Building an intercultural project through action and teacher training
Mylene Cristina Santiago, Abdeljalil Akkari
Schools have historically been privileged spaces for the hierarchisation of differences, based on predefined criteria legitimised by power relations present in our societies. However, under certain conditions, schools can become spaces of coexistence and recognition of differences while simultaneously guaranteeing equal rights for the entire community. How can equality, identity, and difference be articulated in the school context? This is a fundamental question for educators committed to an educational approach that aims to expand educational opportunities and foster experiences that lead to changes in teaching-learning relationships and interpersonal dynamics within the school community. In this text, we aim to address the concept of an intercultural project and how this proposal can contribute to the continuous training and professional development of teachers. We begin by considering that, in our understanding, adopting an intercultural perspective can have significant repercussions on the daily lives of educational institutions, fostering dialogue among differences and countering discourses that essentialise identities. In this sense, we highlight the importance of preparing education professionals orientated toward interculturality, who are aware of the need to promote culturally responsive teaching. This approach takes into account the perspectives of learners from various cultural groups and with multiple identities related to gender, race, language, beliefs, religions, and ways of being and existing in the world, among other possibilities.
Keywords
Intercultural projects, teacher training, diversity.