Integrating Multicultural Education

in
Lia Akhaladze,
Tamar
Jojua, University
Tamar Shinjiashvili,
Sokhumi
State
Rusudan Pipia

Sokhumi State University, Georgia

Encounters in Education, Between Cultures and Pedagogy
Kay Academic College
Beer Sheva, Israel

25 March, 2014

Our presentation shows the integration of

Multicultural Education within the TEMPUS
program DOIT
Development of an International Model for
Curricular Reform in Multicultural Education
and Cultural Diversity Training
Into the teaching courses at Sokhumi State
University

Sokhumi State University (SSU) is one of the Georgian HEI's of DOIT.

SSU was founded in 1932 in one of the historical regions of Georgia Abkhazia, in Sokhumi. At first it functioned as the State Pedagogical
Institute.
Since 1993 due to the military aggression of this region by Russia a
greater part of SSU relocated to Tbilisi and became Sokhumi branch of
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
In 2007 by the decision of Georgian government this higher education
institution was given back its former name - Sokhumi State University
(SSU).

Dr. Hanan Maoz, Tempus-DOIT Project, Landuau, Germany

11 March 2013

Today, SSU offers 27 programs on BA,

21 on MA and 11 on PhD levels and 2
special programs of 60 credits,
among them there are the following
programs at the Faculty of
Education:
On BA level
1) Primary level teacher education program;
2) Inclusive education program;
3) Basic and secondary level teacher education
program;
11 March 2013

Dr. Hanan Maoz, Tempus-DOIT Project, Landuau, Germany

On MA Level the following programs are

offered:
1) Teaching methodology in different subject
disciplines;
2) Educational psychology
Teacher education programs at the faculty of
Education involves 290 students and around 30
faculty ranging from the rank of full professors to
lecturers and scientific workers. The faculty and
student body of SSU include members of a
variety of ethnic groups, including Georgian,
Abkhazian, Armenian and Azerbaijani students .

On January 26, 2012 a mandate

was signed between the rector or SSU
and the President of GCE that made
SSU an official member of DOIT's
consortium.

Sokhumi State University DOIT

team is working within the
project in two directions

Teaching

Research

Our research within DOIT was presented at

several international and national conferences.
Scientific Forum dedicated to the founder of Georgian
Psycological School-Dimitry Uznadzes 125 th birth
anniversary. Georgia, Tbilisi. June, 2013
The European Conference on Education 2013
(IAFOR). England, Brighton. July, 2013
International Scientific Conference dedicated to 140 th
birth anniversary of Ilya Chavchavadze . Georgia, Kutaisi.
November, 2013.
Annual Faculty Conferences at Sokhumi State
University. Georgia, Tbilisi. May-June, 2013

Conference Papers
The Challenges and Prospects of the EU grant project
DOIT- Lia Akhaladze, Tamar Shinjiashvili, Marine Khubu, Nino
Chiabrishvili, David Malazonia

Holistic Approach to Multicultural Education- Nino

Chiabrishvili, David Malazonia, Tamar Shinjiashvili, Lia
Akhaladze.

The Influence of a Tempus Project DOIT on University

Research and Development - Rhonda Sofer, Lia
Akhaladze, Tamar Jojua, Tamar Shinjiashvili, Rusudan Pipia

Culture and identity in Abkhazia- Lia

Akhaladze, Tamar Shinjiashvil.

Multicultural education and new

teaching methods for the teachers
instructing the beginner stage classesRusudan Pipia, Brolisa Tsulaia

Human rights and international Law

aspects of the state recognitionTamriko Jojua, Omar Ardashelia

Plans for Future (2014)

Annual Faculty Conferences:
DOIT - Achivements and Future Prospects, Lia
Akhaladze, Tamar Jojua, Tamar Shinjiashvili,
Rusudan Pipia
Active Citizenship, Lia Akhaladze, Tamar
Shinjiashvili
International Conference of National Georgian
Library, Tbilisi, Georgia:
Multiculturalism in Present Abkhazia, Lia
Akhaladze, Tamar Jojua, Tamar Shinjiashvili,
Rusudan Pipia

