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Both "intercultural education" and "comparative education" have a history of problematising their identity, which is also reflected in the terminology adopted for defining them, mostly focused on the discussion of the exact meaning of the qualifying adjective. This paper argues that more attention needs to be devoted to the second term of the dyad--"education"--and specifically, to the peculiar polysemy of the term in the English language, covering a range of meanings that in other languages are expressed by distinct terms. This has a remarkable influence on the elaboration of the notion of comparative and intercultural education in international discourse; and from another point of view, it tends to marginalise different streams of reflection emanating from non-Anglo Saxon cultures, due to the influence that the need to use the English language for participation in international debate has on the expression of concepts coming from other languages and cultures. Through a discussion of concepts and terminologies belonging to neo-Latin cultural traditions, the paper advocates a critical use of the language of communication, with an approach that is at the same time comparative and pluri-cultural, proposing a possible "intercultural turn" for comparison.

The present paper explores approaches to the classification of ethnic identity. In the framework of research on comparative classifications, we analyse the contextual factors that influence classification in Hungarian education. We compared the number of students who self-reported as Roma with the respective number reported by the school heads (as experts) and examined the discrepancies between the two indicators. We also examined whether there was a correlation between the estimation by the head of the school and the views and attitudes of the teaching staff and school heads. One important finding to emerge was the more than the twofold difference between the external classifications reported by individuals belonging to the majority population, and the students' self-identification. In other words, the school heads tended to overestimate the proportion of Roma students in their schools compared to the students' own self-identification, which was related to their pedagogical practices, beliefs, and commitment. In particular, school heads overestimated the proportion of Roma students in schools where teachers perceived that there were lower expectations and where teachers attributed school failure to cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an effort is made to explore the authors' involvement as resource persons and facilitators in an exchange programme between Japan and India. The 15-day programme was created to understand the culture and rich heritage of India, particularly Rajasthan, by involving Japanese participants in a Tour based student exchange programme. The programme offered an opportunity for Japanese students to provide an experience of Indian culture through the use of various modules. The paper attempts to explore the impact of learning that took place during the period of the exchange programme, analysed through structured interviews. The findings of this study can facilitate effective creation and development of such exchange programmes in India and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'diversity', as a descriptive feature of a population, is increasingly common in the field of education. While seemingly a neutral and inclusive term which might cover a range of possible axes of difference, it is often used without definition or problematisation. In this article I ask what conceptions of diversity can be discerned by looking at linguistic features in two central policy documents dealing with an ongoing curriculum revision – Norwegian Official Report (NOU) 2015:8 and White Paper no. 28 2015–2016. Using a critical discourse analytical approach, I have found that 'diversity' points, to a large degree, to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities. Moreover, some groups are ascribed the function of creating diversity, while others experience it. These findings are discussed within a theoretical framework of equity, social justice, and democracy. In conclusion, I find that diversity, as it is used in these documents, serves to reproduce notions of 'Norwegianness' and 'otherness'. The conversation on how to deal with difference is obscured, and the tension between equity and differentiation in education remains insufficiently addressed. To provide socially just education to all pupils, teachers and future teachers must be critically aware of how the policy level conceptualises difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing times force us to rethink our academic policies in higher education institutions. Traditional narrow views on students coming to campuses might be problematic for full inclusion. In this paper, we present an innovative model for student inclusion with the goal of producing a new framework for practice in higher education. We suggest re-examining the interactions between student characteristics while taking them into account as a whole and adopting a new holistic view of their identity-derived needs. The New Multimodality Diversified Campus (NMDC) model takes into account multiculturism, multiple technological literacies, multiple identities, multilingualism, multiple religions, and multiple disabilities. This model, based on multiple pedagogies, multiple curricula, multiple evaluations and multiple policies, serves as a compass to reach our desired destination, which is a fully inclusive campus. We present new observations about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a guiding tool that can be used in higher education, contextualising it in the framework of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insights into local Chinese teacher and student views