engleski

The Future Teachers’ Attitudes on Intercultural Education

This research focuses on establishing intercultural competence and basic knowledge in the field of interculturalism among third year students of the teacher training study programmes. It aims at establishing the level of the knowledge of features fundamental to interculturalism (concept, goals, values), desirable intercultural competence required for future teachers to work in culturally diverse classes, and at finding out to what extent intercultural education contributes to the development of certain students' competences. The research involved a total of 135 students of the third year of study. The majority of students are female (N = 126 i.e. 93 %). As regards the type of faculty, the majority of students study at the Faculty of Education (future class teachers) (N = 93), and 42 students studying at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek (the students of double-major study programme of Pedagogy and Croatian language, and English language and History). For the research purposes, the questionnaire by Piršl, Benjak and Diković (2009) was used. Prior to their enrolment to the Faculty of Education, the majority of the students have been introduced to the notion of interculturalism, mainly through media, but there is a considerable number of students who have been introduced to interculturalism while working in NGOs. According to students’ responses, the fundamental concepts determining interculturalism are respect and acceptance of diversity, active co-operation of two or more cultures in all spheres of life. The statements that best determine the goal of interculturalism according to the opinion of students are fostering the feeling of solidarity with culturally different members of the society, developing the ability to understand and accept cultural differences as core values as well as developing communication skills with culturally different members of the society. Students estimate that the most important values that intercultural education should promote are tolerance towards culturally different, coexistence of different cultures and equality of all people, as well as the suppression of stereotypes and prejudices. When it comes to the number of interculturally sensitive students, the research results show that students demonstrate a high degree of ethno-relativism, which suggests that future teachers possess the ability to observe the world with the eyes of people of culturally different backgrounds, taking their perspective into account, adapting their identity and developing fundamental intercultural competences. Students consider that the most important competences for the work of teachers in cultural and pluralistic environments are communicative skills and intercultural sensitivity. Moreover, they consider that intercultural education in the course of the studies contributes to developing particular competences such as openness to different cultures, understanding key concepts of interculturalism, communication skills and critical thinking. The research results point to the importance of training young people for working in the educational process based on acceptance of diversity and respect for cultural pluralism, democracy and fundamental human rights.

intercultural education, intercultural competences, future teachers.

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