Chapter 8: Involving Preservice Teachers in A Program for Rom (Gypsy) Children in Northern Greece: Lessons in Child Advocacy

In this chapter we describe an exploratory action research project that involved placing primary education practicum students in a special afternoon program for ROM children, in which they facilitated activities developed together with the project coordinators and, to some degree, with the classroom teachers. Given the focus of this book on global child advocacy, we should clarify that we view action research and the classroom as one of many sites of advocacy. We would argue that examining classroom praxis and attempting to better prepare marginalized children for success in the dominant society, while maintaining their distinct cultural heritage and language, is a powerful form of advocacy. This chapter begins with background information on cultural minorities in Greece, with an emphasis on ROM culture and life experiences, followed by an overview of the research project. Finally, we discuss the findings of the project, which draw largely from a narrative analysis of interviews with student teachers, classroom observations, and discussions with the children. We conclude with implications for teacher education and advocacy for ROM children in Greece and frame our conclusions in relevant theory.