Duty Calls for Interculturalism: How Do Teachers Perceive the Reform of Intercultural Education in Cyprus?

Autor/in	Hajisoteriou, Christina
Titel	Duty Calls for Interculturalism: How Do Teachers Perceive the Reform of Intercultural Education in Cyprus?
Quelle	In: Teacher Development, 17 (2013) 1, S.107-126 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1366-4530
DOI	10.1080/13664530.2012.753936
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Immigrants; Student Diversity; Interviews; Teacher Attitudes; Educational Change; Multicultural Education; Inclusion; Teacher Role; Definitions; Elementary School Teachers; Cultural Awareness; Public Policy; Cultural Pluralism; Language Proficiency; Greek; Second Language Learning; Educational Strategies; Acculturation; Cultural Maintenance; Barriers; Teacher Competencies; Cyprus + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Lehrerverhalten; Bildungsreform; Multikulturelle Erziehung; Inklusion; Lehrerrolle; Begriffsbestimmung; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Öffentliche Ordnung; Kulturpluralismus; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Grieche; Griechisch; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Lehrstrategie; Akkulturation; Lehrkunst; Zypern
Abstract	In the context of Cyprus's accession to the European Union and a huge wave of immigration towards the country, teachers are called upon to teach within more diverse educational settings. In consideration of the substantial role teachers play in implementing intercultural education, this study explores their perceptions of the reform of intercultural education in Cyprus, which is a requirement for their further development in the field. Interviews were carried out with ten teachers and two assistant head-teachers in two primary schools which differed in terms of diversity of the student population. The participants' responses relate to three aspects of intercultural education, namely: (a) teachers' definitions of intercultural education; (b) the problems they face; and (c) the roles they should be playing in promoting greater inclusion of immigrant students. Findings imply that participants held conflicting perceptions of intercultural education, while they lacked cultural awareness of their immigrant students. Participants adopted individualised and collaborative strategies in order to promote intercultural education. However, teachers' lack of intercultural preparation, along with immigrant students' lack of language proficiency, the inadequacy of Greek Cypriot intercultural policy, and time constraints inhibited teachers' efforts to promote greater inclusion. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10