The Integration Of Pupils From Different Cultures Into Portuguese Primary Schools

Abstract

This paper presents a research work about issues that elucidate the collected data related to the integration of pupils from different cultures in Portuguese primary schools, an increasingly evident reality in the educational setting. In empirical terms, a qualitative research was conducted through interviews, sociometric tests and data search involving the class teachers. These tools were applied to primary school classes in five schools belonging to a school grouping in the central region of Portugal. The data collected through the sociometric tests allow us to realise that the majority of the foreign pupils is not fully integrated in the primary school classes. However, according to the analysis of the interviews, this is not always the case, since the pupils’ answers showed that they do feel integrated. Based on the information gathered, it can be understood that most of the teachers consider the pupils to be well integrated and the parents/those in charge of their education to be able to keep up with them in the best way. Nevertheless, some shortage of information on the part of teachers was noticed concerning these pupils, which indicates an absence of communication between school and family, a situation that does not favour a more effective integration of these pupils.

Keywords: Primary schoolsmulticulturalismintegrationforeign pupils

Introduction

Over the years, there have been several generations of immigrants in Portugal. Initially they came from Lusophone countries of African origin (Cabo Verde, Guiné, Angola, etc.). Then those from the European Union began to appear, followed by the ones from the American continent and a small number from the Asian continent. However, people coming from the African Countries of Portuguese Official Language (PALOP) never ceased to exist. This means that the immigrants from Eastern countries, such as those from Ukraine, and the ones from Brazil appeared later (Oliveira, 2010).

Portugal has undergone several immigratory flows, in variable numbers: in 2010 the registered figures were 445,262 immigrants living in Portugal; in 2011 there was a slight decrease to 436,822; in 2012 the number was 414,610 and finally, in 2013, when the last report was made available by the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), the number of foreigners living in Portugal changed to 401,320. It should be noticed that the majority of the immigrants living in our country in 2013 came from Brazil, Cabo Verde, Ukraine and Romania (SEF, 2013).

It should be understood that these mass flows result from the internationalization of the economies and cultures (Milagre & Trigo-Santos, 2001). However, besides this, the Portuguese reality comprises a great internal diversity, coming from regional and local specificities. Thus, it should be considered as a heterogeneous society, since it includes diverse cultures, ethnicities and/or religions.

Given all these data, it is up to the school to respond to the challenges of globalization, making it possible for all pupils to be oriented and prepared for a global and plural society and world (Vieira, 2011). The institutional responses are organized at the level of the Ministry of Education and the educational system, but as far as the teaching practices are concerned, teachers play a very important role, since there must be an effective implementation of the principle of equal opportunities for success in school education.

This way, the motto was found in order to investigate the topic of school integration of pupils coming from different cultures, relating it to the migratory movements that are increasingly common and considered one of the most prominent characteristics of contemporary societies (Padilla & Ortiz, 2012), an area where Portugal follows the rule.

Thus, the need to define "integration" should be stressed, so that throughout this article the relationships established within the educational context can be focused, always aiming at the implementation of this practice. Peres (2011) defines this concept as being the process that allows individuals or minority groups to incorporate themselves and share the same social structures, promoting mutual respect for one another's personal and cultural identities.

This led us to develop our knowledge on the subject a little bit more and, in some way, to contribute to a better integration of the pupils coming from different cultures in the Portuguese schools, particularly trying to understand how these pupils are integrated into the Portuguese primary schools belonging to a school grouping in the central region of Portugal.

Our attention was focused on the pedagogical interactions established between the teacher and the foreign pupils, as well as between these and their classmates, taking into account that the classroom is a privileged space for interaction and personal development. Contextual factors were also analysed in order to better understand this issue, such as the economic and social condition of the household, the family situation, among others.

Besides, it is worth noting that, according to Milagre and Trigo-Santos (2001), language appears as the main source of learning difficulties for minority pupils, either because they do not master it, or mispronounce it, or use it incorrectly. Thus, this linguistic duality, which could be seen as a resource, is afterall considered as an obstacle to learning. It should be highlighted that language is a dominant factor for the relationship that is established in the classroom context, since it is through oral language, verbalization, that most of the interactions between the pupil and his/her classmates are created and even between the pupil and the teacher, so it is of great importance when pupils’ integration in school is concerned.

Other factors that directly or indirectly influence the integration of foreign pupils in the Portuguese schools, listed by authors such as Marques (2001), are: the school level of those in charge of pupils’ education, with direct implications as to the help they can or cannot give to learners; families’ socioeconomic level; parents’ presence or absence in their children’s school life; the participation in extracurricular activities to encourage the child’s further development; and the previous attendance of pre-school education.

In this context, in order to understand if the pupils from different cultures are integrated in the Portuguese school and some associated factors, some objectives were defined for the present study:

• To characterize the relationship between the pupils from different cultures and the class teacher;

• To characterize the relationship between the pupils from different cultures and the other classmates;

• To identify the main difficulties that foreign pupils feel while getting integrated in the school;

• To identify personal and contextual factors that can promote the integration of pupils from different cultures in the Portuguese school;

• To identify possible school or family constraints on the full integration of pupils from different cultures.

Problem Statement

The present study intends to understand if the pupils coming from different cultures and nationalities are integrated in Portuguese primary schools, since these are a privileged space for immigrant children and youth’s social and cultural integration.

Research Questions

To what extent are foreign pupils from the 1st to the 4th grade integrated in Portuguese primary schools? Which factors may promote their integration?

Purpose of the Study

To understand that the integration of pupils coming from different cultures in Portuguese primary schools is fundamental, as there are more and more foreign pupils attending our schools, and it is important to promote these children’s educational success, as well as their full development and well-being.

Research Methods

Throughout this section the various stages of the research process are described, as well as the methodology used to address the problem and the stated objectives.

