Kristín Aðalsteinsdóttir, PhD
University of Akureyri, Iceland
An exploration of teachers´pedagogy and perception of
their culturally diverse learners in Manitoba (Canada),
Norway and Iceland
Multicultural teaching
(1) a theoretical teaching approach that aims to
create an equal learning opportunity for all
students;
(2) an ideology that aims to actualise democratic
ideas, such as equality, justice, and human
rights; and
(3) a process that has no end, because there will
always be inconsistencies between democratic
ideals and that which is advanced in schools
and in the community (Banks, 2002:123).
Aims of multicutural teaching
• To encourage all children to be attentive, responsible,
active members of the society in which they live
(Banks, 2002).
• That teachers continually ask themselves if their
teacing is multicultural and must stimulate students to
develop and grow within themselves, thoughts that
make them capable of taking part in a multicultural,
democratic society (Davidman and Davidman, 2001).
• It includes helping each individual student to develop
positive self-respect as well as positive beliefs about
solidarity toward others and fair opportunities for all
(Tiedt and Tiedt, 2002).
The goal of the research
• to procure information about:
– how prepared teachers are to teach
international students;
– how teachers meet the individual needs of
international students; and
– how international students adapt to a new
educational community
Method I; Structured interviews
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Teachers´ education
teaching experience
preparation for teaching international students
cultural variability within the class/school
equal opportunity within the class/school
particular needs of pupils
language abilities
relationship between teachers
relationship with families
homework
Method II; Field notes
Observations regarding:
– Teaching methods and attitudes/
– events in the classroom
– pupils´activities regarding international
pupils in class
Of the results
• None of the 18 teachers in the three
countries had in common that they had
not received training in multicultural
teaching as part of their teacher
education
• considerable differences in the views,
planning, and abilities of the teachers in
the three countries regarding teaching
international pupils
Abilities
• The Canadian teachers appeared to be
the best prepared, to have more mature
views, and to demonstrate greater
responsibility in their teaching,
compared to the Norwegian and
Icelandic teachers
The learning provisions for
international students
In Manitoba (Canada): general teaching in the
classroom, co-operation, diverse teaching tasks.
In Norway: special education was emphasized, both in
and out of the classroom.
In Iceland: the teachers appeared to avoid
responsibility and push students’ difficulties away or
to simply not know what provisions were available.
Both in Iceland and in Norway: lower standards
seem to be applied to international students at the
beginning of their schooling than in the Canadian
schools.
Attitudes
• The Canadian teachers indicated
unmistakable signs of a sense of responsibility
• The Norwegian teachers indicated that
they deny responsibility for international
children.
• The Icelandic teachers an apparent lack of
understanding toward diverse cultures;
seemed not to connect the circumstances of
the children with the learning
Adaptation to a new society
• In Manitoba (Canada): a rich tradition of immigrants who
are proud of their culture and customs, in part because students’
cultures are emphasized in school
• The Norwegian and Icelandic teachers, conversely,
appeared to deny responsibility toward the international
students, and there were even instances of prejudice. They talked
about “these people” and “different people” and about differences
between Norwegians or Icelanders and immigrants
• The Norwegian and Icelandic teachers did not consider it
their role to assist students in adapting to a new society, and they
appeared not to know how they adapt to the societies
Equal opportunity
• In Manitoba (Canada) the key towards
equal opportunities was to strengthen the selfimage of international children, e.g by using
special programs
• In Norway there were contradiction in the
answers
• In Iceland the teachers appeared not to be
sufficiently aware of the status of international
students
Language
• In all the countries, international
students have poor language
comprehension, poor understanding of
written and spoken language and poor
vocabulary (breadth and depth)
expecially the first years after they come
to the country.
Conclusion
• The Canadian teachers appeared to be the best
prepared, to have more mature views, and to
demonstrate greater responsibility in their
teaching, compared to the Norwegian and
Icelandic teachers
• the Canadian teachers live in a wellestablished multicultural society, where the
rights and needs of immigrants were put into
law sooner than they were in Norway and in
Iceland
Conclusion
• The results of this research show that the majority of
Icelandic and Norwegian participants have not
acquired the necessary understanding for
multicultural teaching and are not sufficiently
prepared to meet the requisites of culturally diverse
learners.
• One can conclude that this situation makes it more
problematic the necessary, for international students
to adapt to a new society.
• This situation falls short of the demands that are made
by the government of both Norway and Iceland
(Reports of the Storting, 2002; Compulsory School
Act, 1995).