Humanising ‘the other’ (original) (raw)
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Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal, 2015
In the belief that teachers' attitudes toward the other have a 'ripple effect' on society as a whole, the researchers designed a course called ‘Dealing with Diversity’ offered to one class of Arab students and one class of Jewish students studying to become English teachers at two colleges of education in Israel. The course aimed to expose the student to theoretical material relating to diversity and to provide an authentic vehicle for application of the principles discussed in the literature. Students were required to complete joint projects in mixed groups (Arab and Jewish), in two face-to-face and a semester of virtual meetings. Attitudes and reactions towards ‘the other’— their Jewish or Arab peers-- were explored on the basis of journal and forum entries which were part of the course requirements. The students’ writings showed themes of apprehension (negative), expectancy (positive), or indifference (neutral), and evidence of change in attitude was documented.
ABU-AHMAD & YAHAV: HUMANISING 'THE OTHER'
In the belief that teachers' attitudes toward the other have a 'ripple effect' on society as a whole, the researchers designed a course called 'Dealing with Diversity' offered to one class of Arab students and one class of Jewish students studying to become English teachers at two colleges of education in Israel. The course aimed to expose the student to theoretical material relating to diversity and to provide an authentic vehicle for application of the principles discussed in the literature. Students were required to complete joint projects in mixed groups (Arab and Jewish), in two face-to-face and a semester of virtual meetings. Attitudes and reactions towards 'the other'their Jewish or Arab peers-were explored on the basis of journal and forum entries which were part of the course requirements. The students' writings showed themes of apprehension (negative), expectancy (positive), or indifference (neutral), and evidence of change in attitude was documented.
"CROSSING FENCES": UNCOVERING MULTICULTURALISM OF JEWISH AND ARAB TEACHERS STUDYING TOWARDS
The present research explores the multiculturalism of teachers learning towards their M.Ed. degree in an academic collage of education. The research questions deal with teachers' perception of multiculturalism, a change in their attitude towards the issue of multiculturalism from their point of view throughout their studies as well as their multiculturalism-oriented recommendations to the leaders of the M.Ed. programme. The research population comprises 27 Jewish and Arab teachers in their second year of studies. The research is conducted according to the qualitative paradigm and it constitutes a case study. The research instruments include a focus group and an open-ended questionnaire. The research findings illustrate that the teachers' perception of multiculturalism is focused on the ideological aspect, demographic differentiation and the setting up of a unique encounter. Most of the teachers emphasise the importance they attribute to multiculturalism, arguing that it is necessary to engage in it by various ways during the studies. The research recommends allocating room for the issue of multiculturalism in M.Ed. programmes. These programmes are part of the professional development of Jewish and Arab teachers for whom the classroom does not imply only academic studies but also a complicated and challenging multicultural encounter.
‘I am living proof of coexistence’: the experience of Israeli-Arab teachers in Jewish schools
International Studies in Sociology of Education, 2020
Arab teachers in Jewish schools (AJ) constitute a unique case of minority teachers. This mixed-methods study set out to examine the school experience of AJ (N = 101) in comparison with two groups: Arab teachers in Arab schools (AA; N = 76) and Jewish teachers in Jewish schools (JJ; N = 99). The questionnaire measured three aspects of the teachers' experience: motivational, professional and ecological. AJ teachers reported lower levels of professional difficulties than the two sameculture groups. Among AJ, novice and experienced teachers reported similar levels of motivation, while among the other groups, novice teachers reported lower levels. AJ teachers' answers to an open-ended question enriched the understanding of the positive experiences alongside the negative aspects that included some incidents of racism and microaggression. The findings support the benefit of contact to positive attitudes and tolerance. Nonetheless, questions arise regarding the processes that underlie these results.
