Christina Hajisoteriou

Intercultural education set forward: operational strategies and procedures in Cypriot classrooms

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 στη διαπoλιτισμική ϵκπαίδϵυση, ϵνώ στϵρoύνται πoλιτισμικής γνώσης για τoυς μϵτανάστϵς μαθητές τoυς. Oι συμμϵτέχoντϵς υιoθέτησαν στρατηγικές πoυ άπτoνται της ϵξατoμικϵυμένης και oμαδoσυνϵργατικής διδασκαλίας, των oμαδικών συζητήσϵων στην τάξη σχϵτικά μϵ πoικίλα διαπoλιτισμικά ζητήματα και ϵπιχϵίρησαν να ϵνισχύσoυν την αυτoϵικόνα των μϵταναστών μαθητών μϵ απώτϵρo σκoπό την πρoώθηση της διαπoλιτισμικής ϵκπαίδϵυσης. Εντoύτoις, η ϵλλιπής διαπoλιτισμική πρoϵτoιμασία των ϵκπαιδϵυτικών, η πϵριoρισμένη ανάπτυξη των μϵταναστών μαθητών στην Ελληνική γλώσσα, η ανϵπάρκϵια τoυ Κυπριακoύ αναλυτικoύ πρoγράμματoς, καθώς και oι χρoνικoί πϵριoρισμoί τoυ, αντιστρατϵύoνται τις συμπϵριληπτικές πρoσπάθϵιϵς των ϵκπαιδϵυτικών.

Intercultural Dimensions in the (New) Curriculum of Cyprus: The Way Forward.

In 2010, the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) in Cyprus introduced a ‘new’ national curriculum for all public schools of the Cypriot republic. The overarching purpose of this study is to examine how the ongoing educational reform in Cyprus could set a different ideological framework, within which intercultural education may be developed and implemented. To this end, it provides a number of important insights into the intercultural dimension of the ‘new’ national curriculum by exploring the formal and the ideological levels of the curriculum. More specifically, it indicates the ways in which the ideological curriculum has been formed by the complex and often counteractive discourses of monoculturalism, multiculturalism and interculturalism due to the socio-historical context of Cyprus. The conclusions of this study assert that further research should be conducted to examine the implications pertaining to teachers’ practice and student learning with regard to intercultural education.

The politics of intercultural education in Cyprus Policy-making and challenges

The main goal of this study is to examine the politics of the development of intercultural education policy in Cyprus. More specifically, it examines the content of intercultural policies developed by the state and particularly the Ministry of Education and Culture. In addition, the study focuses on the challenges that may impede the development and implementation of such policies. The analysis draws upon policy documents collected from the Ministry of Education and Culture and interviews carried out with Cypriot policy-makers. The Ministry has initiated an educational reform, including a reform of the national curriculum, leading towards a more intercultural orientation. Nonetheless, the findings of this research indicate there is a gap between policy rhetoric and practice.

Listening to children’s voices on intercultural education policy and practice

The overarching purpose of this research is to investigate native and immigrant children’s experiences of intercultural pedagogical practices in Cyprus schools. It also explores their suggestions for the improvement of policies and practices for intercultural education. Last but not least, it examines whether Cypriot and immigrant students share similar or different conceptualisations and understandings regarding the above aspects. To this end, interviews were carried out with 40 pupils, aged 11–12, of five primary schools, which presented high concentrations of immigrant students. On the basis of our analysis of our data, the children appeared to perceive intercultural education in terms of culturally responsive discussions, collaborative learning and language learning.

Duty calls for interculturalism: how do teachers perceive the reform of intercultural education in Cyprus?

In the context of Cyprus’s accession to the European Union and a huge wave of immigration towards the country, teachers are called upon to teach within more diverse educational settings. In consideration of the substantial role teachers play in implementing intercultural education, this study explores their perceptions of the reform of intercultural education in Cyprus, which is a requirement for their further development in the field. Interviews were carried out with ten teachers and two assistant head-teachers in two primary schools which differed in terms of diversity of the student population. The participants’ responses relate to three aspects of intercultural education, namely: (a) teachers’ definitions of intercultural education; (b) the problems they face; and (c) the roles they should be playing in promoting greater inclusion of immigrant students. Findings imply that participants held conflicting perceptions of intercultural education, while they lacked cultural awareness of their immigrant students. Participants adopted individualised and collaborative strategies in order to promote intercultural education. However, teachers’ lack of intercultural preparation, along with immigrant students’ lack of language proficiency, the inadequacy of Greek Cypriot intercultural policy, and time constraints inhibited teachers’ efforts to promote greater inclusion.