of an international teaching practicum with Australian pre-service teachers are the focus of this paper. A qualitative content analysis was undertaken on teacher and student accounts captured through individual interviews with four teachers and questionnaire survey with 186 students. The paper uncovers how teachers and students perceived what they experienced in the practice of intercultural communication on teaching and learning. Emphasised in the analysis is the importance of situating discussions within the Chinese social cultural context, acknowledging the influence of traditional Chinese cultural values and educational conceptions on their teaching and learning practice. The findings reveal meaningful insights into intercultural comprehension involving teaching strategies, learning content and assessment and classroom management. The study's findings highlighted that this international teaching practicum was a beneficial and valuable experience for participant Chinese students and teachers. The study also highlighted a potential gap in the preparation of Australian pre-service teachers and the Chinese students and Chinese teachers, regarding culturally specific and culturally aware competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on education policy and politics in Israel, this essay examines how ethnic segregation is established and sheds light on the latest curricular developments that place a heavy emphasis on Jewish identity. The first part of the paper underscores the rising influence of the radical right in Israel and it’s political theology. The second part presents the Apartheid education in South Africa. In doing so, this part underscores the roles of segregation and religion in establishing a justificatory system that legitimises racial superiority and presents Apartheid education as ‘civilising’ and ‘modernising’. In the third part, the paper discusses how segregation and religious-ethnonationalism make up an apartheid-like reality in Israel, focusing on recent curricular policies. The final part presents concluding thoughts on racism and colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes rethinking intercultural education in teacher education, arguing that any discussion of student teachers’ intercultural education should be connected more explicitly to a theoretical conceptualisation of love. The first part of the paper focuses on identifying discursive boundaries in engaging with intercultural education in teacher education. It is argued that if we are to develop intercultural education, we need to consciously move away from some discourses in teacher education, namely instrumentalism, performance orientation, emotionlessness and seeing the relationship between teacher and learner as static. The second half of the paper develops a theoretical alternative by engaging with the concept of love as a basis for intercultural education in pursuing an alternative to the instrumentalist, performance-based, non-emotional fixed-relationship ethos of intercultural education in teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper intends to address the challenges that the Italian education system is facing in terms of policies and practices relating to dis/abled asylum-seeking and refugee children, in order to make sense of the politics of daily life inside schools and the network of social services for forced migrants, and to pay renewed attention to the notion of ‘social and educational integration’. The starting point of this paper is the idea that the current model of schooling for asylum-seeking and refugee children is implicated in the making of particular sorts of ‘subjects’, as well as the creation of educational and social exclusions and inequalities. Schools, refugee organisations as well as the work of educators and social workers can be important sites of ‘counter-politics’. Borrowing from the theoretical tools offered by Dis/Ability Critical Race Studies (Dis/Crit) framework and engaging with Judith Butler’s understanding of processes of subjectivation, the paper explores how asylum-seeking and refugee students can be rendered subjects outside the educational endeavour, or indeed outside studenthood. Data from an ongoing constructivist grounded theory doctoral research project, interviews with asylum-seeking children and with professionals working in different refugee services in Rome, are offered to substantiate the argument presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Study Abroad (SA) has often been referred as the ideal means to learn a second language due to the unique opportunities it brings to the learners. SA provides learners access to both formal and communicative learning contexts where they can interact with the members of the target language community. Existing studies identified various contextual and cultural factors that support or hinder language learning during study abroad programmes. This paper focuses on the affordances of the homestay environment in terms of L2 learning experiences in the Turkish SA context. