Models of minority language education: a comparative analysis of European experiences

Blažević Simic, Ana. (2014). Models of minority language education: a comparative analysis of European experiences. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Pedagogy. [mentor Hrvatić, Neven].

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Abstract

The thesis addresses an important, but fairly neglected issue within the education system. Minority members in the Republic of Croatia have, namely, a declarative possibility for education in their mother tongue on all levels of education. However, the practice shows a sporadic and (in the majority of situations) separate education which leads to isolation and stigmatization of the minority communities. Focusing on the evident need of critical thinking and revision of the same, the thesis concentrates on the research problem of the existing models being appropriate. It also states the comparative analysis of the models in Croatia and a deliberate sample of the chosen European countries (Austria, Hungary, Germany, Serbia). The regional comparative case study method has been applied and its aim was the following - to determine in which measure and in what ways the above mentioned countries implement the minority language education, are there any differences among the mentioned models, what are the differences like and what is their perception in the domestic and international public. Based on the complex nature of such a problem and the aim of the research, what presented itself was the need for interdisciplinary research, primarily in the field of education policies, and then in the fields of education sociology, bilingual education and legal regulation of the chosen countries. The concept of the research contains a short historical overview of minority problems and sociocultural circumstances in the chosen countries, and the description of the existing minority language education models. The above mentioned models were then interpreted within the established typology of minority language education models (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2007) which presented itself as appropriate for this kind of research, and then within the selected national and international reports. Based on the research, it is necessary to reject the starting hypothesis which stated that minority language education models in the chosen countries receive the positive reception of minority members, as well as domestic and international scientific, professional and broad public, without the exception on the level of individual countries, i.e. auxiliary hypothesis. The analysis interpretation tried to contribute to the understanding of the problem, make suggestions for Croatian education system of more appropriate models, and give guidelines for further development of education policy and the practice of minority member education as well as for future research of this problem in Croatian education science.

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