Poster Exhibition / Poster Session

Time:
2011-09-15
12:00-13:30
Room:
Seminarzentrum - Posters
Chair:

Contribution

 

Educating for cultural diversity and multiculturalism is a positive assessment attitude towards communication and interaction between cultures, and to the understanding of diversity as a positive learning factor and necessary in the current school organizations (Aguado, 2003; Banks, 2008). Now the challenge is complex, and intercultural education today is between the desire to be a critical educational approach (Grant & Sleeter, 2007; Sleeter, 2005), and the reality of being at a crossroads that will from the exaltation folk cultures of immigrant students compensatory curricular approach (Leiva, 2010). Indeed, this article has two main objectives. On the one hand, to inquire into the educational thinking on intercultural teacher in the school context, and secondly, to raise the debate provided critical pedagogical reflections and guidance on the meaning of multiculturalism from a culture of diversity that permeates the coexistence and teaching practice.

 

In Spain, according to latest figures provided by the Ministry of Education, and included in the Annual Report "Facts and Figures. 2009/2010 school year”, the number of immigrant students increased from 460,518 in 2004-2005 to 762,746 in the 2009-20010, representing 9.6% of the total population of students enrolled in general education no university in the latter course. In Andalusia, Autonomous Community where the phenomenon of immigration has been significant in recent years are certainly relevant data and insights. According to data published by the Statistical Unit of the Departament of Education of the Andalusian Government in September 2010, during 2010/2011, Andalusian schools and hosting a total of 101,565 immigrant students. Specifically, in the case of the province of Malaga, hosting centers and to 30,084 immigrant students, almost double the last four academic rarely, when he received 16,994 (2005/2006).

 

These figures speak for themselves, the emergence and strength of immigration and, therefore, all that cultural diversity is transforming the educational landscape of our educational institutions. Today, nobody doubts that attention to cultural diversity poses a major challenge to strengthen equity and equality in education systems (Jordan, 1994; Gundara, 2000; Leistyna, 2002, Esteve, 2003; Coulby , 2006; Essomba, 2006; Soriano, 2007). Its importance in the effort to understand the entire school community has developed to ensure the positive promotion of cultural diversity as a guarantee of social cohesion, solidarity and, therefore, a response to the need to improve educational and social coexistence (Sleeter, 1996; López Melero, 2004, Ghosh 2006).

Method

For this study we used a qualitative and quantitative methodologies from an interpretative approach to research in intercultural education. In the quantitative dimension (through a questionnaire) we used a total sample of 41 teachers of kindergarten and primary education, among which there are 31 teachers and 10 teachers. They all belong to public schools in Málaga (Andalusia, Spain) in education projects that develop intercultural education. These centers have benefited from the Plan Andaluz Immigrant Student Service of the Department of Education of the Junta de Andalucía through the presentation and development of intercultural education projects. In the qualitative dimension of the study, the most relevant part of this work, has worked in 8 public schools in primary and secondary education with a sample of 48 mothers and migrant parents and 70 teachers and 30 immigrant and native students. To analyze the statistical data we used SPSS, analyzing mainly descriptive, while qualitative data were analyzed using the Nudist-Vivo, performing a content analysis through coding and developing thematic categories.

Expected Outcomes

Although there is a gap between theory and practice of multiculturalism, and even persist some idea of remedial education on the concept of intercultural education, are increasingly opting teachers for intercultural pedagogical alternative to build a school more optimistic and supportive. Interculturalism need not focus solely on knowing the other, but in acknowledging this cultural difference and take advantage educationally enriching coexistence and cooperative learning. From our point of view, the activities are truly cross-cultural exchanges as they respond to a conscious and planned effort to learn to live together in diversity as absolutely essential. Interculturality is essential to raise from its practical development in the three key players in the education community, ie teachers, students and families. Intercultural education also implies knowledge of the reality of home countries of these students and their approach to Spanish classrooms, commitment to the maintenance of language and culture of origin of new students and the opening of school to ways see, look, feel and understand the social and educational.

References

AGUADO, T. (2003). Pedagogía intercultural. Madrid: McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España. BANKS, J. (2008). Diversity, Group Identity and Citizenship Education in a Global Age, Educational Researcher, 37 (3), 129-139. COULBY, D. (2006). Intercultural Education: Theory and Practice, Internacional Education, 17 (3), 245-257. ESSOMBA, M. A. (2006). Liderar escuelas interculturales e inclusivas. Equipos directivos y profesorado ante la diversidad cultural y la inmigración. Barcelona: Graó. ESTEVE, J.M. (2004). La formación del profesorado para una educación intercultural. Bordón, 56 (1), 95-115. GHOSH, R. (2002). Redefining multicultural education. Toronto: Nelson Thomson Learning. GRANT, C. A. & SLEETER, C. E. (2007). Doing multicultural education for achievement and equity. New York : Routledge. GUNDARA, J. (2000). Interculturalism, Education and Inclusion. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. JORDÁN, J. A. (1994). La escuela multicultural: un reto para el profesorado. Barcelona: Paidós. LEISTYNA, P. (2002). Defining and designing multiculturalism: One school system’s efforts. New York: State University of New York Press. LEIVA, J. (2007). Educacion y conflicto en escuelas interculturlaes. Málaga: Spicum. LEIVA, J. (2010). Práctica de la interculturalidad desde la perspectiva docente: análisis y propuestas pedagógicas”, Cultura y Educación, 22 (1), 67-84. LÓPEZ MELERO, M. (2004). Construyendo una escuela sin exclusiones. Archidona (Málaga): Aljibe. LÓPEZ MELERO, M. (2006). Cultura de la diversidad, cultura de la inclusión: educar para construir una escuela sin exclusiones. In VV. AA.., L´Ecola que inclou (11-52), (Col-lecció Hort de Trenor 18). Torrent: Ajuntament de Torrent. SLEETER, C. E. (1996). Multicultural education as social activism. New York: State University of New York Press. SLEETER, C.E. (2005). Un-standardizing curriculum: Multicultural teaching in the standards-based classroom. New Cork: Teachers College Press. SORIANO, E. (2007).Educación para la convivencia intercultural. Madrid: La Muralla.

Author Information

Juan Leiva Olivencia (presenting)
University of Malaga
Didactic and scholar organization
MALAGA
Juan Leiva Olivencia (presenting / submitting)
University of Malaga

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