Intercultural Dimension of a Contemporary Teachers' Habitus

Abstract

Rapid social changes in the new age of modern schools require different approaches to curriculum andteaching strategies. The school is an educational institution that prepares students to participate in adiverse world. Intercultural education in the school builds awareness of its articulation of own identity,but also acceptance of the other and the development of intercultural sensitivity, awareness andcompetence.Interculturalism in teaching is based on the general principle of providing the child with an optimally supportive environment in which every child will feel safe, without exception. The contemporary teacher should be motivated by further advancing the educational process in which children will develop a senseof pluralism and fellowship, teaching them to respect and appreciate diversity. It is essential that teachers are trained to transfer the value of respect and mutual understanding otherand different. However, in order to teach other interculturalities, society needs intercultural teachers. Concept of Initial education need to encompass this segment, as it would not be expected of the teacherto respond to social challenges without proper preparation. The aim of this research is to examine the role of initial education in building the intercultural dimensionof the contemporary teacher’s identity. By analyzing the Curriculum and the program at the Faculty ofEducational sciences, we have gained insights into the content of the courses that cover interculturalaspects. Using interviews with university teachers at mentioned department we got results that there aremany more courses which consistent principles of intercultural teaching than those with explicitintercultural content.University teachers recognize the importance of intercultural education for future teachers, and striveto perceive intercultural content through their teaching, although they acknowledge it insufficiently. Theanswer to social challenges really needs to be the contemporary concept of a school that accepts andpromotes diversity in education, respecting the spectrum of identity of all participants in the educationalprocess. In the end, it is necessary to start from initial education, which builds a strong intercultural dimension of the identity of a contemporary future teacher. A contemporary teacher is required to implement intercultural principles in promoting intercultural values.