Developing students’ intercultural values and attitudes through history education in monocultural school environments (Georgian-language school case study)

ABSTRACT

The present study focuses on the development of intercultural values and attitudes in a linguistically homogeneous groups of students in the nation of Georgia. The aim of the research was to study: a) intercultural values (valuing cultural diversity) and attitudes (openness to cultural otherness and to other beliefs, worldviews and practices) of ethnically Georgian students, and b) the role of formal and informal teaching/learning environment for developing students’ intercultural values and attitudes. The research underlined the importance of the role of schools/teachers in promoting intercultural knowledge, attitudes and behaviour among students. Observations of the teaching process confirmed that a positive outcome depends on teaching style, teaching content and consistent, systematic and purposeful use of curricular and extracurricular activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Intercultural values and attitudes
• history education
• intercultural education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. By competence we refer to the INESCO definition (2012): Competence includes cognitive (knowledge), functional (application of knowledge), personal (behaviour) and ethical (principles guiding behaviour) components.

2. According to the 2014 census, the Georgian population consists of 86.8% Georgians, 6.3% Azerbaijanis, 4.5% Armenians, 0.7% Russians and 1.7% others. Georgian and Abkhazian are official languages. Other languages spoken in the country include Azerbaijani, Armenian, Russian, Pontic Greek, Urum and Ossetian. The census also revealed religious diversity: 83.4% of the population was Orthodox Christian; 10.7% Muslim; 2.9% Armenian Apostolic (Christian); 0.5% Roman Catholic; 0.1% Jewish; and 2.4% other. (Population Census 2014: Religious beliefs, Statistics Georgia, Tbilisi).

3. http://carap.ecml.at/Descriptorsofresources/Tableaudescomp%C3%A9tences/tabid/3635/language/en-GB/Deafault.aspx.

4. http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Intercultural-understanding.

5. https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877042815014147/1-s2.0-S1877042815014147-main.pdf?_tid=942eb6d8-582b-4fe5-aa1b-e42bbe303729&acdnat=1550757420_78d51cc751796f6edca0b8c2dffc7391.

6. https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S1479-367920170000032008.

7. file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Dialnet-TheItalianWayToInterculturalEducation-6484789.pdf.

8. UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education, UNESCO 2006.

9. Participants were mostly 14–15 years old; 26 were male and 27 were female; 51 students were Georgians, 1 was Azerbaijani and 1 Russian. 49 students noted that they were Christian, 1 was Muslim and 3 students indicated that they were not religious. 51 students mentioned Georgian as their native language, 1 student mentioned Azerbaijani, and 1 both the Georgian and Russian languages as native languages.

10. http://ecmicaucasus.org/small_grants.html.

11. Abkhazia – Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia occupied by the Russian Federation in 1992–93.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation [#FR-18-1887].

Notes on contributors

David Malazonia

David Malazonia is a professor at Ilia State University. His research interests include: intercultural education, teaching methods of history and the history of Georgia. He has published more than 40 scientific articles, monography and several textbooks in history. Prof. David Malazonia has participated in a number of international conferences and symposia dedicated to the problems of education.

Tamuna Macharashvili

Tamuna Macharashvili has MA in Didactics of social sciences. Presently she works as a teacher of history and civic education at Millennium School and as a teacher of civic education at public school 77.

Shorena Maglakelidze

Prof. Shorena Maglakelidze is a professor of School of Arts and Sciences at ISU. from 1995, she conducting research in the field of Economics of education, Educational management, Intercultural and Civic Education. She is the author and head of scientific projects and received grants from the Open Society Georgia, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation and the East-West Management Institute (EWMI) and Public Policy, Advocacy and Civic Development in Georgia (G-PAC).

Nino Chiabrishvili

Prof. Nino Chiabrishvili is a professor at Ilia State University. In 1999 she received her PhD in pedagogics. She has extensive experience in teaching methods of civics and economics and intercultural education. She has participated in a number of forums on literacy, education, teaching methods, and textbook writing methods. She is an author and co-author of textbooks in ABC of Economics and Civic Economics as well as author of more than 30 articles. Prof. Chiabrishvili edited several textbooks for high school students.