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with the sojourner students indicated that the socio-cultural setting students were exposed to during their time in Turkey played a key role in improving their self-assessed proficiency in Turkish and their understanding of the Turkish culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roma, today perceived as the most numerous European minority, face marginalisation and exclusion. Education is considered to be one of the focal points for improvement, and numerous studies have analysed and reported on the educational situation of Roma. Several studies have argued that Romani cultural values are not compatible with institutional schooling and that Romani families perceive schools as an alien institution. Other studies have drawn upon cultural–ecological theory (CE theory), developed by Ogbu and colleagues, and argue that the Romani cultural frame of reference is oppositional to academic success and thus suggest that successful Romani students distance themselves from Romani culture. The paper discusses the application of CE theory in the context of the academic discourse about the educational achievement of Romani students. Drawing on interviews with Spanish Romani university students, the paper argues that Romani students themselves challenge the assumption that educational success leads to cultural alienation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The research presented in this paper explores how preschool teachers in Sweden negotiate tensions stemming from perceived cultural dilemmas among themselves, the children they work with, and the children´s parents or guardians. The aim in characterising this process of negotiation is to expand knowledge about how to adapt pedagogically to the increasing diversity of the preschool sector in Sweden. The study is based on focus group interviews with preschool teachers who work in schools where nearly 70% of the children are newly arrived immigrants or have parents or guardians who were born in a country other than Sweden. The interview data were subjected to a thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: Circumventing conflicts by keeping preschool peaceful; Culture as a barrier and opportunity for dealing with dilemmas; and engaging with conflicts as a means of developing the preschool profession. The themes are discussed in relation to Gert Biesta's concepts of the rational community and the community of those who have nothing in common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how one teacher working in an intercultural bilingual school in rural Peru implemented an ethic of care through three key actions: the incorporation of funds of knowledge, the focus on revitalising and repurposing Indigenous knowledge and local materials and the instruction and use of both Quechua and Spanish. The paper also examines how the focal teacher embodied an ethic of care as reflected in her relationships with students and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper investigates the experiences, perceptions and responses of immigrants with a Palestinian background in relation to learning about the Holocaust and the Palestinian cause in Swedish schools and visiting Holocaust sites. Data were collected from 50 immigrant students using audio-recorded and open-structured interviews. The results indicate that most informants had learned about the Holocaust in various classes, through readings, discussions and assignments, but very little about the Palestinian cause in textbooks or in school activities. The majority of informants were never asked to take part in Holocaust site visits, but if they were to be asked, 84% were willing make such visits. The majority of informants expressed sympathy with Holocaust victims, but they were not satisfied, as they felt there was too much focus on the Holocaust and too little on the Palestinian cause. This lived experience of imbalance between the two subjects resulted in reluctant attitudes towards Holocaust education among the Palestinian pupils, but this should not mainly be understood as a result of anti-Semitic sentiments among them. The results indicate that Holocaust education in Swedish schools among youngsters with a Palestinian background can hardly be treated separately from the question of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper starts with a brief survey of how the Israeli education system has handled the issue of the existence of an Arab community in Israel's collective identity, and how this was affected by reforms that were initiated in the education system throughout the years. The second part of the paper examines various possibilities regarding how the inclusion of the Arab collective identity can best be accommodated in the education system and its curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the theoretical position of intercultural educational studies. It begins by stressing the vital importance of intercultural education and the progress that has been made in recent times. It then turns to the terminological shift that occurred two decades ago, from multicultural to intercultural education, which was accepted unquestioningly at the time. Retrospectively, we might ask what was the discursive strategy of this lexical change. Did it not serve to disguise the realities of much cultural interaction: conquest, slave trade, genocide? What are the theoretical (as distinct from the moral) premises of intercultural education? Is the aspiration realistically for an education able to negotiate between cultures rather than to show that there is more than one culture? As the subject appears not to be tightly focused, so the context is also under‐theorized and effectively de‐politicized. The international political, economic and cultural contextualization (globalization) of intercultural education is essential to its understanding. Is there an international view of intercultural education, or is it rather a few paradigmatic examples? The paper shows how the development of a social sciences and comparative perspective might assist the theoretical deficit suggested above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context of this paper is a university-based teacher education course in Melbourne, Australia. The assumption underpinning the course is that it is crucial for trainee teachers to examine the lenses they typically use in terms of common-sense understandings of children and adolescents. We point to the 18th century Western enlightenment period as the source of this thinking. I argue that it is important to be aware of other enlightenments that have shaped the traditions of students in our multicultural mix. In this paper, I explore the writings of the Mahabharata and other early Indian texts to see how they have also