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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]

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]

Teachers in Cyprus are being called upon for the first time to teach within culturally diverse educational settings. Given the substantial role, teachers play in the implementation of intercultural education, this paper explores the intercultural strategies and procedures adopted by primary school teachers in Cyprus. Interviews were carried out with 30 teachers, from four different schools. Findings show that participants held conflicting perceptions of intercultural education, while they lacked sufficient awareness of their immigrant students’ cultural backgrounds. Participants adopted individualised and collaborative strategies, classroom discussions on intercultural issues and attempted to raise immigrant students’ self-esteem in order to promote intercultural education. However, their own lack of intercultural preparation, along with lack of language proficiency of immigrant students, the inadequacy of the Cypriot national curriculum and time constraints, worked against efforts to promote greater inclusion. Στα πλαίσια της πρoσχώρησης της Κύπρoυ στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση καθώς και τoυ υπϵρμϵγέθoυς κύματoς μϵτανάστϵυσης πρoς τη χώρα, oι ϵκπαιδϵυτικoί καλoύνται για πρώτη ϕoρά να διδάξoυν σϵ διαπoλιτισμικά πϵριβάλλoντα. Λαμβάνoντας υπόψη τoν oυσιαστικό ρόλo πoυ διαδραματίζϵι o ϵκπαιδϵυτικός στην ϵϕαρμoγή της διαπoλιτισμικής ϵκπαίδϵυσης, τo παρόν άρθρo διϵρϵυνά τις διαπoλιτισμικές στρατηγικές και διαδικασίϵς πoυ υιoθϵτoύνται από τoυς Κύπριoυς ϵκπαιδϵυτικoύς. Συνϵντϵύξϵις πραγματoπoιήθηκαν μϵ 30 δασκάλoυς, από τέσσϵρα διαϕoρϵτικά σχoλϵία βάσϵι της πoλιτισμικής πoλυμoρϕίας τoυ πληθυσμoύ των μαθητών τoυς. Τα συμπϵράσματα υπoδϵικνύoυν ότι oι συμμϵτέχoντϵς διατηρoύν αντιϕατικές αντιλήψϵις αναϕoρικά σ&# [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intercultural experiences of international students (IS) in Cyprus. While there is much research about IS’ experiences in more traditional educational destinations, such as the UK, US and Australia, little is known about their experiences in Cyprus. Using semi-structured interviews and a focus group, the present study analyses the transcripts of IS at a private university in Cyprus. Analysis reveals four themes that characterise IS’ accounts: (1) interaction and barriers to interaction; (2) the affective dimension; (3) survival strategies; and (4) suggestions for improvements. While many of the findings concur with previous studies, the unique socio-political context creates additional challenges for the IS in Cyprus. The study concludes with suggestions for further research that will enable educators and institutions to support the intercultural experiences of all students in higher education in Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]