Teachers' experiences of teaching multicultural classrooms with refugees on a Greek Island

Abstract

Recent global reports by UNHCR indicate that 65.6 million people around the world have been forced out of their homes and among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees; half of them are children. Greek islands serve as hotspots following the EU-Turkey deal of 2016, which meant that refugees entering EU through Greek islands could not move to the mainland without assessment of their situation. This presents several challenges to the education system of the country, especially the schools on the islands. This study sought to explore the experiences of teachers teaching in multicultural classrooms with refugees on a Greek Island. A qualitative research method was employed wherein five teachers (two male and three female) were interviewed from a school on one of the islands for the realisation of the purpose of the study. The data was analysed through thematic analysis and the findings have been presented in a descriptive manner. Teachers shared their experiences by presenting the challenges they face and the support they need in order to implement best practices in refugee education. Language needs, mental health support for students and teacher training needs for school staff were some of the identified requisites. Existing theories and policies on refugee education have been explored and compared to the experiences of the participants in this study.