Developing intercultural sensitivity in prospective teachers: the potential role of Roma culture immersion field experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT Teacher preparation programmes through cultural immersion field experiences in Schools as Learning Communities have the potential to increase the intercultural sensitivity of future teachers to provide an effective response to the needs of Roma children. This research evaluated the impact of an intercultural training programme for prospective teachers that included instruction on the situation of the Roma community in the educational system and the transformative potential of the Schools as Learning Communities project, as well as a cultural immersion field experience in a school as a learning community in a vulnerable context. An experimental research design was used that involved collecting pre and post intervention data on a total sample of 321 undergraduate students who were assigned to either a control or experimental group. Results showed that the community-based immersion experience increased the intercultural sensitivity of prospective teachers. Specifically, the intervention, which took place in Spain, had an effect on the dimensions of Respect for Cultural Differences and Interaction Confidence between the control and experimental groups, with greater initial intercultural sensitivity shown by women in the dimensions Respect for Cultural Differences, Interaction Enjoyment and Interaction Engagement. The role of schools as learning communities in contextualised training through direct interaction with culturally diverse individuals is discussed.