99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Factors influencing teachers’ identity in Indigenous rural contexts: The FITIRIS Model
Angela Baeza Pena
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Presenting Author: Baeza Pena, Angela
Teacher identity is shaped by the interaction between the teacher and the community of practice (Loo, 2021). Teachers’ personal experiences, as well as their emotions and interactions with students, colleagues and the entire educational community, influence their identity (Nichols et al., 2017; Walker-Gibbs et al., 2018). A crucial element of teaching identity is their professional (pedagogical) identity, which can be understood as how teachers define and assume their duties and comprehend their relationships with others who perform the same responsibilities (Avalos & Sotomayor, 2012). One of the main determining factors in teacher identity is the context; through interactions with the environment, identities are reconstructed socially and culturally (Baeza, 2022; Loo, 2021). Understanding teacher identities in rural Indigenous contexts is key to reviewing teacher education programs and professional development. Moreover, one of the leading causes of teacher attrition is the lack of preparation educators have to work in multicultural contexts. This situation is a global concern, as reported in countries such as Spain, Britain, Sweden, Canada and Australia (UNESCO, 2009). However, a limited number of studies have explored teachers’ identity in rural contexts and with a high Indigenous population. Some of these studies suggest that some essential components of teacher identity are the power relationship established with students and their knowledge of their learners (Perso & Hayward, 2015; Walker-Gibbs et al., 2018; White, 2015). The size of the school and the community can also influence their identity. For example, in small towns there are limited options for professional development (Walker-Gibbs et al., 2018).
The relationship with the local community is also essential to teacher identity. Several studies found the best way for teachers to understand their students’ culture is by working closely and collaboratively with the local community (Harrison & Murray, 2012). However, similarly to other countries affected by European colonization, in Chile, education has reproduced the dominant western culture, ignoring the incorporation of Indigenous traditional knowledge into school (Quilaqueo et al., 2014; Vera et al., 2017). Children are receiving a decontextualized and racist education, which is against preserving Indigenous culture and constructing a multicultural society (Mendoza & Sanhueza, 2016).
Theoretical framework
This study adopts an Indigenous decolonized approach, informed by the United Nations (2008) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This declaration acknowledges the impact Indigenous communities have suffered from the effects of colonization, such as the loss of their ancient land and discrimination in their access to justice and education. It also emphasises the right of Indigenous children to receive an education that respects their local culture. Furthermore, the Indigenous decolonizing perspective highlights the knowledge of minorities affected by colonization in finding solutions to local concerns. Indigenous knowledge is shaped by interaction with nature and the relationship with other community members and the local context (McKenna et al., 2021). Consequently, Indigenous knowledge cannot be separated from the place in which this is generated (Higgins & Kin, 2018). In the interaction between Indigenous wisdom and research focused on social justice and democracy, Indigenous knowledge is built (Chilisa, 2012; Smith, 2012). From this point of view, this research includes the voice of Indigenous community members as the first source of information
This study intends to contribute to the knowledge about the experiences of rural teachers in Indigenous contexts. Through hearing the voices of teachers working in rural schools in the Atacama Desert in Chile, and members of the Atacameños Indigenous community, this research answers the question: How do the lives and pedagogical experiences of teachers in Indigenous rural contexts determine their professional identity?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis qualitative study was conducted using a combination of decolonizing Indigenous methodology (Chilisa, 2012; Nakata, 2014; Rigney, 1999; Smith, 2012) and constructivist grounded theory (GT; Charmaz, 2014). The decolonizing approach considers the voices of minorities in colonized contexts as primary sources of information. This study acknowledges how research participants have been affected by colonization as Indigenous traditional culture has been undervalued (Battiste & Henderson, 2000), and Chilean teachers have been educated in an educational system based on Western knowledge and approach (Baeza, 2022).
Meanwhile GT was used with the aim to generate new theory in a context of social inequality (Birks & Mills, 2012; Charmaz, 2014). GT has been widely used for research in rural settings and Indigenous education (see Ma Rhea et al., 2012; Starr & White, 2008). It is expected the results of this study will support the improvement of Indigenous education, particularly in the Atacameño context.
Participants
Participants of this research include five non-Indigenous teachers working in a rural school in the Atacama Desert and five members of the Atacameños community. Atacameños people are one of the Indigenous groups recognised in the Indigenous Law of Chile (Ministry of Planning and Cooperation of Chile, 2017). They represent 2% of the Chilean population (Chilean National Institute of Statistics [INE], 2017), who live primarily in rural communities close to the Cordillera de Los Andes (high altiplano).
