Source: International Journal for Innovation Education and Research Vol. 3 No. - 8 , 2015
The unique pre - service teacher education programme for Ethiopian immigrants, operated at a Teacher Education College, encompasses two main approaches to value - oriented education, the pluralistic and particularistic approaches. The programme constitutes a challenging ladder which can reduce the educational, social, cultural, instructional and professional gap of Ethiopians in Israel. This paper presents the humanistic theory perception and displays its characteristics in the unique programme.
In order to demonstrate the humanistic education principles in the unique programme, the interviews and documents which accompanied the programme were content analysed. Findings of the case study highlight the applicable and practical components of the humanistic education principle, thus enabling operation of the programme and the success thereof. The insights obtained from the study can facilitate development of unique pre - service teacher education programmes for minority groups that experience difficulties and a gap vis - a - vis mainstream groups.
The paper comprises five chapters. Chapter 1 describes the programme, Chapter 2 presents the humanistic education principles, Chapter 3 deals with the methodology, Chapter 4 discusses the findings and the manifestation of the humanistic theory in the programme and Chapter 5 summarised the paper.
Summary
Observing the programme through the prism of the humanistic education enlightened unique components in the pre - service teacher education programme for Ethiopian immigrant students, components associated with bridging the gap between the latter and other students at the college. The programme was conceived out of criticism of the education system reality. That is, until ten years ago there was not even one Ethiopian teacher in all the schools in the area around the College. The position paper submitted to the Ministry of Education with an application to open a unique programme designed for Ethiopian immigrants illustrated that educators embraced the spirit of social jus tice and called for bridging the gap which existed in both the college and at the schools.
Generally speaking the programme aimed in fact to offer students an equal opportunity for learning and being integrated into labour market. The programme engaged in the disciplinary and pedagogical academic subjects, learning the heritage as part of a multicultural perception, skills and practicum as part of humanistic education in parallel to general topics such as: gender, equality, education for values and enhancement of schooling. It consisted of individual and group support frameworks according to the students' needs and based on the characteristics of this population as part of implementing the humanistic education principles.
The implementation of the programme for more than ten years materialises the need for a curricular reform, aspiration to equalitarian pedagogy, exhaustion of individual and group potential. Furthermore, it increases the value of social equality as an essential and crucial essence in promoting and fostering a unique social – cultural group as well as promoting the wider society's practice and awareness of values of social justice, equality and democracy as measures which are necessary for bridging gaps.