Notes
Cooperation between schools and kindergartens in border areas has a long tradition in Slovenia. Recently, a new form of cooperation has been introduced, the so-called cross-border mobility, which goes beyond occasional meetings of cultural or sporting nature. Teachers who teach in the schools in border areas in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary are implementing professionally prepared learning mobility in neighbouring schools, and they are occasionally included in the regular educational programme. This mobility has extra significance for students because they develop multilingual and intercultural competences, they become acquainted with their peers and teachers from neighbouring countries and with new teaching strategies and, at the same time, they also improve subsequent employment prospects. With the implementation of multilingual and intercultural educational practice in the neighbouring schools, mobile teachers are developing their professional capital, which is reflected in the intercultural and multilingual awareness, personal growth, upgrading of methodical-didactic knowledge, knowledge of the neighbour language and learning about the educational system and curriculum of the neighbouring country. The problem, which we study in theoretical starting points in the doctoral dissertation, is the concept of multilingualism and interculturalism in conjunction with the professional development of teachers. We introduce concepts related to multilingualism and interculturalism. We define the latter as sociological, pedagogical and psychological concepts, and explain which models of multilingual and intercultural education are present in theory and what the advantages and pitfalls of multilingual and intercultural education are. We also touch on the fundamental theories of learning and teaching that support multilingual and intercultural education. We introduce the importance of professional capital and the characteristics of teachers' professional development. We warn of the key models for the promotion of professional development. We point out a model of "teacher-oriented changes", which is based on experiential learning wherein the learning achievements, behaviour and attitudes of students are important motivation for teachers. We conclude with the chapter on the analysis of regional multilingual project practices at the tripoint between Slovenia, Austria and Italy. In the second part of the doctoral dissertation, we present the results of empirical research, in which we focus on: Analysis of the situation of cooperation between the border area primary schools in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. We were interested in the teaching of foreign and neighbour languages at schools and the existing practice of cross-border cooperation. The range of possibilities provided for mobile teachers. Position of the headmasters on multilingualism and interculturalism. Developing a model of educational module for mobile teachers. The research was undertaken methodologically, by combining empirical-analytic and qualitative research. We believe that both research methods are well intertwined and complementary. The main finding of the research is that cooperation between schools in border areas most often takes place once a year, other forms are rarer and, irrespective of that, the majority of schools want such cooperation also in the future, particularly active cooperation, which would also include pupils. We also note that school headmasters have better knowledge of the concrete neighbouring school and its headmaster than the curriculum of the neighbouring country. Among the schools there are no differences in the frequency of cooperation, considering the distance between them. They have a developed foreign language teaching practice at schools, as they learn various foreign languages, including the language of the neighbouring country. Schools in border areas are more active in the wider international area.