influenced ways of thinking about childhood and adolescence. Data for this paper have been drawn from course materials, student responses, translations of early Indian texts and popular stories depicting childhood and adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of intercultural competence is being increasingly recognized by educators and employers alike. Both in the professional and educational domain, ways are being sought to assess whether or not people have actually acquired intercultural competence. In this paper, a framework is presented for the systematic development of assessment tools. The paper first addresses the question of why the assessment of intercultural competence is important. Secondly, basic definitions and foundations regarding intercultural competence are outlined, and the implications for the assessment of intercultural competence are discussed. Thirdly, a framework for the assessment of test quality is presented, and a number of criteria that affect the quality of tools for assessing intercultural competence are discussed. Finally, the framework is applied to two existing approaches to the assessment of intercultural competence commonly used in foreign language education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation has resulted in multicultural and multilingual societies where individuals, who often do not speak the official language, need to communicate with different services offered by public institutions in the host country. School plays a vital role as an education and training institution, and must guarantee that every student receives equal opportunities, and, in accordance with the principles of intercultural education, facilitate the integration of foreign students both into society and the educational context. However, linguistic and cultural barriers may sometimes prevent communication between foreign students, their families and the education centre. The purpose of this paper is to analyse survey responses and interview talk about communication between teachers and immigrant users who do not speak or barely know the host country language, especially the methods employed and the resources available to Spanish education centres to communicate with students and families who lack the necessary host language skills. A case study will be used as example of the situation in which both educators and families very frequently have to turn to child language brokering, using methodology based on qualitative analysis of surveys and interviews carried out in two primary schools in the Madrid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper connects the two fields of cooperative learning and intercultural education, focusing on the argument that cooperative learning strategies need to be equipped with intercultural understandings. There is a consideration of assumptions that effective cooperative pedagogical strategies require an engagement with challenging issues related to learners and to the structure of curricular content. The two key points raised here are that: (a) issues of competitiveness amongst learners and students must be dealt with directly rather than treating them from the sidelines or by ignoring them; and (b) for learning to take place in a truly cooperative manner, there must be an emphasis on an intercultural focus within the curriculum where the content of knowledge within the curriculum needs to be non-centric. This paper examines the view that cooperative learning strategies are effective when the curricular knowledge taught in the school is drawn from all groups, whether such groups have dominant, subordinate or minority status. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This manuscript provides the results of a comparative study conducted in the USA with counseling, psychology, and education graduate students in which multicultural competencies were taught using the traditional on-campus and international study abroad course formats. Data were collected via the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale, a 45-item self-report of openness towards diverse clients, along with qualitative analysis of two permanent products: cultural activity paper (framed as analysis of cultural interactions) and Reaction Journal (an open-ended reflection on the content of class lectures, readings, presentations, and discussions). A total of 29 graduate students from diverse backgrounds were sampled through two semesters. The results revealed that compared to peers taught via the traditional on-campus format, students enrolled in the international study abroad course reported more willingness to learn and interact with diverse populations. Further, these students evidenced more growth relative to empathy towards diverse clientele, insight into cultural viewpoints, as well as a deeper understanding of their own cultural biases. The manuscript provides the study results; a brief overview of how the international study abroad and the on-campus courses were taught and organized, along with the pros and cons of each course format. It also offers a list of recommendations for the professions of counseling, psychology, and education in terms of the cutting edge practices relative to implementation, instruction, and delivery of multicultural competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper focuses on schools in the inner city of the Lisbon metropolitan area and a suburban neighbourhood located in the municipality of Sintra, where second generation Brazilian and Cape Verdean students adhere to different meanings of diversity and intercultural dialogue. Their experiences and interpretations were examined more closely through the use of several methods: (1) a multi-level questionnaire which was directed at both students and parents, (2) a compilation of qualitative statements provided by students and parents and (3) a collection of qualitatively analysed statements from teachers and