Religious Education
Living in a pluralistic society where groups are ethnically, nationally and religiously different and sometimes live in conflict with one another requires teachers to be prepared to deal with conflict-laden issues. In such societies, educational institutions in general and especially teaching colleges should not be ethnocentric but should acknowledge the experiences, cultures, and histories of different minority groups to educate for multiculturalism and to promote multi-cultural and inter-faith education. For this reason, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the manifestations of multiculturalism and multicultural and inter-faith education in two teaching colleges in Israel, one that belongs to the Arab minority and one that belongs to the Jewish majority. Seven senior staff members of each college were interviewed and asked about the way multiculturalism is demonstrated in their college and how multicultural and inter-faith education are expressed. The findings confirm that multicultural and inter-faith education have not penetrated all realms of activity in the two colleges and the gap existing between preaching multiculturalism and practicing it is still deep.
A Study of the Prospective Teacher's Attitudes toward Social Diversity
1994
This study examined the attitudes of prospective teachers toward social diversity. Students were from selected teacher education programs at two different universities. The group of prospective teachers from one university received instruction in multicultural education, the other group did not. Pre-and post-questionnaire data were collected to ascertain if there were different attitudes toward social diversity between the two groups. One hundred thirty-four pre-post responses could be matched for comparison. Findings indicated that at the beginning of the students' professional semester there was no significant difference between the two groups. Both reported positive attitudes toward social diversity, with females reporting more positive attitudes than did males. At the end of the first professional semester there was a significant difference between the two groups. Students who had received instruction in multicultural education reported more positive attitudes toward social diversity. Since training in multicultural education impacts social diversity attitudes positively, areas in which teacher educators need to help themselves and their students gain multicultural competency are suggested. (Contains 21 references.) (LL) ABSTRACT This study examined prospective teacher's attitudes toward social diversity. Prospective teachers were from two different universities. Prospective teachers from one university had received instruction in multicultural education, the other had not. Pre-and post questionnaire data were collected to ascertain if there were different attitudes toward social diversity between these two groups. One hundred thirty-four pre-post responses could be matched for comparison. Data were analyzed using frequency distributions, and t test.
From theory to practice: Jewish and Arabs students in academia practice multicultural education
International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 2021
PurposeThe research examined factors of academic studies as perceived by Jewish and Arab students in Israel, and changes in their implementation of activities in a multicultural context in the field of education, comparing between undergraduates studying for a BA in education and graduate students for MA in education and attending a course titled “Multiculturalism in the Global Era”.Design/methodology/approachThe findings are derived from a questionnaire distributed to Arab and Jewish students (N = 434), studying together in the Faculty of Education of one academic college in Israel. In total, 251 of them were graduate students, and 183 who were undergraduates.FindingsIt was found that insofar as the students from either programme acquired knowledge and tools regarding multiculturalism, they reported (1) more positive attitudes regarding the “Other” group and regarding multiculturalism, (2) implementation of a larger number of activities relating to multiculturalism in the field of ...
How can multiculturalism be celebrated through teacher training in Israel
Frontiers in Education, 2024
Can we celebrate multiculturalism through teachers' training in a heterogeneous and diverse setting such as Israeli society? The current study examines teachers' processes through an online teachers' professional development program and an interactive activity, where 68 Israeli teachers shared their cultural stories with teachers from other cultures. Findings indicate that the teachers who met with teachers from other cultures, whom they usually do not meet, wanted to learn about each other's culture, including their religious values, practices, and traditions while looking for commonalities. Furthermore, such intercultural meetings can occur online if the activities are designed to foster meaningful meetings and discussions between different cultures despite the social rifts and the separation within the education system.
Human Diversity in Education: An Integrative Approach
1991
Part 1 Foundations for multicultural teaching: education in a changing society multicultural education - historical and theoretical perspectives culture and the culture-learning process classrooms and schools as cultural crossroads. Part 2 Multicultural teaching in action: developing learning communities - language and learning style creating developmentally appropriate classrooms creating an inclusive classroom - health and the ability/disability continuum developing a collaborative classroom - gender and sexual orientation the classroom as a global community - race, ethnicity/nationality and region religious pluralism in secular classrooms assessing progress -the importance of social class and social status classrooms of today and tomorrow.