The teacher participants were chosen with the collaboration of the local Director of Education, and Indigenous participants were recruited using snowball sampling, supported by Atacameños Elders and leaders. This methodology was chosen because it respects the local protocols and included the community in the research (Chilisa, 2012).
Information gathering and analysis
The postcolonial approach used in this study “promotes the use of Indigenous interview strategies that invoke Indigenous world views” (Chilisa & Phatshwane, 2022, p. 232). Accordingly, life story interviews were used as the main source of information, which is recommended as one of the best methods in Indigenous research (Kovach, 2009). Interviews were conducted in the first language of participants (Spanish) and audio-recorded individually with each participant. Memo writing was also used to register information, such as informal conversation with participants and comments from the interviews.
The analysis of responses used GT technics, which included: transcription of the audio records; member checking, and improvement of participants’ transcriptions according their feedback; analysis of transcription using emerging topics and categories; and focused analysis.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis research aimed to understand how the lived and professional experience of educators in Indigenous rural contexts reshapes their teacher identity. Through participants’ responses, the research exposed the lack of teacher preparation to work in rural schools, which is even more limited when schools are located in Indigenous settings. The study also revealed the need to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and vision into teaching, which entails working collaboratively with the local community and developing strategies and protocols to integrate Indigenous community members into schools.
The stories of teachers and Indigenous participants were the main source of information to create the FITIRIS model (Factors Influencing Teachers Identities in Rural Indigenous Settings). This model reveals four crucial dimensions, both internal and external, that influence teacher identity and experiences in Indigenous rural schools: external support, personal resources, the relationship with the members of the local community, and the school context. Limited studies have explored teacher identity in Indigenous rural contexts. Therefore, this model represents a contribution to the literature that could be useful to understanding teachers’ experiences in Indigenous rural contexts. Likewise, the model could be used to review the current teacher preparation at universities and investigate how teacher preparation could be improved to provide adequate training to teachers working in Indigenous rural contexts.
Finally, this research contributes to giving voice to Indigenous peoples living in remote areas of Chile and highlights their perceptions as an invaluable source to understand the meaning of being a teacher in an Indigenous school.
ReferencesÁvalos, B., & Sotomayor, C. (2012). How Chilean teachers percive their identity [Cómo ven su identidad los docentes chilenos]. Perspectiva Educacional, formación de profesores, 51(1), 57-86.
Baeza, A. (2022). Indigenous education in rural and remote areas in Chile: Exploring teacher and community experiences. Queensland University of Technology.
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory (2nd ed.). SAGE.
Chilean National Institute of Statistics [INE]. (2017). Census of population and living places. http://www.ine.cl
Chilisa, B. (2012). Indigenous research methodologies. SAGE Publications.
Higgins, M., & Kim, E. (2018). De/colonizing methodologies in science education: Rebraiding research theory–practice–ethics with Indigenous theories and theorists. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 1–17. doi:10.1007/s11422-018-9862-4
Loo, S. (2021). Professional development of teacher educators in further education: Pathways, knowledge, identities and vocationalism. Routledge.
Ma Rhea, Z., Anderson, P., & Atkinson, B. (2012). Improving teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. Australian Institute for Teaching and School leadership website https://www.aitsl.edu.au/
Kovach, M. (2009). Indigenous methodologies: Characteristics, conversations, and contexts. University of Toronto Press.
Mendoza, I., & Sanhueza, S. (2016). Captive diversity in the interculturality of Chilean intercultural education policy. Revista Educadi, 1(2), 83–98.
Nakata, M. (2014). Disciplining the savages, savaging the disciplines. Aboriginal Studies Press.
Nichols, S. Schutz, P., Rodgers, K., & Bilica, K (2017). Early career teachers’ emotion and emerging teacher identities. Teachers and Teaching, Theory and Practice, 23, 406–421.
Quilaqueo, D., Quintriqueo, S., Torres, H., & Muñoz, G. (2014). Saberes educativos Mapuches: Aportes epistémicos para un enfoque de educación intercultural. Chungara, Revista de Antropología Chilena, 46(2), 271–283.
Smith, L. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2009). Projecting the global demand for teachers: Meeting the goal of universal primary education by 2015 (Technical Paper No. 3).
United Nations. (2008). Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
Vera, J., Rodríguez, C., Calderón, N. Cárdenas, C., & Duarte, C. (2017). The perception of Indigenous students about the sociocultural context in rural high school, a longitudinal study. Educacion Superior intercultural: trayectorias, experiencias & perspectivas. Colegio de Postgraduados.