school board members. The results indicate there is a wide divergence of attitudes and perspectives among the different actors, showing a disparity of perspectives when addressing intercultural education. The conclusions drawn indicate that promoting intercultural dialogue is not a one-way street, but requires the development of several intertwined strategies in each of these different contexts and communities. The observed practices of teachers, students, and administrators fell short of the expected policies incorporating intercultural education, indicating that the main barrier for educating these second generation youth is the lack of professional commitment and dialogue between teachers, students and families. Recommendations to foster high-quality intercultural education are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several years have passed since the adoption by the United Nations of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Yet, what changes have happened in the lives of Indigenous peoples for whom the Declaration was written? This paper employs a framework of Indigenous educational theory to focus on the case of the Ainu of Japan and examines what kind of changes could be happening vis-a-vis Ainu education but are not. I explain the current stalled state of deliberations regarding implementation of the UNDRIP, outline the current resource base for an Ainu-run education system, and argue that it is the duty of the Japanese government to provide the infrastructure and expertise necessary to implement such an educational initiative, as well as to aid the Ainu in overcoming 'internalized oppression' which currently hampers many Ainu from embracing their Ainu identity and thereby vocally advocating their rights to an Indigenously driven Ainu education. I briefly touch upon the relevance of the Ainu situation to other Asian Indigenous peoples and contend that the Ainu case provides one useful watermark for comparison with other Indigenous peoples' scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of compulsory courses on human rights into the secondary school curriculum in 1998 has been an important first step in developing respect for human rights and responsibilities among the younger generation in Turkey. Yet, these courses have many shortcomings in terms of materials, pedagogy and teacher attitudes. This paper explores Grades 7 and 8 (ages 13 and 14) students' experiences in Citizenship and Human Rights Education courses on the basis of qualitative data collected through focus group discussions in Ankara and Istanbul in the 2006-2007 academic year. The responses of the students indicate that these courses have had little impact in empowering students or in facilitating them to consider their own or others' human rights as an integral part of their lives. Rather, the students perceive the national and the global arena as characterized by mass human rights violations against which they feel powerless. The paper draws attention to the importance of a revised human rights education for students along with a global focus and appropriate methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines educational practices in Spain and in particular Madrid. With this contextual frame as the starting point the following issues are discussed: the 'official' conceptualization of cultural diversity, educational policies and resolutions related to cultural diversity, and school programs and resources facilitated by educational authorities to address diversity. The analysis was undertaken using an intercultural approach. El articulo describe y analiza el contexto en el que profesorado y estudiantes de primaria desarrollan su practica educativa en Espana, especialmente en Madrid. Para caracterizar este marco contextual, los puntos que se han tenido en cuenta son los siguientes: la idea 'oficial' de diversidad cultural, las politicas y recomendaciones educativas relacionadas con diversidad cultural, y los programas y recursos facilitados por las administraciones educativas para atender a la diversidad. El analisis se ha llevado a cabo desde una perspectiva intercultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By focusing on different subsequently implemented strategies for literacy teaching in the Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools, this paper offers a historical overview of some important aspects of learning conditions for minority children. On this basis, the paper addresses the interrelationship between different strategies of literacy teaching and integration in a more general sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In scholarship on the Holocaust and the history of slavery, historians and other academics have, over the years, developed both abstract concepts and concrete activities. Teachers and developers of educational materials have translated complex events into digestible entities fit for use within and outside the classroom, often including new insights and new approaches in their teaching. This paper argues that the history of the Holocaust and the history of slavery share common elements regarding the way in which these painful episodes in history have been remembered, mentioned, processed and the extent to which they are reflected upon in schoolbooks and lesson plans. Theoretically, the paper explores the use of 'conceptual history'. It concludes that certain shared characteristics and connections may be useful when designing curriculum and lesson plans for today's multicultural classrooms. The case of the Netherlands is used throughout to illustrate general trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper, which builds on an earlier paper published in this Journal (Vol. 20, No. 6), is to develop the discussion around how English has been taught, used and perceived in Kenya, using data gathered from a small second-level English-medium school in Kenya. The complex relationships