Challenges and Needs in the Context of Formal Language Education to Refugee Children and Adolescents in Greece

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges and needs of teachers’ who offer lan- guage support to young refugees within the framework of formal education in Greece. In a eld where research is limited and at an initial stage, a qualitative inquiry was conducted in a public school, which host classes of reception for refugee students, in the region of Fthiotida, in Greece. In particular, an exploratory case study was conducted through semi-structured interviews and observations in formal educational environments. Five participants were en- gaged in semi-structured interviews while observations occurred in two of their classrooms. The ndings of the inquiry demonstrated that within the framework of refugee teaching en- vironments in Greece teachers faced several challenges regarding practical, sociocultural, religious, ethical and emotional issues. The ndings of the study highlight the need for teacher education to help them cope with diversity issues in their classrooms.

Keywords

• Language education to young refugees,teachers' challenges and needs,teacher education

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