Walker-Gibbs, B., Ludecke, M., & Kline, J. (2018). Pedagogy of the Rural as a lens for understanding beginning teachers’ identity and positionings in rural schools. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 26(2), 301–314.
White, S. (2015). Extending the knowledge base for (rural) teacher educators. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 25(3), 50–61.
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
The Applicability of Intersectionality in the Scottish Education System
Sarah-Jane Hamilton
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Hamilton, Sarah-Jane
The brutal murder of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States of America at the hands of a white police officer led to the largest global racial justice protest since the civil rights movement (Smith, 2021) However, concurrently, political leaders across the globe were also grappling with unforeseen statistics, which highlighted that Black Asian and Ethnic minority (BAME) groups had between a 10 and 50 % per cent higher risk of fatality due to COVID-19 in comparison to their White Counterparts (Smith, 2021. Public Health England, 2020). Subsequently, racism was named as a factor in the unequal deaths of BAME communities due to the ongoing pandemic and global leaders were forced to respond to both “viruses: the pandemic and racism” (Smith, 2021).
In Scotland the Scottish Government established ‘The Race and Equality Framework’, which aimed to ensure that Scotland’s Children and young people were provided with an understanding of the nation’s colonial and slavery history. While also challenging racism, eliminating racial discrimination, and promoting social equality (Scot, Gov 2021). In addition to this and in conjunction with the ‘The race and Equality Framework’, The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), also introduced the new ‘Professional Standards for teachers. This regulatory body goes on to state that teaching professionals should be committed to social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable teaching in relation to the nine protected characteristics and intersectionality (Ibid). However, in each of the documents discussed above there is no theoretical definition of what intersectionality maybe, its historical roots, or how teaching professionals can successfully implement this framework. Furthermore, the protected characteristics this document refers to, which are taken from ‘The Equality Act (2010) (Scot Gov, 2010) and similar to the EU Charter of Fundamental rights, are listed as a single identity lens which is known to create challenges in applying intersectionality- diminishing the synergy which is inherent in intersectional frameworks (Solanke, 2011). Education systems across the globe are charchterized by their cultural and ethinc diversity, however, education policy must reconcile with indigenous and ethinc groups and be culturally responsive to global and national issues.
Intersectionality is a theoretical paradigm and analytical tool that moves away from single-axis frameworks that view oppressive identity markers such as race, gender, sex, and class as juxtaposed identity groups (Crenshaw, 1998. Hill-Collins, 2016). As a theoretical paradigm, intersectionality is a critical framework that provides us with the language and mindset to identify interdependencies and interconnectedness between socially constructed systems and categories (Atewologun, 2018). However, this paradigm chart moves beyond identifying micro-level specific social locations and is also an analytical tool that helps individuals understand the world’s complexity. This framework unpacks intersecting systems of inequality and subsequently supports the analysis of the domains of power- structural, interpersonal, disciplinary, and cultural and how these domains organise power relations throughout society(Hill- Collins, 2016. Symington, 2004)
This research paper uses critical discourse analysis as an analytical tool to establish where this leaves contemporary policy responses in the field of education and the extent to which they are cognizant with intersectionality. Or if alternatively, contemporary political responses such as the ‘The Race and Equality Framework’ are an example of a pernicious form of doublespeak. A form of language which aims to communicate but does not, language which denies or shifts responsibility and language which conceals or prevents thought. The following sub questions guided this research project:
What approach is taken in Scottish education policy creation in terms of protected groups? Will this support the successful implementation of intersectionality? What role will this framework play in reinforcing, legitimising and reproducing white group dominance?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedIt is understood that there are no defining theories or methodologies associated with critical discourse analysis (CDA). The methodologies are eclectic but must be appropriate for the subject under consideration in the analysis ( Wodak, 2001). In terms of the CDA adopted here this paper followed the framework for critical discourse analysis in educational research proposed by (Mullett, 2018)- by loosely following the seven suggested steps these are as follows:
Step 1: Select the discourse- problem identified in terms of testing the rhetorical claims of Scottish education policy in terms of the applicability of intersectionality.
Step 2: Locate and prepare data sources- all texts associated with intersectionality were identified, taking two different forays into the data.
Step 3: explore the background of the text- the type of document and rationale for its inclusion and exclusion was explored- for example, documents with minimal accompanying text or the repetition of the same statement were excluded from the analysis.
Step 4: Initial thematic analysis- an initial thematic analysis was undertaken, contributing to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This supported the identification of overarching themes- this was inductive as it looked for lexical items such as overview, rationale, framework, recommendations, vision.