between language and identity are at work in the everyday routines of both staff and pupils within such a context. The paper seeks to set out a clear methodology for gathering data which could help describe these relationships with more clarity while also subjecting the data to analysis informed by the growing body of research and theory that focuses on language policy in post-colonial and neo-colonial settings. Finally, these pieces of data are used as the basis of a further exploration of the implications for classroom practice in teaching English in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socially marginalized for centuries, the Roma population of Greece continue to confront many problems concerning their daily living conditions, labour integration and, foremost, their education. This paper briefly outlines the educational, cultural and social status of the Roma community in Greece and discusses the need for appropriate and effective teacher training for the education and inclusion of Roma pupils. The results of the IN-SErvice Training for Roma Inclusion (INSETRom) project in two Greek primary schools and the assessment of the associated teacher training are discussed, together with an outline of teacher-training needs, as identified by a pilot research prior to the implementation of the training experience. The training procedure and results are also described. Finally, there is a discussion of the general training needs of Greek teachers and the organizational and administrative potential to promote an effective ongoing training system. The paper concludes with suggestions pertaining to ways in which training modules may be employed by other training institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends not only to place English language teaching in Kenya within a specific historical context, but also to consider how it operates alongside the many other languages used in the day-to-day experiences of a secondary school community. Any consideration of the use of English in Kenya must take into account the legacy of language policies adopted by both colonial and independent administrations in the country. Use is made in this respect of the growing body of research and theory which focuses on language policy in post-colonial and neo-colonial settings. Therefore, an evaluation of the intentions and impact of these policies on attitudes towards language use is included in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines prospective history teachers' thinking about ethnic and cultural diversity and their experiences of learning to teach about history in multicultural classrooms. The paper reviews the findings of a follow-up study of 22 Finnish student teachers during their nine-month teacher education programme. The data consist of questionnaire data and various written assignments of this sample, plus interviews with nine selected persons. According to the results, signs of continuity and transformation are apparent in the student teachers' thinking. The informants frequently described problems related to diversity, although most of them did not see diversity as changing their way of teaching history as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of good practice in integrating education in divided societies. Using Northern Ireland as a case study, the paper draws on data from eight schools (both integrated Catholic and Protestant, and separate) that are identified as exemplifying good practice in response to cultural diversity. Analysis is provided through the lens of Bhikhu Parekh's reconceptualization of multiculturalism from 2006. The data provide insights into characteristics of good practice from the perspectives of pupils, support staff, teachers and principals, in a society that is not only moving out of conflict but is also responding to the challenges of incoming minority students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights collects, through its network of observation points, information on discrimination and good practice in the areas of legislation, employment, housing, racist violence, and education. Data on education includes information on: access to education for vulnerable groups, discriminatory practices, racist incidents, educational attainment, preventive initiatives and good practice against discrimination and exclusion. In this paper, I will provide an overview of major trends and developments in the past six years as regards discrimination and good practice in education in the 27 EU Member States. I will refer to the influence that data availability has on policies and debates on discrimination in education. In addition, I will address the impact the EU enlargement process and the debates on diversity and multiculturalism have had on education policies in the European Union. Finally, my paper will point to good practice initiatives in the Member States aimed at countering discrimination and improving the situation of migrants and minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that using the notion of ambivalence in understanding ethnic hatred can be helpful to educators who struggle to address the pedagogical implications of students' feelings of hatred. It is suggested that, although hate feelings are difficult to change, unraveling the ambivalence in the affective politics of hatred creates possibilities for enriching educators and students' perspectives on mutual understanding and solidarity with others. Drawing on insights from an action research project conducted in a higher education institution in the ethnically-divided Cyprus, the author shows how the notion of hatred as ambivalence constitutes an important step in initiating a subversive analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the methodology and main results of a longitudinal study in Greece that explored the learning and psychosocial difficulties of immigrant pupils, as compared with those of their