The significance of emotions in Finnish teachers’ stories about their intercultural learning

Abstract

The need to improve teachers’ abilities to respond to the needs of diverse students has been widely acknowledged. To acquire these abilities teachers need ongoing reflection and opportunities to learn in practice in various contexts. However, earlier research has not extensively theorised teachers’ intercultural learning as a holistic life-long learning process. This article discusses teachers’ intercultural learning as a lifelong process in which emotions play a significant role. The article is based on the findings of an analysis of biographical interviews with 10 Finnish teachers. The research question addressed here is: How does the significance of emotions for teachers’ intercultural learning appear in teachers’ stories? The findings present four ways in which the emotional dimensions of intercultural learning was present in the teachers’ stories: emotions shook the teachers’ values and perspectives, emotions triggered action, the teachers’ own feelings of otherness enabled sensitivity towards others, and the emotional climate supported the teachers’ intercultural learning. Finally, the article discusses the pedagogical conditions for teachers’ intercultural learning as an emotional process.

Keywords:

• Emotions
• intercultural learning
• intercultural pedagogy
• narrative research
• teacher education
• teachers

Funding

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland, Council for Culture and Society [grant number 265974].

Notes

1. In Finland, a primary school teacher qualification includes a 5-year master’s degree with a strong research base.

2. Teacher education is very popular in Finland. Only about 10% of those who apply for the Intercultural Teacher Education programme are accepted. Twenty new students are selected for the Intercultural Teacher Education programme every year. The selection criteria emphasise interest, motivation and the potential to study intercultural issues.

3. There are only a few male students studying in each Intercultural Teacher Education group. In general, females are in the majority in Finnish primary school teacher education.

4. Minna (the second author) became involved in the study during the process of writing the article.