Eureka! Institutional Repository

We are living in an era characterized by constant changes in socio-political developments, rapid technology development and constant movements of people around the world. Unable to cope with this new reality, the school continues to reproduce learning theories that do not fit into the multicultural class. As a result, the majority of foreign students are unable to follow the Greek education system and are not properly integrated into the school community. School exclusion translates into social exclusion, and therefore greater social problems, which may be very difficult to address. Some teachers, feeling that the knowledge they have acquired in their basic education are inadequate, overcoming the problems encountered by literate students, thereby exaggerating the existing problem. Some other teachers, perhaps a little more conscientious, are trying on their own to implement innovative teaching techniques, but they are trapped, helpless as they are by their school and the state. Training is nowadays a powerful tool by which the teacher can acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to stand critically against modern reality and to respond to the growing expectations of the ever-changing society. This empirical survey was conducted in the period from March to June 2019 and was aimed at detecting the training needs of Secondary Education teachers in intercultural education. The sample of the survey was the teachers who served during the school year of the research at Junior high school, high school and technical high school in the prefecture of Thessaloniki. The quantitative method was used to conduct empirical research through an overview, and the data collection tool was the questionnaire. According to the results of the survey, it was found that teachers consider themselves moderate to very well informed about intercultural education and express a great need for training on topics such as: teaching methodology for multicultural classes, modern teaching approaches for effective intercultural communication, parents / teacher co-operation and cooperative teaching method. Teachers also believe that the teaching of Language can help foreign students join the Greek school and wish to be included in a training program of Intercultural Education. Finally, they prefer a three-month, extra-curricular training program, which will be done through a combination of living and distance learning.