Interculturalism in the classroom : the strengths and limitations of teachers in managing relations with children and parents of foreign origin

The article addresses the issue of interculturalism in Italian schools. Intercultural education has become a fundamental principle of the Italian school system since the ‘80s, when students of foreign origin began to considerably increase in number. Based on qualitative interviews and a focus group with educational staff, I will explore how interculturalism is enforced in the curricula and everyday school life. Although theoretically teachers accept the principle, they have difficulty in appreciating and positively reinforcing students’ differences in their teaching programs, and in managing some cultural and religious claims of immigrant families. They do not always succeed in overcoming their ethnocentric approach and culturally constructed views. The data will highlight the importance of teacher training in enabling them to better implement the intercultural approach in both content and educational styles.