CRAFT AS A BOUNDARY TOOL FOR MULTI- AND INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION: A CASE IN TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Studies on boundary crossing and boundary objects emphasize that boundaries carry potential for learning. However, it is not explicated how the craft could be used as a boundary in multi- and intercultural education. This research describes a case of using craft as a boundary to facilitate multi- and intercultural education. It first gives an overview on the Multi- and Intercultural Craft course including a theoretical part that was organized through a virtual platform, Moodle. The course included also a practical part, a project, where Finnish, exchange students and a group of immigrants from Burma met in the context of craft. The students (n = 14) were asked to write reflective essays about the course. In the qualitative analysis of essays, their learning experiences that appeared in the data, were examined. Three aspects of learning experiences were identified: first a cognitive aspect, which is about increased knowledge; second an affective aspect, which focuses on changing attitudes; and the third an interactive aspect, which is concerned with how to get on with people from different cultures. Key words: boundary object, craft education, intercultural education, multicultural education, teacher education.