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Secondary education teacher students within EUniWell discussed diversity work and preventive work against bullying

On 7–8 April, two seminars were arranged on the theme “Making a curriculum for well-being” at which secondary education teacher students from Linnaeus University, University of Florence, and University of Cologne gathered to discuss questions concerning how teachers can prevent bullying and victimisation in the classroom. As well as discussions on diversity work in the classroom.

The seminars were part of the course Social relations, conflict management and leadership for secondary education teachers on the secondary education teacher programme, and a total of 80 students participated. Before the seminars, the students had to read two scientific articles. The discussions in smaller groups were based on questions concerning key concepts relating to work with values and diversity in their respective contexts, how these questions are brought up on the teacher education programme, and own experiences from their school years and student placement training.

Daniel Alvunger and Charlotte Silander, Department of Education and Teachers’ Practice, hosted the seminar:

“Diversity questions and questions relating to social relations and leadership in the classroom are essential to the teacher. These questions also tend to make our teacher students highly engaged. Therefore, it came naturally to lift these specific areas within the framework of EUniWell, based on the perspective of the secondary education teacher students”, says Daniel Alvunger.

Through the discussions, it became clear that the students think that they need more preparation on how to prevent and discover bullying, that social media needs to be paid attention to when it comes to victimisation and bullying, but that it is difficult to get a good overview of this, and that research can be helpful in providing them with important concepts and approaches. The students think of diversity questions as a key part of the teacher’s long-term work to establish values in the classroom, where it is important that the teaching of the subject brings up themes and perspectives so that his becomes evident in the teaching as a whole, and is not only brought up on occasional theme days or the like. Planning work is now being carried out to develop this work method within the course and additional seminars are being planned together with the partner universities.

For more information, please contact Daniel Alvunger.