Sokhumi State University is in two working teams of

DOIT:

SSU

Culturally
Specific
Materials for
Georgia

Pedagogical
Approaches that
Promote InterCultural-Ethnic
Understanding in the
Classroom

 Georgian DOIT team - culturally specific materials

for Georgia developed several syllabi in
Georgian language based on the different
expertise of all members of the group.
These separate syllabi were then
integrated into one common syllabus that
was translated into English called
Multiethnic and Multicultural Georgia.
SSU's team prepared the following topics
and subtopics for this syllabus:

Abkhazia -Multiethnic/multicultural region of

Georgia

Shida Kartli - Multiethnic/multicultural region

of Georgia

Ethnic composition of modern Georgia

In the second working team - Pedagogical

Approaches that Promote Inter-Cultural-Ethnic
Understanding in the classroom - Sokhumi team has
developed two syllabi.

Active citizenship
Tamar Shinjiashvili, Rusudan Pipia
Perception of Culture and Identity
Lia Akhaladze, Tamar Jojua

The both syllabi are created on the basis of Banks

five dimensions:
Content
Integration
An Equity
Pedagogy

Prejudice
Reduction

The
Knowledge
Construction
Process
An Empowering
School Culture
and Social
Structure

Sokhumi State University has already put several

teaching courses in three educational programs
in the direction of multicultural education.

11 March 2013

Dr. Hanan Maoz, Tempus-DOIT Project, Landuau, Germany

17

BA Level
Course:
Multicultural
Education

Teacher Education
(primary level)

Intercultural
Education

At the Faculty of Education a new course,

Multicultural Education is integrated into the
curriculum and made mandatory for the teacher
education.
SSU will be implementing a new program (minor
specialization) on the bachelor degree level for
educational science on Intercultural Relations" .
This program is being developed by DOITs SSU
team and Quality Assurance Department at SSU.

11 March 2013

Dr. Hanan Maoz, Tempus-DOIT Project, Landuau, Germany

19

Master Level

Course:
Intercultural
Relations

History

Teaching
methodology of
History

The course "Intercultural Relations in Abkhazia:

History and Modernity" is designed to introduce MA
students - historical basics and modern situation of
intercultural relations in one of the historical regions of
Georgia - in Abkhazia.

During the Fall semester, 2013 the teaching

course Culturally Specific Materials for
Georgia was implemented at BA primary
teacher training program at the faculty of
Education. 56 students were registered in
this course.
During the spring semester two syllabi
within DOIT project are being taught at
SSU:
a) Culturally Specific Materials for
Georgia
b) Children Rights

 Culturally

Specific Materials for

Georgia
was chosen by 14 BA of
Inclusive Education
program
students.
Children Rights is being taught in
current semester: in two BA programs
60 ECTS teacher training program
and in BA international Relations
Program. 11 students are registered in
60 ECTS program and 25 students in
international relations program.

Curriculum Reform that is being implemented at SSU will

include the integration of the following courses of DOITs
program:

Intercultural Education
Childrens Rights in and Through Education
Multiethnic and Multicultural Georgia
Culture and Identity
Active Citizenship
Communication and Social Media
Pedagogical Approaches for intercultural teacher and so on.

The Administration of SSU allocated

a room at the Faculty of Education
within DOIT project.
The
equipment,
purchased
according to the regulations of the
project was installed in this room.
This TEMPUS room and the
equipment are actively used by the
academic staff and students who are
integrated
in
teaching/learning
process of above mentioned courses
of DOIT.

We are sure that future effective collaboration

with our European and Israeli partners will
further promote DOIT's goals as well as lead
to other collaborative projects.

 At this stage the process of Integration

Multicultural Education, in accordance with the
DOITs goals and principles, in SSU is
successful, we can say for sure - YES, DOIT has
had a positive influence on research and
development of our university curriculum!

Thank you for Attention!