Strengthening the Pre-Service Teacher Training System in a Multi-Ethnic Society
PDF

Keywords

multi-ethnic society
education
teachers
competencies
student practicum
informal education
project activities
evaluation
curriculum
educational policy

Abstract

Introduction. The difference which nature has placed between one man and another is so wide. Also, the difference which comes by religion, cultural habits and similar elements in the human life can be further enlarged by education. During the last ten years, interethnic relations in Macedonian educational system become central topic for the activity of educational policy makers. In that line, the novelty of this research lies in the designing of student practicum by making cross-cultural contacts in the sphere of education.

Methods. Macedonian government's programs and legal framework promote interethnic communication, but implementation of principles as respect, tolerance, and acceptance in the school life still is reduced only on using different languages of ethnic communities in teaching process. At the same time, appears the need to enhancing teachers' capacities for work in a multicultural environment and ensuring all children receive a high-quality education.

Results. The results of the research show that informal education activities can encourage a thinking process as intellectual instrument for extermination prejudices related interethnic communication through the closer contact and interaction between the students, teachers and parents in the school environment.

Discussion. It is certainly very difficult to set balancing between variety of behaviours, dictated by the presumed needs of specific cultures, religions and beliefs, but the classroom should be common home for all students and the teacher should know to manage such relationship.

https://doi.org/10.21702/rpj.2017.4.12
PDF

References

Carroll J. Tools for Teaching in an Educationally Mobile World: Internationalisation in Higher Education. New York, Routledge, 2015.

Melendez W., Beck V. Teaching Young Children in Multicultural Classrooms: Issues, Concepts, and Strategies. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2013.

Brand B. “Sociocultural Consciousness and Science Teacher Education”. In M. M. Atwater, M. Russell, M. B. Butler (eds.) Multicultural Science Education: Preparing Teachers for Equity and Social Justice. Berlin, Springer Science & Business Media, 2014.

Sedmak M., Medarić Z. “The Management of Interethnic Relations in the European Context”. In M. Sedmak, Z. Medarić, S. Walker (eds.) Children’s Voices: Studies of Interethnic Conflict and Violence in European Schools. London, Routledge, 2014.

Manning M. L., Baruth L. G., Lee G. L. Multicultural Education of Children and Adolescents. New York, Routledge, 2017.

Ramsey P. G. Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World: Multicultural Education for Young Children. New York, Columbia University Teachers College Press, 2015.

Roller K. M. “Pre-Service Teachers and Study Abroad: A Reflective, Experiential Sojourn to Increase Intercultural Competence and Translate the Experience into Culturally Relevant Pedagogy”. In P. C. Layne and P. Lake (eds.) Global Innovation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Transgressing Boundaries. Cham, Springer, 2015.

Brown R. M. K. “Preparing Culturally Competent Teachers through Faculty-Led Study Abroad”. In Teacher Education: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications by Information Resources Management Association. Hershey, PA, Information Science Reference, 2016.

Baird B. N. The Internship, Practicum, and Field Placement Handbook. New York, Routledge, 2016.

Johnson Ch. S. “Adressing Culturally Consonant Character Development and Research”. In K. Gonzalez and R. Frumkin (eds.) Handbook of Research on Effective Communication in Culturally Diverse Classrooms. Hershey, PA, Information Science Reference, 2016.

Adams M. “Pedagogical Foundations for Social Justice Education”. In M. Adams, L. A. Bell (eds). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. New York, Routledge, 2016.

Ghosh R., Galczynski M. Redefining Multicultural Education: Inclusion and the Right to Be Different. Toronto, Canadian Scholars’ Press, 2014.

Fernandez E. S. “Birthing Culturally Diverse and Racially Just Educational Institutions: Teaching to Transgress and Transform”. In E. S. Fernandez (ed.) Teaching for a Culturally Diverse and Racially Just World. Eugene, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2014.

Nikandrov N. D. “Russia: Evolutional Changes against Revolutionary Upheavals”. In Y. Wang (ed.) Education Policy Reform Trends in G20 Members. Heidelbelg, Springer, 2013.

Bagwell C. L., Schmidt M. E. Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence. New York, The Guilford Press, 2013.

Grant C. A. Multiculturalism in Education and Teaching. New York, Routledge, 2015.

Verkuyten M., Fleishmann F. “Ethnic Identity among Immigrant and Minority Youth”. In A. Rutland, D. Nesdale, Ch. S. Brown (eds.) The Wiley Handbook of Groop Process in Children and Adolescents. Hoboken, Wiley Blackwell, 2017.

Hagger H., Mcintyre D., Wilkin M. Mentoring: Perspectives on School – based Teacher Education. New York, Routledge, 2013.

Rothstein-Fisch C. Readings for Bridging Cultures: Teacher Education Module. New York, Routledge, 2014.

Shepherd T. L., Linn D. Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom. Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications, 2015.

Bash L., Coulby D. (eds.) Establishing a Culture of Intercultural Education. Cambridge, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016.

Matthews S. “Rethinking the Good in Good Global Citizenship: The Ethics of Cosmopolitan Pluralism”. In J. B. Rennick and M. Desjardins (eds.) The World is My Classroom: International Learning and Canadian Higher Education. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 2013.

Pang V. O. Diversity and Equity in the Classroom. Boston, Cengage Learning, 2017.