Estonian Preschool and Primary Teachers’ Intercultural Competence as Shaped by Experiences with Newly Arrived Migrant Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cultural diversity in Estonia has been expanding through migration and hence the need to teach newly arrived migrant students (NAMSs) has become an important issue in the Estonian education system. This study examined intercultural competence across domains relating to the attitudes, knowledge and skills of teachers. A total of 167 teachers from 15 preschools and 227 primary teachers from 26 basic schools participated in the study. Experienced teachers self-evaluated their attitudes towards intercultural competence as being significantly lower than less experienced teachers. However, teachers without experience in NAMSs teaching self-evaluated their skills and knowledge as being lower than teachers with NAMS-experience. A comparison of teachers’ intercultural competence, based on school level, indicated that preschool teachers self-evaluated their skills as being significantly higher than primary teachers. The results highlight the value of teaching NAMSs in teachers’ professional learning experience. Also, there is a need to broaden the concept of intercultural competence in teachers’ pre- and in-service education by connecting inclusive practices more with cultural diversity.