Original scientific paper

Intercultural Competences of Kindergarten Teachers and Social Distance

Željko Boneta orcid.org/0000-0001-9665-1294 ; Faculty of Primary Education in Rijeka
Željka Ivković orcid.org/0000-0002-9393-9433 ; Faculty of Primary Education in Rijeka
Tatjana Lacmanović ; “Orepcici” Kindergarten, Kraljevica

Abstract

The article examines the connection between self-evaluation of intercultural competence and social distance among kindergarten teachers. The basic concepts of the research and their relationships are explained in the introduction. The second part presents the results of an empirical study conducted among kindergarten teachers in the Rijeka region (N=225). The results show that the contents of intercultural education are insuffi ciently present in the formal education of kindergarten teachers and that merely one third of teachers consider themselves qualifi ed for their application in practice. Respondents showed a greater degree of social distance toward the groups which they perceived as culturally different in several dimensions: Albanians and Roma. Some of the respondents refused to complete the modifi ed Bogardus social distance scale, which is an indication of the lack of sensibility among some of the kindergarten teachers for this topic. There was a relatively weak connection between self-evaluation of intercultural competence and social distance, which is ascribed to shortcomings of previous intercultural education.

Keywords

intercultural education; survey refusal; kindergarten teachers; self-evaluation of intercultural competence; social distance

Hrčak ID:

112413

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/112413

Publication date:

2.12.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian italian

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