Facing the ‘challenge’: School leadership in intercultural schools

The overarching purpose of this study is to examine the prospects of school leadership for the development of intercultural education. The article focuses on the ways in which Greek-Cypriot headteachers conceptualize: diversity and intercultural education; and their school leadership roles in culturally diverse settings. To this extent, interviews were carried out with the headteachers of 20 primary schools, which presented high concentrations of immigrant students. In general, two main approaches concerning intercultural education were identified: cultural-deprivation and cultural-celebration. Headteachers, who fostered assimilation in their schools, adopted a transactional leadership style the goal of which was ‘unobstructed’ and ‘unproblematic’ operation of their schools. Conversely, headteachers, who ‘celebrated’ diversity in their schools, opted for the transformation of their school cultures by promoting immigrant parental involvement and community liaison. Nonetheless, there was a third category of headteachers, who held container concepts of diversity, pertaining to both cultural-deficit and cultural-celebration approaches. These headteachers proclaimed the transformation of their schools to accommodate diversity by creating collaborative networks in their schools. However, such suggestions seemed to be rhetorical, while in practice they seemed to seek assimilation.

Urging Inclusion for Interculturalism: Fostering Excellence in a Cypriot Primary School.

The development and implementation of inclusive practices can potentially enhance intercultural education. Through the case study of a primary school in Cyprus, we investigated the practices that were developed and applied by the school itself, which aimed to reduce the marginalisation of students who came from abroad. The practices relate to the promotion and growth of friendly relations between local and immigrant students, the inclusion of all students in their self-governing bodies, the differentiation of teaching according to the needs of each student, the participation of the family and community in school decision-making and the development of school collaborative cultures.

Education policy for social justice in Cyprus: The role of stakeholders’ values

This article examines (a) the official policy for social justice as developed by the Ministry of Education and Culture and its policy-makers, (b) the ways in which school leaders (head teachers) and school actors (teachers) understand education policy for social justice, and (c) the impact of this process on school leaders’ and actors’ action or inaction for social justice. Data collection was based upon the analysis of policy documents related to education and social justice. Moreover, interviews were carried out with officials working within the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture and head teachers and teachers from five participant schools in Cyprus. The political culture fostered an access-based social-justice orientation. Across levels, the interviewees prioritised equity of access, suggesting all children’s right to access and participation in the school community. Nonetheless, as their values were exclusive of outcome-oriented definitions of equity, they impeded action on social justice.

Promoting Immigrant Parental Involvement in Culturally-Diverse Schools through a Multiple Perspectives Approach.

Abstract The overarching purpose of this paper is to provide a number of important insights into immigrant parents’ school involvement in Cyprus. Therefore, it examines the perspectives of all actors involved in the school–family partnership – namely head-teachers, teachers, immigrant and native parents, and immigrant and native children – through a multiple perspectives approach. More specifically, this study aims to examine: (a) the ways in which immigrant parents’ school involvement has been defined and implemented by head-teachers, teachers, parents’ and children themselves; (b) the barriers to immigrant parents’ involvement in Cypriot schools; and (c) the implications for the development and implementation of practices which promote immigrant parents’ involvement in Cypriot schools. Last but not least, the study aims to indicate successful ways in which immigrant parents’ school involvement may take place.

Developing a Collaborative Inquiry Programme to Promote Intercultural Education in a School in Cyprus.

Abstract In the context of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union and a huge wave of immigration towards the country, Cypriot teachers are called upon to teach within constantly more diverse educational settings. In consideration of the increased attention paid to intercultural education within the Cypriot socio-political environment, teachers are called upon to teach in more intercultural ways. However, they are very often criticised for their inability to manage cultural diversity in their classrooms, which would result in the provision of equal learning opportunities for all students despite their origin. This paper reports on the implementation of a research programme of collaborative inquiry, which aims to examine the ways in which collaborative inquiry research could help the development of intercultural classroom practices. The research project was implemented in a primary school in Cyprus. The findings that emerged from the data analysis relate to three aspects of promoting greater inclusion of immigrant, namely: (a) the differentiation of planning; (b) the differentiation of teaching methodologies and practices; and (c) the tripartite collaboration among school, families and the community. Findings imply that collaborative inquiry is efficient in terms of having a positive impact on intercultural practices and in terms of preparing the ground for the success of new innovations in intercultural education.