**Author details**

The distinguished needs of bonds, identity and self-fulfilment become the basic determinants of the pace, dynamics and direction of individual's cognitive activeness. This activeness allows the individual for a very close relation with the nearer and further cultural environment, which also enhances 'building' the representation of one's own person (among other factors, associated with preserving one's own identity and with maintaining or increasing

*4.2.2. Constructing knowledge at school: learning through intercultural dialogue and contact*

results in changes in educational theories, which concern such areas as:

Intercultural pedagogy necessitates a different approach to the child's acquisition of knowledge—to the transition from monologue education to dialogue education—which involves generating meanings. As Jerome S. Bruner, the author of the notion 'interpretative phrase' emphasizes, 'generating meanings is linked with placing the meetings with the world in their appropriate cultural context in order to learn "what is it about?". Although meanings are in the mind, they have their source and references in the culture in which they are created. This cultural situating of meanings ensures their negotiating nature and immersion in communication. Whether there are 'private meanings' is not an issue here, what is important is that meanings provide a basis for cultural exchange. From this point of view, 'cognition and communication are, in their essence, highly interrelated, in fact inseparable' [44]. This assumption

• the teacher's knowledge: a significant role of personal pedagogical theories, personal reflection upon one's own practice, the focus on the alternative status of educational solutions; • the learner's knowledge: the existence of many 'possible worlds' and their interpretations, the understanding dialogue, being ready for 'disobedience in thinking', creative thinking, the

• classroom communication: the social character of learning, cooperation in group aiming at the same goal (task), the searching-creative function of speech, the significance of explor-

• didactic planning: spontaneous experimenting, guidelines, improvisation and goals under-

According to Jerome S. Bruner's concept of education, the thesis treating culture as both the basic orientation of modern pedagogy and education and as the need for cultural enhancement results in defining school as the learning culture. Its fundamental task is supporting children in learning the use of tools for generating meanings and in their adjustment to the world and in changing this world dependently on the needs. Such learning culture should also contribute to shaping learners' identity and self-esteem, as well as it should strengthen

The presented discussion is aimed at becoming aware of the need to promote intercultural education as a current of the modern pedagogical theory and educational practice, compliant with

one's own position in the social system of meanings).

66 New Pedagogical Challenges in the 21st Century - Contributions of Research in Education

school's hidden programme;

ative speech (thinking aloud);

stood as intentions and general plans.

the chances for managing at school and outside it [44].

**5. Prospects: an attempt at recapitulation**

Ewa Ogrodzka-Mazur

Address all correspondence to: eom1@wp.eu

Faculty of Ethnology and Educational Science in Cieszyn, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland
