What is it about?
This study explored early childhood teachers' views and practices regarding intercultural education in Thessaloniki, Greece. Based on questionnaire responses from 161 teachers, it examined how teachers perceived the inclusion, participation and relationships of children from different cultural backgrounds. The findings revealed that, although most teachers reported positive approaches to inclusion and diversity, many also felt that children from different cultural backgrounds were expected to adopt Greek cultural habits.
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Why is it important?
This study highlights an important tension in the way intercultural education is understood and practised in early childhood settings. While teachers generally perceive their classrooms as inclusive and welcoming of cultural diversity, the expectation that children adopt Greek cultural habits raises questions about how cultural differences are recognised and valued. The study contributes to ongoing discussions about intercultural education by highlighting the difference between promoting inclusion and genuinely embracing cultural diversity. Its findings may be of interest to early childhood educators, teacher educators and researchers exploring diversity and inclusion in education
Perspectives
For me, this research highlights the importance of looking beyond teachers' positive attitudes towards cultural diversity and considering what intercultural education means in everyday classroom practice. I find the tension between welcoming children from different cultural backgrounds and expecting them to adopt the dominant cultural habits particularly important. I believe that intercultural education should not simply be about helping children adapt to an existing culture, but also about recognising, respecting and valuing the different cultural identities they bring with them.
Eleni Zotou
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of intercultural education in state schools of Thessaloniki and surrounding areas, Journal of Language and Cultural Education, September 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/jolace-2017-0032.
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