Enhancing Teachers’ Intercultural Conflict Management Competences through Digital Game-Based Learning: A Pedagogical Framework

Abstract

With the recent immigration flows, diversity has become a structural characteristic of European societies. The growing proportion of students with a migrant background implies a series of challenges for the education systems in most member states: diversity leads to educational disparities between dominant cultural groups and immigrant students; also, discrimination and intercultural conflicts have become significant phenomena at school. Teacher education programs do not seem to adequately address those challenges. Hence, there is a growing need to prepare educators to effectively deal with diversity and to build bridges towards migrant communities. In the context of the ACCORD project (Erasmus+ programme), this paper proposes a pedagogical framework aiming to prepare teachers to take an active stand against intercultural conflicts. Through an open online course using scenario-based learning and game-based learning, teachers will develop competences in terms of intercultural literacy, inclusive education and conflict management. A preliminary study, based on national focus groups conducted in five European countries, allowed for confronting the pedagogical framework to teachers’ views and practices. Results allowed for validating and refining the ACCORD competence areas, pedagogical approaches and digital tools.