Teaching Multiculturalism in Slovenian Border Areas

Author(s):

Eva Konečnik Kotnik(submitting)Marija Javornik Krečič(presenting)Vlasta Hus Milena Ivanus Grmek

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

06. Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

Format:

Poster

Session Information

06 SES 05.5 PS, General Poster Session

General Poster Session

Time:

2013-09-11

12:30-14:00

Room:

FUAYE

Chair:

Contribution

In professional and scientific literature across the world, multiculturalism in relation to teacher education represents a very important and relevant topic/field of research. The objective of our research was to get an insight into the way teachers in Slovenian border areas deal with multiculturalism which they face every day.

A questionnaire was administered to educational institutions (primary and secondary schools) in Slovenian border areas. Our objective was to answer the question of how teachers encourage students to have a positive attitude towards multiculturalism. In the framework of this basic research question about teachers’ encouragement of multiculturalism in Slovenian-Austrian, Slovenian-Hungarian and Slovenian-Italian border areas inhabited by minorities we were interested in differences related to the spatial position (location) of the school.

Method

The basic research methods used were the descriptive method and causal non-experimental method of empirical pedagogical research. In answering the research questions we used an extensive approach – by using questionnaires we were able to include a large/representative sample of teachers. The research was conducted on a large, simple, random sample of teachers in areas inhabited by national minorities close to the Slovenian-Austrian, Slovenian-Hungarian and Slovenian-Italian border.

Expected Outcomes

With the help of the results of the empirical research we were able to determine how teachers in Slovenian border areas assess their encouragement of a positive attitude towards multiculturalism. The results raised interesting questions; they suggest that for teachers living close to the Italian border, empathy, personality and giving examples is more important, whereas in Hungarian and Austrian border areas multiculturalism is linked with the framework of school (instruction). This was attributed to the influence of the neighbouring culture. Thus, especially in the border areas in the Trieste and Goriška regions there was a good dynamic in cross-border relations (the Slovenian-Italian border had the reputation of being the most “open” of all Slovenian borders), as well as a well-defined status of minorities in various aspects of life. The result of this may have been the rise of national consciousness and of personal self-confidence, which may have been reflected in active formal and informal intercultural contacts. On the other hand, as a result of assimilation pressure from Austria and also from Hungary, Slovenian culture and cultural identity shifted more to the closed field of educational institutions for minorities; insofar these existed.

References

- Banks, J. & C. A. M. Banks (Eds.). Handbook of research on multicultural education. Old Tappan, NJ: Macmillan. - Cochrain-Smith, M. (2003b). The multiple meanings of multicultural teacher education. Teacher Education Quaterly, 30(2), 7-26. - Grant, C. & Secada, W. (1990). Preparing teachers for diversity. In W.R. Houston, M. Haberman & J. Sikula (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 403-422). Old Tappan, NY: Macmillan. - Javornik Krečič, M. (2008). Pomen učiteljevega profesionalnega razvoja za pouk. Ljubljana: I2 - Internet 1. Slovenska manjšinska koordinacija. http:// www.slomak.net. Accessed 1.2.2011. - Internet 2. Narodi in manjšine v Evropi. http://www.eurominority.org. Accessed 1.2.2011. - Mrvar, P. (2004). Interkulturno svetovanje in interkulturne svetovalne kompetence. Sodobna pedagogika, 55 (3), 146-167. - Resman, M. (2003). Interkulturna vzgoja in svetovanje. Sodobna pedagogika, 54 (1), 60-79. - Skubic Ermenc, K. (2003a). Enakost izobraževalnih možnosti v slovenski osnovni šoli s perspektive interkulturnosti. Doktorska disertacija. Ljubljana: Univerza v Ljubljani: Filozofska fakulteta. - Sleeter, C. (2001). Epistemological diversity in research on precise teacher preparation for historically underserved children. In W. Secada (Ed.), Review of research in education (Vol.25, pp 209-250). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. - Weiner, L. (2000). Research in the 90th: Implications for urban teacher preparation. Review of Educational Research, 70(3), 369-406. - Zeichner, K., & Melnick, S. (1996). The role of community field experiences in preparing teachers for cultural diversity. In K. Zeicner & S. Melnick & M. Gomez (Eds.), Currents of reform in preservice teacher education (pp. 176-198). New York: Teachers College Press. - Zupančič, J. (2002). Manjšine: dejavniki integracije in konfliktov v državah tranzicije. Prospects of applied geography = Geografija in njene aplikativne možnosti : znanstveno in strokovno posvetovanje: program, povzetki. 43.

Author Information

Eva Konečnik Kotnik (submitting)

University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts

Department of Geography

Maribor

Marija Javornik Krečič (presenting)

University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts, Slovenia

Vlasta Hus

University of Maribor, Faculty of Education, Slovenia

Milena Ivanus Grmek

University of Maribor, Faculty of Education