Chapter 6: Work-integrated learning excursions equipping Foundation Phase student teachers to value and accommodate diversity

The teaching profession in South Africa is encumbered by several challenges associated with a lack of expected skills suitable for the 21st-century classroom. Teacher training equips student teachers with knowledge of subject content and teaching methods; however, there are also calls for a holistically prepared teacher who values and accommodates the richness of diversity in South African schools. Teachers in the Foundation Phase (FP) can play a critical role in educating young learners about the value and contributions of diversity to the social fabric of this country. To ensure this happens, FP teacher training needs to prepare students for this task. The focus of this chapter is to report how work-integrated learning (WIL) excursions can be used to equip FP student teachers for diverse classrooms. Methodologically, this study was informed by a qualitative approach using open-ended questionnaires to understand the views of FP student teachers on their experiences of being grouped in diversified groups in WIL excursions. Findings revealed that initial interactions with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures elicited mixed feelings. However, students deemed these encounters as essential in creating opportunities for understanding differences. Engaging with other students from diverse cultural backgrounds exposed personal stereotypes, ultimately fostering cultural sensitivity. Lastly, exposure to different cultures in smaller groups contributed significantly to fostering a deeper appreciation for diversity. However, incorporating elements of cooperative learning in the outcomes of the excursion emerged as a necessary link in mobilising synergy among future FP teachers.