Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student.
With a focus on improving teacher education, this book offers critical and creative perspectives on diversity in education in the Nordic context. Chapters reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices.
Introduction
Part I: Student Teachers Intercultural Competences
Chapter 1: The More We Know, The More We Feel What We Know Is Limited:
Finnish Student Teachers Engaging with Chinese Students Ideas About Culture,
Language and Interculturality, Ning Chen and Fred Dervin
Chapter 2: We Have Three Common Enemies: Student Teachers Perspectives on
Existing Prejudice in Danish Multicultural Schools, Artëm Ingmar
Benediktsson
Chapter 3: Experiential Education, Museums and Student Teachers
Intercultural Learning: Reflections on the Scandinavian Romani Exhibition,
Vander Tavares and Thor-André Skrefsrud
Chapter 4: Finnish Teacher-students Mindsets and Intercultural Competences,
Meri Häärä, Inkeri Rissanen and Elina Kuusisto
Chapter 5: Teacher Education for Inclusion: Preparing Student Teachers at the
School of Education in Iceland to Work in Inclusive Multicultural Classrooms,
Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Jónína Vala Kristinsdóttir, Samúel Currey Lefever and
Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir
Part II: Multilingual Learning in Diverse Classrooms
Chapter 6: Finnish Teachers Perspectives on Creating Multilingual Learning
Opportunities in Diverse Classrooms, Jenni Alisaari, Mari Bergroth, Raisa
Harju-Autti, Leena Maria Heikkola, Salla Sissonen and Heli Vigren
Chapter 7: How Do Teachers of Plurilingual Learners Mother Tongue (PLMT)
Implement Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy?, Maija Yli-Jokipii, Inkeri Rissanen
and Elina Kuusisto
Part III: Identifying Skills and Competences for Future Teachers in Religious
Education
Chapter 8: Critical Approaches to Religious Diversity in Education: What
Skills Do Future Teachers Need? Anuleena Kimanen
Chapter 9: Reconceptualizing Non-Confessional Religious Education in Norway
from a Freirean Perspective, Thor-André Skrefsrud and Vander Tavares
Part IV: Educators Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
Chapter 10: Diversity and Inclusion in Physical Education: Kinesiocultural
Exploration as Anti-Oppressive Teaching, Håkan Larsson
Chapter 11: Esports: The New White Boys Club? Problematizing the Norms
Limiting Diversity and Inclusion in an Educational Gaming Context, Fredrik
Rusk and Matilda Ståhl
Chapter 12: Teaching Towards Transformation: Promoting Multicultural Pedagogy
in Iceland Through Reflective Participation, Charlotte Wolff, Renata Emilsson
Peskova and Beth Draycott
Chapter 13: Opportunities and Challenges in Implementing Culturally and
Linguistically Responsive Practices in Preschools in Iceland, Hanna
Ragnarsdóttir
Part V: Students and Parents Encounters with Diversity
Chapter 14: Locating Power: Polish Parents Encounter with Norwegian
Education, Agnieszka Iwetta Rasmussen and Jonas Yassin Iversen
Chapter 15: Negotiating Knowledge of Sexual and Gender Diversity: A Case
Study with Migrant Students in a Swedish Language Course, Anna Winlund
Chapter 16: Countering Narratives of Identity and Belonging: Multicultural
School Events from a Student Perspective, Shpresa Basha and Thor-André
Skrefsrud
Chapter 17: The Roles of Migrant Parents in High School as Constructed by
Teachers and Students: A Double-edged Sword, Julia Melnikova
About the Authors
Vander Tavares is postdoctoral researcher in education at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Thor-André Skrefsrud is professor of education at the Faculty of Education at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences.