Abstract:

Context:
This abstracts describes an ongoing study about dialogue on controversial themes at school. The first preliminary results will be available in January 2020.
Teachers in Brussels’ schools, with a population that reflects the multicultural and diverse population in society, are often confronted with potential conflicts arising from differences in cultural and ethnic related values (Koning Boudewijnstichting, 2014). General themes related to diversity at school, that we assume to be facilitators in creating a mind shift to more tolerance, are often subject to discussion and therefore can be perceived as controversial themes, that might be difficult to discuss (Yentür & Cornelissen, 2017; Van Raemdonck, 2018). Researchers of this study hypothesize that a structured and well coached dialogue about controversial cases in school context, can reveal hidden prejudices that inhibit socio-cultural awareness. The aim of this study, is to detect characteristics that inhibit a nonviolent communication when it comes to controversial themes, and to tackle conflicts at school using an adequate dialogue style.

Methods:
Results of this study built upon data that are collected in a qualitative study design. Based upon results of a previous study and with the input of educational professionals in focus groups, a dialogue and reflecting tool to coach school teams in handling controversial themes at school was developed, using controversial cases with guided questions to reflect on the situation. Data were collected in the period October – December 2019. Participants of the study are students in teacher training (N=32; 18-23 years old). Participants reflected upon several controversial cases at school and were asked to use the guided questions to discuss the cases and conclude to conflict resolution actions (CRA’s). Data were then subject to content analysis. The words used in the CRA’s, were the screened and analysed to determine underlying and unspoken feelings, emotions, opinions and thoughts.

Results:
Data are not yet fully analysed at this moment (the time of the abstract submission). The first preliminary results of this study will be available in January to be presented in the paper of the conference proceedings.

Conclusions:
The educational professional in a super diverse city needs people with ‘diversattude’. This includes empathy, respect, curiosity, openness and sociocultural awareness (Verhaeghe & Den Haese, in press). Awareness of its own prejudices and hidden assumptions is a fundamental step in facilitation dialogue about ethnic and culturally related controversies at school.

Keywords:

Facilitating dialogue, controversial themes at school, socio-cultural awareness.