Greek classmates. The 'Teacher-Child Rating Scale' (T-CRS) and 'Child Rating Scale' (CRS) were used as instruments to measure the school adjustment difficulties of the sample, according to their teachers' ratings. A total number of 3561 scales were selected, and completed in full (by teacher and pupil) for each pupil. The sample of the study consisted of 5th and 6th grade primary school pupils (10-12 years) of Greek-origin families who came from the former Soviet Union (n1=1100). The control group consisted of Greek classmates of the immigrant pupils (n2=713). Also, teacher attitudes towards the effectiveness of current educational policies in Greece for immigrant pupils, as well as the difficulties they face during the teaching process, were explored through semi-structured interviews (n3=165). Immigrant pupils were interviewed to gain a better picture of their attitudes towards the Greek school (n4=260). This paper presents some of the research findings that focus on learning and psychosocial difficulties. Finally, suggestions are offered for Greek educational policies pertaining to immigrant pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present good educational practices from Bulgaria that relate to Roma education. In the so-called Years of Transition, educational conditions changed considerably. Non-governmental organizations have attempted to promote high-quality education for Roma children. The Bulgarian Ministry of Education has made various changes in legislation which now allow Roma children to receive mother tongue education as well as intercultural education with a focus on Romani language, culture and history. This paper provides a short overview of projects that have been implemented in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, as well as adult literacy and education since the time of transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the concept of ‘cultural cross‐currents,’ their implicit nature and the potential they have to effect second language literacy learning, teaching and curriculum reform in Hong Kong primary classrooms. Despite the substantive implications for learning, the exploration of cultural influences upon teacher and student thinking and the resultant educational consequences, remains a largely unrecognized area. The central argument in the paper is that cultural differences in attitudes, beliefs and values of cultural groups toward the way first and second languages are acquired needs to be made explicit in order to facilitate second language literacy teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author examines how colonial racist policies and western‐bound post‐colonial educational practices have contributed to the recurring ethnic conflicts in the Great Lakes region of Africa. After defining democracy and reflective citizenship within the African context, she discusses how teachers’ roles should be redefined and pedagogy revamped within a multicultural perspective in order to prepare students to become reflective citizens who are empowered to reframe interethnic relations in the region beyond the pervasive majority rights and minority protection discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the educational experiences of African-Canadian youth in Canada. Traditionally, the tendency is to emphasize the poor academic performance of black students or issues and problems related to reasons for academic failure or to stereotype them as ‘loud, lazy, muscular, criminal, athletic, dumb, deprived, dangerous, deviant, and disturbed’. In contrast, this paper looks at those who have achieved in spite of considerable adversity. The data show that factors such as pride in one's heritage and knowledge of one's culture contribute to academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage preservation has become a much-debated topic in recent decades. This paper contributes to the call for educational approaches that take a society's cultural diversity into account. It also attempts to draw attention to non-Western societies, where educational theories and practices from elsewhere (the West) have been imported and applied without proper consideration for the host culture's heritage. To illustrate the intricacy of developing such a culturally appropriate pedagogy, a case study of using group learning strategies in a Confucian Heritage Cultural context is introduced, which closely examines both educational and cultural issues. The results of this examination reveal a complex web of cultural conflicts and mismatches that are likely to happen when a Western educational methodology is applied in another context without rigorous adaptation to improve compatibility with the host culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In November 2003, the Council on Anthropology and Education honored John Ogbu with the George and Louise Spindler Award, for exemplary and long-term contributions to educational anthropology. But in March 2003, a noted economist condemned Ogbu's work as serving an 'oppressive function'. In this paper, such contradictory instances are cited as the author recounts his encounters with Ogbu's scholarship. Disparate assessments of Ogbu's ideas and legacy raise important questions. What responsibility do educational anthropologists have for how their research is understood? Which aspects of Ogbu's legacy should we hold onto as his work is interpreted in politicized and polarized ways? