History Consciousness and Identity in Multicultural Classrooms

This study aims to dive deep and examine through interviews and previous research wich role historical consciousness and identity play in multicultural classrooms. The goal is to use a qualitative method to investigate for example wich role historical consciousness play in creating identities in multicultural classrooms. It will also be about how teachers shape their teaching according to multiculturalism. The interviews conducted in the study were of a semi structured nature as there were no predetermined answers to the questions. The interviews took place at one school in southern Sweden with two teachers of varying ages. After the interviews I divided the answers in to themes that were the three main concepts that the study is about (historical consciousness, identity and multiculturalism) as well as other themes like us and them. The empirical material further showed that multicultural classrooms have meant that teachers have broadened their view of history and made it more inclusive. Teachers are also increasingly shaping their teaching from a teacher-centerd classroom to giving students a greater role by for example telling about their culture or homeland. Both teachers also agreed that it was better to find similarities in history between diffrent countries and cultures in order to create a more inclusive classroom and that it made it easier to create a common identity. I am fully aware that the results of my study can not generate in any major conclusions. Although my study of the scope is not particulary large I think that there is a basis for understanding how multicultural classrooms can affect teachers role and work in schools