Bridging the gap between CLIL and interculturality: An analysis of novice teachers’ reflective narratives

Abstract

This article presents a phenomenological study that explores the intercultural profile of 24 novice pre-primary and primary teachers enrolled in a teacher education course on intercultural education (ICE) for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The study examines how these future educators conceptualise the integration of ICE in CLIL classrooms, their understanding of diversity, and their evolving identities as intercultural individuals based on the analysis of a corpus of reflective portfolios. Following a qualitative methodology, the data were analysed through inductive thematic coding to identify emerging patterns of meaning in participants’ narratives. Findings show that participants reflect critically on pedagogical practices related to ICE and CLIL, expressing both enthusiasm and concern regarding aspects such as materials, assessment, and language use. Diversity is framed as an asset – particularly in its linguistic and cultural dimensions – though challenges are acknowledged, especially in relation to special educational needs. Participants also demonstrate a growing awareness of their intercultural identity and a strong commitment to promoting global citizenship. These findings suggest that reflective practice within teacher education can foster meaningful intercultural growth and professional positioning, while highlighting the need to further address assessment and inclusion in intercultural CLIL pedagogy.