Preparing teachers for diverse classrooms

Kristján Ketill Stefánsson

University of Iceland – School of Education

Teacher Education for Diversity Experts Meeting

Genoa, Italy 28-29 May 2009 14:00 – 15:45

Goals for the Project

• Identify common challenges...

• Share experiences...

• Develop a toolkit that provides specific teaching or education strategies with proven effectiveness at addressing various themes

• Not necessarily a productive goal

– Learning how to teach (developing techniques)‏

– Becoming a teacher (developing a frame of mind)‏

Foreign citizens in Iceland 1950-2009

Children in compulsory school with Icelandic as their second language 1997-2008

7 years of development

• 2002 Education for bilingual children. M.Ed. trajectory.– 4 courses 40 ECTS

• 2003-2004 Name changed to Multicultural Education.– More courses added (after suggestions by students

working in the field, who knew the demand better then the teachers in the Univerisity). Comparison to similar education in other countries

• 2004 Subject council for Multicultural Education established.

• 2004 Research group in Multicultural Education established

•

7 years of development• 2005 Seven courses in Multicultural Education offered in

M.Ed. Studies

• 2006 Multicultural Education becomes a full M.Ed. study program

• 2007 The book Multiculture in Iceland published, initiated and created by the research group of Multicultural Education.

• 2007 First student to graduate with an M.Ed. in Multicultural Education graduated.

• 2008 New B.A.& M.A. degree (International Studies in Education) taught in English.

• 2009 IUE & UI merge. 9 students finishing their M.Ed. thesis in Multicultural Education.

Graduate research topics 2009

Teaching Icelandic to adults as a secondary language, action research

Multicultural teaching strategies and classroom environment in the 21st century. Handbook for teachers

Multicultural education for all

Experiences of going to school told by six children that recently moved to Iceland

Teachers attitudes towards teaching children of foreign origin

Graduate research topics 2009

Support services for children with learning difficulties, a case study

School leadership in Danish-German schools in South Slesvig, Germany

First school year experiences told by six children that recently moved to Iceland

Experiences of five Icelandic families of adapting to the Icelandic school system after living and studying abroad

International studies in Education

• New B.A. degree (180 ECTS) from autumn 2008

– globalisation

– multicultural societies

– sustainable development

– development studies

– education in developing countries

Learning outcomes

• Acquainted with different cultures and religions

• Sustainable development

• Democracy and human rights

• Educational settings

• Language specialisation

Target groups specific (resources)‏

• Students of foreign origin

• Background and special knowledge

• "Internationalised" group

• Icelandic and foreign students living abroad

• Foreign exchange students

Target groups general (resources)‏

• International schools in Iceland and abroad

• International view of education

• Outside of the school system

• Development studies

Synergy

• A growing part of the society has a diverse multicultural/international experience. This is a resource for teacher education.

– Both to work with students during their studies and to to prepare them for a diverse future this facilitates synergy.

– The same reasoning can be applied for pupils in the diverse classroom

Course of study

• Foundational courses comparable

• A language specialisation.

• Human rights and sustainable development.

• foreign university for at least one year

B.A. Autumn Spring

1st year

General foundation60 ECTS

Educational settingsAcademic skills Educational research

Sociology and history of education Globalisation and educationDevelopment and self

2nd year

Language/specialisation60 ECTS

Language (at the UI or a foreign partner university) * Other specialisation

Language (at the UI or a foreign partner university) * Other specialisation

3rd year

Comparative education studies 10 ECTSSpecialisation 40 ECTS 3rd year project 10 ECTS

Comparative education studies (everyone)Pedagogy (for the teaching and learning options)Courses within specialisations** or studies at a foreign universityBA project

Professionalism (for the teacher division)

Courses within specialisations** or studies at a foreign university

BA project

Educational settings

• Key developments

• Identify and discuss

• Different cultural values lie behind different versions of good practice

• Form judgements

Educational research

• Different traditions

• Identify and discuss

• Make judgments

• Apply research findings to relevant educational practice

Frame of mind (Huckle, 2006)‏

•The meanings of nature, the environment, development and sustainability are central to the human sense of identity

•Bearers of multiple meanings

•Single body of professional knowledge is unrealistic

•All trainees should be exposed to sustainability ( or ME) as a frame of mind underpinned by values that support the development

•Trainees themselves should decide

http://john.huckle.org.uk/publications_downloads.jsp