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Makale Özeti:
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The authors propose a pathway to cultural rapprochement through “educational
cultural convergence” (ECCO) which was described conceptually in a previous
study (McKeown & Diboll, 2011) and present for discussion an ECCO model for
use by teachers. The model is intended for practical use in classroom environments
to assess existing “cultural gaps” and to assist teachers with social inclusion
(McKeown & Kurt, 2011). It is meant to support teachers in their efforts to
develop intercultural competence with, and between, students which transgresses a
current cultural identity and assists in creating a viable new one. Rather than
teaching citizenship or social interdependence as a stand-alone curriculum, the
ECCO model is intended for independent teacher use. The authors demonstrate the
development and potentiality of the model where students learn by doing and
manifest their learning through what they produce, with an appreciation of the
contributions of various perspectives. A significant aspect of this mutuality is
cross-cultural communication (Giles, 1979) which increases positive inter-cultural
relations, minimizes the creation of “out-groups”, and ensures that the teacher is
part of the “in-group”. Through the process of exposure to ‘otherness’ and
diversity, ECCO promotes the process of intercultural dialogue, and the
development of educators with a global perspective.
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