Att vara lärare med interkulturell kompetens
En kvalitativ studie med förskolelärare/lärare som gått interkulturell lärarutbildning
The Swedish school is today a meeting place for many people with different cultures. The teacher education at Södertörn University have since 2002 been influenced by an intercultural profile. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the intercultural profile of Södertörn University is expressed in preschool- teachers/ teachers work. Is an intercultural approach requested in schools and is intercultural approach useful and applicable in the teaching profession? The report is based on a qualitative study of what intercultural competence means for five preschool- teachers/ teachers who have graduated from Södertörn University. The report describes what intercultural competence means to them and how they use their intercultural competence in their work. It also investigates the employers view on intercultural competence.There seems to be some uncertainty about intercultural competence, during the interviews with the preschool teachers/ teachers they became more aware of how they actually use their intercultural competence. These preschool- teacher/ teacher have perhaps not had the opportunity to reflect on the concept. My conclusion is that intercultural competence is essential in school because teachers meet people with different cultures every day, that?s why teachers need to work with ethnocentric behavior. Teachers have a responsibility not to pass on prejudices about people to their students. All children have a right to feel included in the school community regardless of who they are and where they come from.