Migration narratives and intercultural training for teachers: Rewinding «Ariadne’s thread»1
Tommaso Rompianesi, Michele Caputo
This article presents a qualitative analysis of teachers’ written reflections collected as part of an intercultural pedagogy module within a FAMI Master’s program. Course participants were tasked to produce a written analysis of two autobiographical narratives by women with migrant backgrounds, applying pedagogical categories introduced during the course. Analysis of the submitted assignments revealed various forms of reflective engagement with the narratives. In particular, we identified (1) «resonances», that is, connections between the migrant narratives and participants’ personal and/or professional experiences, and (2) «self-reflections», characterized by introspective considerations on teachers’ own life trajectories and professional identities as educators. Conversely, some participants exhibited the opposite tendency, submitting assignments marked by avoidance or deviation that distanced them from the narrative texts. This study contributes to the broader discussion on the value of case studies as a training method in intercultural contexts. It also highlights how autobiographical narratives can serve as effective educational tools, stimulating processes of mirroring and reflective engagement among those who encounter them.
Keywords
Intercultural training, teacher education, reflexivity, case-study method, migrant narratives.