INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH IN PRIMARY GRADES OF GEORGIA Research Report AUTHORS: SHALVA TABATADZE NATIA GORGADZE Tbilisi 2013 Center for Civil Integration and Inter-Ethnic Relations (CCIIR) was established as non-profit, non- governmental organization in February 2005.The main goal of CCIIR is to ensure equal opportunities for all citizens of Georgia facilitate the process of civil integration and raise civil consciousness through quality education. CCIIR started implementation of public policy research projects from 2009. The main goal of policy research projects is to study context, identify existing problems and challenges, define most efficient ways for changes and translate research findings in practical policy recommendations for improvement of educational reform in Georgia. The study “ Intercultural Education Research in Primary Grades of Georgia” is one of the most significant analytical works of CCIIR. The policy research strives to gather civil society and policymakers around the multiculturalism and develop the intercultural sensitivity and tolerance in Georgian society. The implementation of developed research-based policy recommendations will facilitate the equal educational opportunities for all school students of Georgia. AUTHORS OF SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS ANALYSIS SHALVA TABATADZE NATIA GORGADZE KAKHA GABUNIA IRMA KHOMERIKI DAVID TINIKASHVILI EDITOR: CHABUKI KIRIA GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT: ALYONA ELTISHEVA ISBN: 978-9941-0-4199-0 კვლევის დოკუმენტის შინაარსზე მთლიანად პასუხისმგებელია სამოქალაქო ინტეგრაციისა და ეროვნებათშორისი ურთიერთობების ცენტრი. ის შესაძლოა არ გამოხატავდეს USAID-ის, ამერიკის შეერთებული შტატების მთავრობის ან EWMI-ის შეხედულებებს. The content is the responsibility of Center for Civil Integration and Inter-Ethnic Relations and doesn’t necessarily reflect the view of USAID, the United States Government, or EWMI. INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH ИН PRIMARY GRADES OF GEORGIA კვლევა მომზადდა სამოქალაქო ინტეგრაციისა და ეროვნებათშორისი ურთი- ერთობების ცენტრის მიერ აღმოსავლეთ-დასავლეთის მართვის ინსტიტუტის (EWMI) პროგრამის „საქართველოში საჯარო პოლიტიკის, ადვოკატირებისა და სამოქალაქო საზოგადოების განვითარება“ (G-PAC) ფარგლებში. კვლევის ჩატარება შესაძლებელი გახდა ამერიკელი ხალხის გულისხმიერი მხარდაჭერის შედეგად, ამერიკის შეერთებული შტატების საერთაშორისო განვითარების სააგენტოს (USAID) დაფინასებით. The research is implemented by the Center for Civil Integration and inter-Ethnic Relations (CCIIR) in the framework of The East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC) Program, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The study is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the USAID. Research Report iii INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH ИН PRIMARY GRADES OF GEORGIA CONTENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT .................................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I: INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION IN GEORGIA ..................................................... 3 CHAPTER II: INTERCULTURAL ASPECTS IN NATIONAL CURRICULA OF GEORGIA ............ 7 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 15 CHAPTER IV: SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS APPROVAL PROCEDURES .......................................... 28 CHAPTER V: ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS: INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE .......... 37 CHAPTER VI: ASSESSMENT OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ......................................................................................... 90 CHAPTER VII: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION APPROACHES/TEACHERS’ INTERVIEW ANALYSIS............................................................. 128 CHAPTER VIII: ANALYSIS OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS’ FOCUS GROUPS .................... 152 CHAPTER IX: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY IMPROVEMENT ................................. 183 ANNEX I: TEACHER’S INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE .......................... 192 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 200 TABLES ................................................................................................................................... 203 DIAGRAMS ............................................................................................................................ 205 iv Research Report INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH ИН PRIMARY GRADES OF GEORGIA ACKNOWLEDGMENT Multicultural education and its positive impact is a continuous process that requires not only theoretical teaching and development of proper attitudes, but aims at practicing the acquired knowledge and views. Multicultural education is more oriented on change in attitude and behavior rather than assimilation of theoretical basics. Consequently, the study of attitudes of the society involved in educational processes is a very important phase that enables them to elaborate an appropriate, well-analyzed strategy for increasing multicultural sensitiveness of the students. This is the first, complex and unique research in Georgia which analyzed various aspects of multiculturalism from the perspectives of diverse focus groups. We would like to express our gratitude to East-West Management Institute and its project “Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development” (G-PAC) financed by USAID for giving us an opportunity to carry out this important research. We thank Director of the Melikian Centre of Arizona State Univeristy (ASU) Prof. Batalden, Melikian Center Research Administrator, Mr Alexei Lalo and Professor of GateWay Community College – Mr. Berisha for their valuable recommendations on research design as well as their constructive feedback, comments and notes on final document of the research. We are frankly grateful to experts – Irma Khomeriki, Kakha Gabunia and David Tinikashvili for their great contribution in deep analysis of the textbooks. We are very thankful to the staff of our organization – Center for Civil Integration and Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ms. Elene Jajanidze, Ketevan Jachvadze, Tamar Antadze and Mariam Karvelishvili for their commitment and devotion during the whole period of the research. We send our sincere gratitude to Ms. Tamar Meskhidze, Director of Children and Youth Palace of Batumi for her support while working in Adjara region. Many thanks to Rusudan Arveladze for providing us with professional translation of the document in English language. We would like to thank target groups of the research – heads and staff of the Regional Educational Resource Centers, administrative and teaching personnel of the target schools, students and parents participating in the focus group discussions. We wouldn’t be able to conduct this research without their kind assistance. And finally, we hope that the document will raise interest of education authorities, policy makers and implementers, organizations and experts working on education issues. We believe that the outcomes of the research and recommendations based on the findings will serve as a guideline for future policy planning and improvement and will contribute to enhancement of education quality in our country. Research Report v INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH ИН PRIMARY GRADES OF GEORGIA INTRODUCTION Intercultural education is one of the most important areas of education in the 21st century. Intercultural sensitivity is not an inherent quality. In the historical context, intercul tural encounters have always gone hand in hand with bloodshed, violence, ethnic cleansing, repression and genocide. Intercultural education has emerged as an instrument to challenge the above-described «natural» negative attitudes and promote peace and tolerance in intercultural relations. The internationalization of education, seen as a response to globalization, has become one of the top priorities for educational institutions and national governments. The globalization process, market-led economy and free competition are major factors behind the internationaliza tion of education. Under such circumstances, the education system and educational institutions must assume social responsibility to redesign their education process in order to help Georgian students become more competitive in the international labor market. The education process should aim to educate and prepare citizens for living in a multicultural and diverse world and working in multi-cultural and diverse organizations and companies. This aim cannot be achieved without intercultural education. The document describes the most important aspects of multicultural education, which influence the implementation of intercultural education at school, specifically: (a) Ant discriminative legislative framework; (b) National Curriculum and school textbooks; (c) Professional teachers equipped with skills and competences and with high level of intercultural sensitivity. The first part of policy paper reviews intercultural aspects in educational system of Georgia... Second part describes the new regulations of textbook approval and related problems; Third chapter of paper identifies the aspects of intercultural education in National Curriculum and subject standards. The fourth chapter of the document represents research methods used in the study. The fifth chapter presents the results of primary textbook analysis. The six part of the document