Project: Incorporation of Multicultural Education Approaches in Teacher Education Programs Date: 2015
Status: Completed
"Incorporation of Multicultural Education Approaches in Teacher Education Programs" project was implemented with the financial support of Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF).
The aim of the project was to prepare future multiculturally sensitive teachers with the ability to manage diversity in the classroom through improving the teacher education programs at the universities of Kutaisi, Batumi and Gori.
Target Universities:
Kutaisi State University
Batumi State University
Gori State University
Activities & Achievements:
Workshops
At each target university (Kutaisi, Batumi and Gori) seminar-workshops were organized for the faculty of teacher education programs on how to develop intercultural curriculum and how to develop culturally relevant syllabi and learning/teaching recourses in order to develop tolerance and multicultural sensitivity in students.
As a result
• multicultural education strategies/intercultural aspects were incorporated in teacher education program syllabus
• multicultural education course/module was created for teacher education programs at target universities
• raised qualification of in-service teachers through their professional development.
Intercultural Events
Intercultural events were organized and promoted in order to create tolerant and multiculturally sensitive environment at target universities. Totally 6 cultural events were held:
• Public lecture on "democratic values in Georgian culture" - Levan berdzenishvili, philologist and deputy of Parliament of Georgia; venue: Kutaisi State University;
• Intercultural event: “Integrity of Diversity” - BSU`s Georgian, Turkish, Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani students presented their cultures, reflecting multicultural characteristics. venue: Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University;
• Joint event at Kachagani public school (Marneuli district) - the faculty and the students of Gori State University visited Kachagani public school #1, where they met school administration, students, graduate students and others. This was an experience-sharing meeting that provided the opportunities to introduce multiculturalism of the country;
• Share experience and deepen the cooperation between the universities - ethnic minority students of TSU one year Georgian language program met the faculty of Pedagogics and the students - future teachers of Kutaisi State University;
• Public lecture at Batumi State University - Professor Oliver Reisner was invited to give a speech on "European experience in intercultural education" to students and the faculty of teacher education program;
• Support and raise the integration process and civil engagement of ethnic minorities of Georgia - teachers and the students from different public schools of Marneuli district visited Gori State Teaching University, where they met the faculty and the students of teacher education program. All of the intercultural events/meetings were followed by the sightseeing tours.