Intercultural Approaches to Education: From Theory to Practice

This open access book provides an analysis of contemporary societies and schools shaped by cultural diversity, globalization and migration. This diversity is necessarily reflected in education systems and requires the promotion of intercultural approaches able to improve learning processes and the quality of education. From an international and comparative perspective, this book first presents theoretical and conceptual foundations for seriously considering cultural diversity. The book also compares intercultural approaches and debates generated in countries as diverse as the United States, Canada, Brazil, Switzerland and France. For each national context, the book addresses both the historical roots of intercultural approaches and the concrete initiatives driven by educational policies for their implementation in schools and classrooms. Finally, the book presents discussions surrounding the treatment of linguistic or religious diversity in schools, the emergence of global citizenship education and the key role of teachers in intercultural approaches. This is an open access book.

Abdeljalil Akkari is professor and director of a research group on international education at the University of Geneva. He is also a regular consultant for UNESCO and other international organizations (Swiss cooperation agency, European Union). He was the Dean for research at the Higher Pedagogical Institute HEP-BEJUNE (Bienne, Switzerland) and assistant professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (Baltimore, United States). His major experiences and publications include studies on international cooperation, educational planning, multicultural education, teacher training and educational inequalities. His main research interests are centered currently on educational policy, internationalization of universities, teacher education and reforms of educational systems in a comparative and international perspective.

Myriam Radhouane is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Geneva. Before joining an academic career, she was trained as an elementary school teacher. Today, her work mostly focuses on teacher training and teacher practices regarding intercultural education and social justice. In this respect, she is interested in the cultural background of teachers, in pedagogical practices with students from cultural minorities, in activities that maintain and promote mother tongues and recently preservice teachers' international mobility. She participates in international and comparative studies regarding intercultural education and teacher training.

Introduction.- Part I: The Historical and Theoretical Foundations.- Chapter 1. The Advent of Intercultural Approaches in Education.- Chapter 2. International Migrations and the Management of Identity by the State.- Chapter 3. Race, Racism and Anti-Racism.- Chapter 4. Key Concepts for Intercultural Approaches.- Part II: National Experiences.- Chapter 5. Multicultural Education in the United States.- Chapter 6. Multicultural Education in Canada.- Chapter 7. Intercultural Education In Brazil.- Chapter 8. Intercultural Education in Switzerland.- Chapter 9. Intercultural Education in France.- Part III: Debates and Educational Actions.- Chapter 10. Awareness and Appreciation of Linguistic Diversity.- Chapter 11. The Difficulty of Integrating Religious Diversity into Intercultural Approaches to Education.- Chapter 12. Global Citizenship Education.- Chapter 13. The Role of the Teacher in Promoting Intercultural Approaches.