There is agreement that a renewal of Dutch modern foreign language education is needed (see Ros 2020; Fasoglio & Tammenga 2021). The first step, the updating of the examination programmes and core objectives (SLO 2024a, 2024b), has now been taken. The old learning objectives focusing only on language proficiency have been updated with objectives focusing on language awareness and cultural awareness. In the past, didactics research focused a lot on language skills; now it is necessary to also take up research on didactics related to language awareness and cultural awareness and support teachers in implementing this. This is what the research presented here aims to contribute to. This research focuses on the concept of culturally reflexive learning (German ‘kulturreflexives Lernen’). Culturally reflexive learning aims to promote students' communicative skills so that they become aware of multilingual and pluricultural contexts and learn to navigate in such contexts (Schweiger 2022, p. 91). Because there is also a strong focus on developing (critical) thinking and reflection skills, culturally reflexive learning is not only in line with the updated modern foreign language curriculum, but also with the new core objectives relating to citizenship (‘burgerschapsonderwijs’) (SLO 2024c).
When implementing the curriculum, the context and specifically the school culture can be seen as an important factor. This can be made clear with a simple example: if a school's code of conduct reads ‘Only Dutch is spoken at school’ as it is even explicitly stated in the school rules in some schools, then a language teacher has a hard time making constructive use of all the languages a student speaks. It is also difficult for a teacher to achieve culturally reflexive learning objectives, if the school culture towards other cultures is perceived as ‘not inviting’ or even ‘closed’, even if pluriculturalism is emphasized in the lessons. However, how big the influence of school culture is perceived, especially when it comes to German teachers, has not been studied before. While the urgency for this does exist: ultimately, it is the teachers who have the responsibility to implement subject innovation.
For this reason, the overarching main question of this project is: What role does school culture play in teachers' perceptions when implementing culturally reflexive learning in modern foreign language classes using the subject of German?
The project is operationalized in four sub-studies, each with its own research question:
- What is the state of affairs regarding the relationship between school culture and culturally reflexive learning in didactics of modern foreign language education and in the school subject German in particular?
- How is school culture, and in particular school culture in relation to cultural reflexivity, perceived by the school community?
- In the perception of foreign language teachers (i.e. German), which features of school culture are most decisive in daily teaching practice when it comes to implementing culturally reflexive learning (good practices)?
- What consequences follow from these good practices for the didactics of culturally reflexive learning regarding the subject German?
Literature
Fasoglio, D., & Tammenga, M. (2021). Startnotitie moderne vreemde talen: Bovenbouw voortgezet onderwijs. SLO. geraadpleegd op 25 november 2024 via https://www.slo.nl/publish/pages/18346/startnotitie-moderne-vreemde-talen.pdf.
Ros, B. (2020). Meer vakinhoud graag! Samenleving vraag om meer dan taalvaardigheid alleen. Levende Talen Magazine, 107(6), 4-8. https://lt-tijdschriften.nl/ojs/index.php/ltm/article/view/2079.
Schweiger, H. (2022). Ästhetisches Lernen als kulturreflexives Lernen. Wege zu kritischer Partizipationsfähigkeit. In S. Dengscherz, H. Schweiger, S. Reitbrecht, B. Sorger (Hrsg.), Kulturreflexiv, ästhetisch, diskursiv. Sprachenlernen und die Vielfalt von Teilhabe, idt 2022 mit.sprache.teil.haben Band 2 (S. 79 – 92). Erich Schmidt Verlag.
Stichting Leerplanontwikkeling SLO (2024a). Examenprogramma's moderne vreemde talen, online via https://www.slo.nl/thema/meer/actualisatie-kerndoelen-examenprogramma/actualisatie-examenprogramma/examenprogramma-moderne-vreemde-talen/, geraadpleegd op 27 november 2024.
Stichting Leerplanontwikkeling SLO (2024b). Conceptkerndoelen moderne vreemde talen, online via https://www.slo.nl/thema/meer/actualisatie-kerndoelen-examenprogramma/actualisatie-kerndoelen/conceptkerndoelen-moderne-vreemde-talen/, geraadpleegd op 27 november 2024.
Stichting Leerplanontwikkeling SLO (2024c). Conceptkerndoelen burgerschap en digitale geletterdheid. Uitgave maart 2024, geraadpleegd op 27 juli 2024 van https://slo-kerndoelen.files.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/assets/updates/DEF_kerndoelenboekje_BU_DG.pdf?dm=1709640714