Findings

The documental research made it possible to collect a set of information about the foreign pupils from their class teachers and also in the Educational Project of the selected school grouping.

In this Educational Project children of foreign nationality are mentioned. Thus, it was possible to confirm that one of the aims of this school grouping project is to prevent absenteeism and dropping out of school, in order to encourage inclusion practices concerning children/pupils with special educational needs, learning difficulties, Gypsies and foreigners. It should also be stressed that the careful and articulated work of all educational agents and other entities is recommended, thus helping the integration of pupils of different cultures and ethnicities, using, among other measures, the presence of mediators and the participation in projects.

All class teachers consider that their foreign pupils are well integrated in the classes and even in the schools they belong to. Most teachers mention that the pupils have a well-defined group of friends. Some of them point out that, initially, this integration had some difficulties, which were overcome with the passage of time and, at the moment, those children have a stable relationship with the other classmates.

As for the data collected through the interviews, it was possible to conclude that most children claim they feel integrated. Pupils generally indicate, without any inhibition, their best friends, also stressing that they feel good in their classes and that, if they had the opportunity to choose, they would remain in the same class the following year.

Only one pupil says that his/her choice would be not to stay in the same class. However, when justifying it, he/she claims to feel good in his/her class. He/she just wanted to find other friends he/she left behind, because when they started primary school each one went to a different school.

Regarding the relationship with their peers, most of the pupils interviewed are aware of the fact that their classmates have problems/conflicts with one another. However, they also recognize that these can be easily overcome.

The answers given in the interviews clarify that, in general, besides liking their classes, most pupils also like their teacher, and want to keep the same teacher the next year, if possible. None of the pupils reports to have difficulties in their relationship or even in the communication with the others, which facilitates the process of integration.

Many of these pupils, when questioned about the existence of friends outside the school, mention their friends from their home countries, which means that their cultural roots did not disappear and, in those cases, they remember with some nostalgia the games they played together.

Based on the analysis of the information from the class teachers and of the data from the pupils’ interviews, we can have the impression that all pupils coming from different cultures are integrated. However, when analyzing the results of the sociometric tests carried out in the respective classes, we find out that this is not exactly true.

The analysis of Table 1 allows us to conclude that more than half of the foreign pupils in our sample is below average (6) as to the probability of being chosen by their classmates, with one of them being ranked far below average. It should also be noticed that one of the pupils is in the middle position and less than half of them is above average (4). These data lead us to consider that, according to the distribution of the pupils by the sociometric position indices (Northway & Weld, 1999), only 5 pupils are integrated into their respective classes.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study we concluded that the pupils, as well as the teachers, consider they are integrated in their classes, taking into account the information provided by the teachers and the data from the interviews to the pupils. However, the information from the sociometric tests indicates another reality: more than half of the pupils being studied are below the average of choices, according to Northway and Weld’s (1999) categorization. These cases highlight the fact that not all pupils are fully integrated into the class and the school they attend. The factors that contribute to this situation are diverse and mostly related to family context (absence of one of the parents, unstable family environment, etc), parents’ difficulties when monitoring the homework, non-participation in extracurricular activities, among other reasons.

The questions asked to class teachers about data they should have access to, namely in relation to the sociocultural and family context of their pupils, also revealed that there are, in many cases, deficits in the information about these pupils, specifically in the individual records of each one of them. The lack of these data indicates that communication between the school and the family is not being effective. When dealing with pupils coming from different cultures, it is fundamental to have information about the number of years the parents have been living in Portugal, as well as about the main difficulties they have helping/trying to help their children, among other pertinent data for pupils’ educational success.

In fact, it is through an effective communication between the school and the family that we get to know children better, and become aware of their gaps, needs and demands. Each child is considered to have an individual rhythm and has knowledge that he/she brings from his/her sociocultural context, factors that must be considered in the educational process. Thus, only by taking into account the individuality of each child, will we be able to promote a good relationship between them and their classmates, because knowing the other is the only way to help (Marques, 2001).

There are a number of studies in Europe that demonstrate that parents’ involvement can bring multiple benefits to schools and teachers. Thus, disruption between families and schools is responsible for the school failure of most children, and is often associated with pupils’ deficient integration (Marques, 2001; Partasi, 2011; Sánchez-Medina, Macías-Gómez-Stern, & Martínez-Lozano, 2014).

In all the analysed contexts, it could be confirmed that teachers tried to achieve equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of their ethnic or social origin (UNESCO, 2002). However, it cannot be stated that interculturalism exists, allowing ethnic minorities the opportunity to express and keep their home culture (Rodrigues, 2009), since there are teachers who claimed that classmates do not know these pupils come from other countries.

Contrary to what Pedro, Pires and González (2007) advocate, teachers in this study are not always able to provide their pupils with an intercultural education. What often exists is just the crossing of the various cultures present in the classroom, but these are not mutually transforming themselves, as it would be expected.

It can thus be emphasized that the present study helped us to acknowledge and value pupils’ feelings, realities and contexts, so they can feel integrated and, consequently, achieve better school results. We have also been able to better understand the importance of the interaction not only among pupils, but also among pupils and teachers, the way pupils feel at school, as well as the support they have at home. Furthermore, we have been able to realise that all these factors are crucial for the child’s proper development and integration in school.

Thus, all educational professionals should be advised to take these issues into consideration, since only this way will they be able to develop appropriate strategies suitable for all children, because all the different intervenients and variables associated with pupils are considered. Any teacher’s main objective should always be to foster learning. In order to do that, pupils’motivation and the necessary adaptation of the tasks to their age level and their needs must be considered, a very difficult task to accomplish if you don’t know them well.

Acknowledgments

This work is financed by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UID/Multi/04016/2016. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu and CI&DETS for their support.

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