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Developing intercultural competences in preservice teachers

Laura Izquierdo Fontestad, PhD student, Catholic University of Valencia Spain.

Tamar Shuali, Senior Lecturer, Catholic University of Valencia Spain.

Spain is currently the tenth European country in receiving migrants- new comers-. According to statistics, there are about 6.5 million migrants residing in Spain, it is about 12.2% of the total of the Spanish population. Comparing the different autonomous communities of Spain, Spanish National Institute of statistics, (INE, 2013) establishes that the region of Valencia is among the four regions with the highest percentage of newcomers -about 17.2% of its population are migrants. Therefore, it is understood there is an urgent need for an educational response that addresses migrant student’s needs. Research demonstrates that a major aspect in the determination of integration is the need to recognize cultural diversity. In the first place, this study analyses the theoretical framework of intercultural education as an appropriate educational response based on acknowledgment of cultural diversity. In the second place, it focuses on the notion of intercultural competences, aiming towards the evaluation of the achievements of such competences among pre-service teachers during their basic training.