Intercultural Competencies as Part of Teachers’ Moral Professionalism

Introduction

The steady increase in migration worldwide is increasing the ethnic and cultural heterogenization of classrooms. Cultural diversity can be utilized as an enrichment of the learning environment, but it also creates challenges for educators. It is widely acknowledged that teachers need to develop competencies to teach students from diverse cultural backgrounds and promote educational equity. Teachers are expected to teach morally and be committed to the ethical principles of their profession; in many countries and at many educational levels, they are also expected to teach morality and support their students’ holistic development, including emotional and moral concerns, rather than merely the cognitive domain. However, increasing cultural diversity adds complexity to both these aspects of the moral profession of teaching.

All teachers transmit values in the classroom, whether intentionally or not. In a culturally diverse context, legitimation of these values as well as their...