Exploring Cross-Cultural Communication and Collaboration in an International Early Years Setting

The influence of social constructivism in early years care and education has highlighted the need for greater levels of dialogue and meaningful collaboration between professionals, families and communities. However, the term ‘collaboration’ can be interpreted along a wide spectrum of meaning. This discussion explores two different attempts to engage in cross-cultural collaboration within a large international school in Bangkok. It notes that certain educational discourses impede dialogic collaboration. Deconstructing these discourses at an individual level can produce greater understanding between disparate parties but may not promote sustained dialogic change. However, the cooperative exploration of working practices and their subsequent replacement with new rules and traditions may achieve something more akin to dialogic collaboration. It is concluded that differing interpretations of collaboration demand different responses from individuals and institutions. Furthermore, whilst definitions of collaboration from either end of the spectrum may enhance understanding and working practices between disparate parties, it may be that only dialogic collaboration has the ability to initiate truly egalitarian change.