Diverging discourses on multicultural education in Finnish teacher education programme policies: implications for teaching

Abstract

The necessity to include multicultural education policies and practices in schools and teacher education has been widely recognised both in Finland and internationally. However, terms such as 'multiculturalism' and 'multicultural education' have contested and vague meanings in educational discourse. This paper investigates discourses on multicultural education from critical multicultural education and postcolonial theoretical perspectives. The focus is on the teacher education policies of all the eight primary teacher education programmes in Finland. Discourse theory analysis revealed six diverging discourses within a framework of conservative, liberal and critical multicultural education. The results show that it should not be taken for granted that policies including multicultural education contribute to social justice in education and teacher education. Consequently, policy-makers need to question the rhetoric regarding multiculturalism and to focus on how inequality is reproduced and upheld in discourses in teacher education and schools, and how this can be challenged.

Children encountering each other through storytelling: Promoting intercultural learning in schools

“…The second pair of frames focuses on reaffirming identity within oneself (telling from real-life experiences) or within a group (telling from shared experience). The third pair characterizes the children's responses after hearing a story from the partner class: the responses were either sensitive (when the children strived to take the perspective of their exchange partners) or defensive (when they focused on superficial features of the partner class's story and used discourses of Othering) (Buber, 2002(Buber, /1947Hummelstedt-Djedou, Zilliacus & Holm, 2018). The findings of this article are summarized in Table 3.…”

“…A Storycrafting exchange develops encountering through interactions that encourage I-Thou relationships (Buber, 2002(Buber, /1947 and We relationships (Karlsson, 2000), as well as gives space for children to reflect on their own identities through the medium of a story. Whereas many intercultural exchanges unintentionally view culture as a static conception and maintain power structures between minority and majority groups (Hummelstedt-Djedou, Zilliacus & Holm, 2018), the Storycrafting exchange is based on a dynamic understanding of culture. This dynamic approach allows the exchange partners to share and connect on different cultural levels (Erez & Gati, 2004), rather than essentializing culture into national stereotypes.…”

Studies of Child Perspectives in Methodology and Practice with ‘Osallisuus’ as a Finnish Approach to Children’s Reciprocal Cultural Participation

“…A reciprocal participatory culture involves taking a critical stance towards 'the other' and towards classifying a person as the other (Hummelstedt-Djedou et al, 2018). A child should not be considered 'the other' , a person who needs to swiftly adjust to adult norms.…”

Understanding of Multicultural Sustainability through Mutual Acceptance: Voices from Intercultural Teachers’ Previous Early Education

“…Attempts to look to the horizon through sufficient understanding about diverse reality requires embedding an open mindedness in underpinning the strategic value to freely look into a complete context [13]. Addressing certain diversity issues, it is appropriate to allow the experiential phase in social interactions, where this comes from commitment with the consciousness, respect, and mutual understanding amongst them [14]. Essential value in the expression arrangement should freely create a circumstance with a conducive atmosphere.…”