Challenge towards Intercultural Education in Classrooms

Abstract

In Ecuador, a country marked by its rich ethnic and cultural diversity, the promotion of intercultural education stands as a pressing need to build a more inclusive and equitable society. Intercultural education transcends the mere transmission of knowledge to embrace a holistic vision of learning, which integrates cultural diversity into all aspects of the educational process. This involves not only recognizing the variety of languages, traditions, and worldviews present in classrooms, but also fostering mutual respect, empathy, and intercultural understanding among students and teachers. One of the fundamental pillars in this bibliographic search is the implementation of programs that strengthen the cultural identity of students and promote meaningful and relevant learning by contextualizing curricular content in the cultural and linguistic environment of students. This involves ensuring equal access to education for all ethnic and social groups, as well as implementing inclusive pedagogical practices that recognize and address the individual needs of students. The challenge of intercultural education in the classroom represents a call to rethink traditional educational paradigms and to adopt more inclusive and respectful approaches to cultural diversity. It is a joint commitment of society as a whole to build a future where each individual can fully develop within an educational environment enriched by the multiplicity of cultures, experiences and knowledge.