Bridging cultures between teachers and

parents Stimulating interaction between teachers

and parents in a multicultural setting

Natalia EernstmanWageningen University and ResearchDepartment of Education and Competence Studies

Program

Description of the conducted study: Framework approach Results Conclusions and

recommendations

Discussion

Study Framework

Roma in the Romanian schooling system

In school: discrimination and exclusion of Romani pupils

About half of the Romani children never attends school

Schooling program does not fit pupil’s background or needs

Only 4,5 % of the Romani population in Romania graduates from high school.

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Intercultural education

School as socializing agency: key in uplifting population transferring non-discriminative values

Intercultural education: applies to needs of ALL children transfers non-discriminative values is integrated in the entire mainstream schooling program the child is taken as focus point revolves around the formation of values involves an interactive way of teaching aims to impart critical thinking a guideline, rather than fixed blueprint

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Intercultural education

Intercultural Institute Timisoara

Intercultural methodological guideline for teachers

Focus on teacher-parent interaction

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Teacher-parent interaction

Interaction between teachers and parents: allows both sides to set aside biases increases trust of parents in school allows teachers to adapt the study program to

the background of the children Serious lack of interaction…

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Teacher-parent interaction

Teachers: “They stink” “Parents do not show interest in the education of their

children” “Parents only attend a meeting if they get the monthly

allowance”

Parents: “I want my boy to go to school so that he can write his

name and read me the subtitles on television” “Most Roma parents do not show a lot of interest in the

education of their children”

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Study Focus and Objectives

Assessing the intercultural module by looking at the changes that occur in the teacher

parent interaction as a consequence of it and thereby

give recommendations for the improvement of the method and intercultural education in general, based on obstacles and opportunities discerned in the process.

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Research Approach

1. Collecting opinions before the Eurrom implementation

2. Instructing the Eurrom module 3. Redirecting the module 4. Collecting data after the module implementation5. Data analysis

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Results

Three forms of interaction

Types of Interaction that took place

1. Parents were invited to class

Regarded as very useful

Increased parent involvement

Parents realized that they are not separated

Increased trust

framework·approach·results·conclusions

Types of Interaction that took place

2. A teacher visiting the Roma community Reach parents that seldom come to school Eye-opener for teacher:

“seeing how the children live, made me understand some of the difficulties they have.”

Teachers did not go on own initiative

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Types of Interaction that took place

3. Teachers and parents met on a festivity

Intercultural Christmas Celebration

Little interaction, only when parents were involved in the preparations

Parents liked ‘gypsy’ program items most.

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Conclusions & Recommendations

Conclusions

The module did not apply to local conditions Little motivation of teachers to participate in the

module Hard to reach parents that do not show interest

Eurrom mostly reinforces existing relationships between teachers and parents and not so much stimulates the emergence of new ones

If teachers do carry out intercultural activities, the module does proof to be useful

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Recommendations

Choose module carefully and adapt Develop strategies to motivate teachers Find and instruct ways in which teachers

can reach the parents Need for external person to initiate the

process and bring the parties together Involving other parties to tackle the

problems framework·approach·results·conclusions

Questions and Discussion

Discussion

Finding: school is often seen as unnecessary and a threat by parents

Intercultural education propagates inclusion of all groups in society, shouldn’t it also accept self-exclusion?

Or, in other words:

Should minority parents be free to retain from sending their children to

mainstream education?