Sustaining the ethos of togetherness in multicultural schools in Denmark: Student teachers’ reflections and experiences

Abstract

In the Danish educational context, the concept of togetherness [Danish: fællesskab] occupies a unique position. It extends beyond mere fellowship, encompassing a profound sense of community and a common spirit. Utilising a twofold theoretical framework underpinned by critical multiculturalism and complemented by scholarship on the concept of togetherness, this paper explores the experiences and reflections of Danish student teachers concerning the notion of togetherness in the context of multicultural schooling. The data were derived from fourteen individual interviews with Danish student teachers who were in the final year of their educational journey through teacher education at the time of the study. The findings indicate that, on the one hand, the participants attached importance to establishing and sustaining the ethos of togetherness in their future classrooms, whilst on the other, they reported a deficiency in the practical knowledge required to actualise togetherness in contemporary multicultural educational settings.