To takean intercultural approach in teaching : A study of four teachers' descriptions and practical application of an intercultural approach in teaching situations

In this thesis, a study was made of four teachers’ perception and application of an intercultural perspective in their teaching practice. The purpose was to investigate how the teachers describe to use an intercultural approach in teaching situations and how they achieve it in social studies. The study aimed to answer the questions below: - How do the teachers perceive the concepts of multicultural, multicultural education and intercultural approach and what do they assume is the purpose of an intercultural approach? - How do the teachers adapt teaching from an intercultural perspective? * - Which advantages and difficulties/hindrance do the teachers consider occur in the enabling of an intercultural approach? - In which way do the teachers make an intercultural approach possible in their teaching practice in social studies? The methods used to answer these questions where qualitative one-on-one interviews and observations of the teachers during class in social studies. The theories used to analyse the material was based on theories on different intercultural approaches and strategies in teaching and the frame factor theory. As a conclusion, this study finds that the teachers in the study are aware of the possibilities and benefits of an intercultural approach. Furthermore, the results show that the way the intercultural approach is utilized in the teaching practice differs from teacher to teacher and that the teachers focus on similar and different aspect of the intercultural approach. However, this study also shows that they teachers feel various difficulties working with an intercultural approach such as the schools’ resources and teaching in different matters and contexts. Which is consistent with previous research