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explain diversity in knowledge-sharing strategies in a multi-ethnic classroom both from a minority status perspective and from a cultural production perspective. The analysis shows how these perspectives are dynamically related in local productions of diversity. The paper argues how, at the level of classroom practice, culturally learned experiences are shaped by status relationships and, at the same time, how status relationships are expressed in cultural formats. Moreover, it is also argued that at a larger social level, collective attitudes towards schooling develop as a co-construction between cultural processes and status issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we attempt to answer the question: ‘is the Cypriot educational system a melting pot of every alien civilization and a kettle of cultural assimilation that perpetuates biases, cliches, racist behaviours and cultivates the idea that the different have no place among us?’ We closely examine the case of a girl from Iran in a Cypriot primary school, using naturalistic observation models of research. Through the analysis of two vignettes, we attempt to answer the question posed above. We simultaneously reflect critically on the situation of multicultural education in Cyprus, while presenting its prospects for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 1990s, the educational systems of the Baltic countries, newly independent of the Soviet Union, underwent rapid and far-reaching change. National educational traditions were re-established and the countries achieved an internationally recognized quality of education. In the second half of the past decade, however, it came to be increasingly asked whether the existing national curriculum actually serves the interests of all those participating in the education process in an equitable way. Another question is whether it directs learners towards acquiring the necessary skills for succeeding in a culturally pluralistic society. The present paper will analyze how the principles of intercultural education are reflected, above all, in the national curricula of Estonian and Latvian comprehensive schools. Comparisons will be made with the Nordic-Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian curricula and their approach to intercultural themes. The paper will also try to answer the questions whether and how the Nordic curricula could serve as role models for the Baltic countries. 1990ndatel aastatel on Nõukogude Liidust eraldunud Balti riikide haridussüsteemid läbinud kiire ja tulemusliku arengutee: taastatud on rahvuslikud haridustraditsioonid ja saavutatud rahvusvaheliselt aktsepteeritav hariduse kvaliteet. Viimase kümnendi teisel poolel aga on tõstatunud küsimus, kas olemasolev riiklik õppekava teenib võrdselt kõigi haridussubjektide huve ja kas see suunab õppijaid kultuuriliselt pluralistlikus maailmas ja Euroopas toimetulekuks vajalike pädevuste omandamisele. Käesolevas artiklis analüüsitakse interkultuurilise hariduse põhimõtete kajastust peamiselt Eesti ja Läti üldhariduskooli õppekava üldosas. Võrdlevalt heidame põgusa pilgu ka Põhjamaade--Soome, Rootsi ja Norra õppekavadele, millised on sealsed rõhuasetused ning võimalikud eeskujud Baltimaile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a teacher education course--'Urban Education'--which engaged teacher-candidates in critical reflections on their roles as teachers, their perceptions of the students they teach, and their preconceived ideas of the community in which the students reside. The paper discusses the content and activities of the course, then focuses on the reflections of four teacher-candidates in relation to the course and their experiences teaching in the 'inner city' community. Their reflections indicate that the course helped to educate them in the principles and pedagogies of equitable and inclusive education which is responsive to the needs and interests of their students and takes into account the communities in which students live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrating on the Netherlands, this paper discusses the problems and opportunities faced by schools in the directing and guiding of intercultural education. After a description of the concept of intercultural education and an outline of the way intercultural education is directed and guided on a national and school level, the paper focuses on school climate. The concluding discussion suggests that, if schools want to give intercultural education a chance, they must opt for a focused development of vision and direct and guide intercultural education as a part of school policy. In a multi-ethnic school, this demands the inclusion of the perspectives of all the students regarding school culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to education of children and youth from asylum seeker and refugee families is currently being threatened in Europe. Two factors explain this: the sudden and disorganised arrival of large numbers of asylum seeker families, and the inconsistent integration of those seeking refugee status and those who have gained such status. The actual implementation of the right to education for asylum seekers and refugees is a result of a complex combination of factors related to the asylum seeking process: demographic, psychological, economic, legal and sociological. Asylum seeker and refugee education are impacted significantly by these factors. This paper tries to explore whether EU Member States are coping successfully with such dimensions. We provide information on the current situation in Europe, as well as a summary of the latest policy recommendations aimed at improving the present situation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To show the potential and limitations of pedagogies of discomfort and empathy in anti-racist and multicultural teacher education, this paper engages in an in-depth analysis of two ‘critical moments’ that are drawn from a series of teacher workshops. The purpose of the analysis is to show how discomfort and empathy may be combined together pedagogically in the context of multicultural and antiracist teacher education. The contribution to the literature is to highlight the importance of foregrounding attention to teachers’ discomfort and its pedagogical implications in multicultural teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]