Humanising ‘the other’

Abstract

In the belief that teachers' attitudes toward the other have a 'ripple effect' on society as a whole, the researchers designed a course called ‘Dealing with Diversity’ offered to one class of Arab students and one class of Jewish students studying to become English teachers at two colleges of education in Israel.  The course aimed to expose the student to theoretical material relating to diversity and to provide an authentic vehicle for application of the principles discussed in the literature.

Students were required to complete joint projects in mixed groups (Arab and Jewish), in two face-to-face and a semester of virtual meetings.  Attitudes and reactions towards ‘the other’—their Jewish or Arab peers-- were explored on the basis of journal and forum entries which were part of the course requirements. The students’ writings showed themes of apprehension (negative), expectancy (positive), or indifference (neutral), and evidence of change in attitude was documented.

Key words: 'the other'; cultural diversity; teacher education; Identity circles; collaborative Learning.