Intercultural pedagogy

Intercultural pedagogy is a pedagogical concept that deals with the promotion of intercultural understanding and the recognition of cultural diversity in education.

What is Intercultural Pedagogy?

Intercultural pedagogy is a concept that aims to deal with cultural diversity and promote intercultural competence. In KiTas, intercultural pedagogy plays an important role as it helps children to develop their own cultural identity while promoting openness and respect towards other cultures.

Background and origins

Intercultural pedagogy stems from a variety of theories and perspectives that address the challenge of cultural diversity in society and the educational landscape. In the 1960s, the idea of Intercultural Education emerged in Germany, inspired by the immigration of guest workers and their families. In the following decades, Intercultural Education developed into an independent concept dealing with the promotion of cultural diversity and tolerance in educational institutions.

Relevant persons who have contributed to the development of intercultural education include the educators Armin Bernhard, Ingrid Gogolin, Hartmut von Hentig, Jürgen Oelkers and Rudolf Tippelt. They have dealt intensively with the challenge of interculturality in education and developed concepts for intercultural education. Ingrid Gogolin has shown in her studies, for example, that pupils with a migration background often achieve poorer educational results than their native classmates, and that this is due to cultural barriers and prejudices.

Hartmut von Hentig advocated a "pedagogical anthropology" that focuses on people in their cultural diversity and individuality. Rudolf Tippelt emphasised the importance of intercultural pedagogy for an open and democratic society and Jürgen Oelkers advocated for an educational policy that offers equal opportunities and possibilities to all children and young people.

The contributions of these and other educators have helped to establish intercultural education as a concept in its own right and to underline its importance for the successful education of children and young people.

Concepts and methods

Intercultural pedagogy encompasses various concepts and methods aimed at promoting intercultural competence and dealing with cultural diversity. This includes, for example, teaching intercultural competences, such as the ability to reflect on one's own cultural imprints and to understand other cultures. In addition, intercultural activities, such as celebrating festivals from other cultures, can help to promote intercultural understanding.

Dissemination of intercultural pedagogy

In recent years, intercultural education has become increasingly important in the upbringing and education of children and young people. Due to growing globalisation and migration, the coexistence of people from different cultural backgrounds has become the norm in many societies. Intercultural education can help to reduce prejudices and stereotypes and to develop a better understanding of other cultures.

In Germany, intercultural education has also gained importance at the political level in recent years. In 2007, for example, the National Integration Conference was founded, which, among other things, deals with the promotion of intercultural competence in educational institutions. The concept of intercultural pedagogy is also increasingly recognised and implemented at the international level.

The increasing dissemination and recognition of the concept of intercultural pedagogy has increased the demand for appropriately qualified professionals. There are now numerous further education courses and degree programmes that deal with intercultural pedagogy and train professionals to work with children and young people. Many day care centres have also begun to integrate intercultural aspects into their work.

Practical implementation

Intercultural education can be implemented in practice in various ways. KiTas can, for example, carry out intercultural projects in which children get to know different cultures and can exchange ideas with other children. Intercultural parental work and the integration of multilingual materials can also contribute to creating an intercultural atmosphere in the KiTa.