EFL instruction as a tool for the inclusion of refugee children in Croatian schools: Teachers’ perspective

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Nastava engleskog jezika kao alat za inkluziju djece izbjeglica u hrvatske škole: Perspektiva nastavnika
• Author: Nives Valek
• Mentor: Stela Letica Krevelj (mentor)
• Mentor: Marija Bartulović (komentor)
• Committee member: Renata Geld (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Stela Letica Krevelj (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Marija Bartulović (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Pedagogy); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-06-07, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Pedagogy; School Pedagogy
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: INTERDISCIPLINARY AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE; Educational Sciences (Child and Educational Psychology, Sociology of Education, Political Science of Education, Economics of Education, Anthropology of Education, Neurosciences and Early Learning, Educational Disciplines)

Abstract

Following the 2015 European refugee crisis and the Ukrainian refugee crisis which started in February 2022, the Croatian education system has been faced with a pressing need to include refugee children into Croatian schools. While some attention in research has been given to what the best ways for refugee children to acquire Croatian in schools are, no attention has been given to how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction can be used as a tool for the inclusion of refugee children in Croatian schools. This paper aims to determine in which ways five EFL teachers support the potential of EFL instruction for the inclusion of refugee students into the Croatian education system by researching their perspectives on refugee inclusion in their classrooms through a semi-structured interview. The results of the study show that the EFL teachers believe EFL instruction has potential for the inclusion of refugee students. They also provide insight into what benefits the participants believe learning English can have for refugee students and what challenges they face when teaching refugee students English. Further, the study resulted in an overview of strategies that EFL teachers use to provide language training and support to refugee students, to encourage an inclusive learning environment, to provide opportunities for identity construction of refugee students, and to support friendship-building between refugee students and Croatian students. Overall, the results show that multilingual pedagogies and intercultural practices are sometimes addressed by the participants but are still not widely adopted and practiced by the interviewed EFL teachers, which could be attributed to the reaction of the Croatian education system to the arrival of refugees in Croatia.

• Keywords: EFL instruction; refugee children; refugee inclusion; teachers’ perspectives; intercultural education; multilingual education
• Keywords (croatian): nastava engleskog jezika; djeca izbjeglice; inkluzija izbjeglica; perpektive nastavnika; interkulturalno obrazovanje; višejezično obrazovanje
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:128510
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: TEFL; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Study programme: Title: Pedagogy (double major); Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra pedagogije (magistar/magistra pedagogije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-06-09 19:34:24