Teachers' experiences in facing the challenges of implementing intercultural education in culturally diverse classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the experience of teachers facing the challenges of implementing intercultural education in classrooms characterized by high cultural diversity. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten elementary school teachers in the Cusco region who work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software. The findings reveal five emerging categories: (1) Structural challenges and barriers, evidenced in linguistic difficulties, limited specialized training, and the persistent gap between educational policies and their actual implementation; (2) Intercultural pedagogical practices, which require active listening, continuous adaptation, and a teaching role as cultural mediator; (3) Reconfiguration of prejudices, derived from the often emotionally uncomfortable confrontation with one's own biases and stereotypes; (4) Ambivalent recognition of cultural diversity, experienced simultaneously as a source of pedagogical enrichment and as a space that generates personal tensions; and (5) Personal and professional transformation, where the intercultural experience comprehensively reconfigures the teacher's identity. The conclusions indicate that the implementation of intercultural education transcends methodology, constituting a complex existential process that demands not only technical skills, but also a profound transformation of conceptions, sustained institutional support, and improved structural conditions. This study contributes to the understanding of the often invisible dimensions of intercultural teaching practice and supports the need for educational policies that recognize and comprehensively strengthen professional development in contexts of cultural diversity.