Teaching and Learning in the Intercultural Classroom
Do you teach classrooms shaped by cultural, linguistic, and social diversity? Do you sometimes experience uncertainty, discomfort, or tension when navigating such differences? Would you like to better engage all students and turn diversity into a powerful educational asset?
In contemporary universities, teaching and learning take place in increasingly diverse classrooms. While this offers enormous potential for learning, innovation and meaningful engagement, it can also present challenges related to pedagogy, communication, and feelings of inclusion and belonging.
This BKO+ programme, Teaching and Learning in the Intercultural Classroom, offers a reflective and practice-oriented space to explore these questions together. It supports lecturers in developing awareness and confidence in teaching intercultural classrooms. The programme aims to inspire connection and creativity for all by approaching teaching as a transformative experience.
Please note that this is a pilot programme. Therefore, participants will not receive an addendum to their BKO certificate.
Programme details
This BKO+ programme approaches teaching as a transformative practice — for students and lecturers. Rather than offering ready-made solutions, the programme creates space for reflection, dialogue, and co-creation. We explore how cultural differences, social identities, positionality, values, and communication styles shape teaching and learning, and how diversity can be consciously mobilized as an educational resource.
The programme consists of:
- An online intake (to get a sense of prior knowledge and personal aims)
- Four interactive content sessions (13:30–16:30):
- The Cultural Self Awareness of cultural differences and communication styles; positionality; self-construal; cultivating values.
- Intercultural Pedagogy Diversity in the classroom; fostering intercultural dialogue; multilingualism as an asset.
- Intercultural Curriculum Formal, informal, and hidden curriculum; curriculum and power; internationalization; designing curriculum for inclusion and global citizenship.
- Navigating the Workplace Mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion; cultural distance and hierarchies; diversity discomforts; persuasion and allyship.
- We conclude with a festive session, where participants present their innovative ideas or practices, followed by collective reflection and feedback.
Good to know
| Target audience | UvA teachers with UTQ (BKO) | |
| Prior knowledge | This programme builds on participants’UTQ (BKO) trajectory and their own teaching expierence | |
| Language | English | |
| Trainers | Brit Giesbertz (TLC Science), Dr. Maryn Wilkinson (Humanities/TLC FGw), Dr. Hülya Altinyelken (Social and Behavioral Sciences) | |
| Participants | Minimum 7 – maximum 12 participants | |
| Location | Roeterseiland Campus (see Registration). | |
| Dates | 1 April, 15 April, 6 May, 27 May, 10 June (1:30 PM – 4:30 PM) | |
| Organised by | Special Interest Group International Classroom, TLC Central and TICKET (funded by EU) | |
| More information | If you would like more information, please contact Dr. H. Altinyelken at h.k.altinyelken@uva.nl |
We very much hope to welcome you to this inspiring BKO+ journey.
Intended learning outcomes
By participating in this program, you will:
- Articulate increased awareness and sensitivity regarding intercultural and international classrooms;
- Critically reflect on your own positionality, assumptions, values, and communication styles, and explain how these influence your teaching;
- Facilitate connection, dialogue, and inclusion among diverse students;
- Design and implement pedagogical strategies to work with diversity, multilingualism, and cultural difference in the classroom;
- Design or adapt curriculum elements that meaningfully integrate diversity and global perspectives;
- Recognize and respond constructively to diversity-related tensions, defensiveness, and discomfort in academic settings.
Registration
- Registration buttons for employees with an @UvA.nl email address:
- For AUC, ACTA or FdG (AMC) employees: send an email with your name, faculty and date for which you want to register to tlc-centraal@uva.nl
After registering, you will receive an automated invitation for each of the sessions for your Outlook calendar (please don’t forget to accept).
More information?