Step 5: Analyse the external relations to the text (Interdiscursively)- And
Step 6: Analyse the internal relations to the text- each of these stages was undertaken simultaneously- looking at lexical choices and the reciprocal relationship between texts, genres and styles so identifying relational themes through lexical, semantic and grammar choices.
Step 7: Interpret and analyse the data- here, the applicability of intersectionality was identified, and the approach the Scottish Government have taken in addressing protected groups via policy responses. Additionally, there was a critical discourse analysis of the race equality and racism framework and the extent to which this supports intersectionality or instead perpetuates and reinforces white group dominance.
This seven-step framework involved inductive, lexical, intertextual and interdiscursive analysis. However, it also relied on Dijk’s (1998) theoretical framework of the us vs them dichotomy. Dijk (1998) proposed an ideological square to disclose the discursive reproduction of the ideology of positive ‘us’ vs negative ‘them’ dichotomies. The ideological square was detailed as follows:
Expressing information that is positive about us.
Or Expressing information that is negative about them.
Suppressing/de-emphasising information that is positive about them.
Suppressing/de-emphasising information that is negative about us.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsOf the proposed new plans to imbed intersectional thinking into teaching practice through the standards for provisional and career-long registration and the other anti-discrimination policy directives which were analysed- there are opposing ideologies which favour a logic of appearance as opposed to critical engagement with anti-discrimination law.
In this sense, the Scottish government have a broad framework for tackling discrimination through education. However, this is a pan-equality approach which leaves space for each form of discrimination to be considered separately but makes intersectional marginalisation invisible. This, therefore, ultimately fails to centralise the synergy which is inherent in intersectionality. Furthermore, the use of personal pronouns espouses responsibility -casting the Scottish government as an institution with a heightened moral compass with a fair idea of socially just social conventions (Fairclough, 1993). However, this creates a us vs them dichotomy in which groups who are subjugated to discrimination are charged with leading change in this area- this further leads to the stigmatisation of the other and exacerbates marginality (Ibid).
The Race and Equality framework holds considerable promise through its critical engagement with discrimination and racial issues, which is fundamental for intersectionality. However, this paper argues that this is indeed a pernicious form of doublespeak which perpetuates white group dominance through its classification of the normative Scottish-white majority and through the adoption of the term minority-ethnic which is known to connotate discrimination.
The Scottish government, in this instance, utilise discursive strategies to transfer responsibility to teaching professionals while diminishing the inherent role governing bodies play in tackling racism throughout society- which is particularly important when addressing the domains of power framework. In sum, the policy directives which have been chosen for analysis are not only at variance with their purported aims, but they are also a concealed embodiment of othering and white group dominance.
ReferencesChristoffersen, A (2019) Are we all Baskets of Characteristics? Intersectional slippages and the Displacement of Race in English & Scottish Equality Policy. School of History, Classics and Archaeology. The Palgrave Handbook of Intersectionality. Vol 33. [online] can be accessed at: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/are-we-all-baskets-of-characteristics-intersectional-slippages-an.
Christoffersen, A (2021) The politics of intersectional practice: competing concepts of intersectionality.Policy and Politics. Vol 49 (4). [online] can be accessed at: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/pap/2021/00000049/00000004/art00005.
Crenshaw, K (1998) Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum. [online] can be accessed at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=uclf.
Dijk, V, T (1993) Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse and society. Vol 4 (2). [online] can be accessed at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0957926593004002006.
Dijk, V, T (1998). Opinions and Ideologies in the Press. Journal of Media Discourse. [Online] Can be accessed at: https://discourses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Teun-A.-van-Dijk-1998-Opinions-and-Ideologies-in-the-press.pdf.
Education Scotland (Nd) Equality Act 2010. [online] can be accessed at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/research/equality-act-2010/.
Education Scotland (2021) Promoting Race Equality and Anti-Racist Education. [online] can be accessed at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/promoting-race-equality-and-anti-racist-education/.
Hill-Collins, P (1990) Black feminist thought in the matrix of domination. Black feminist thought, knowledge and consciousness. [online] can be accessed at: https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/.
General Teaching Council Scotland (2021) Standard for Provisional Registration. [online] can be accessed at: https://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/Standards-2021.aspx.
Lutz, W. (1990). The world of doublespeak. In C. Ricks & L. Michaels (Eds.), The state of the language
(pp. 254–264). Berkeley: University of California Press.
Mullett, D. R (2018) A General Critical Discourse Analysis Framework for Educational Research. Journal of advanced academics. Vol 29 (2). [online] can be accessed: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1932202X18758260.
Smith, H, J (2021) The doublespeak discourse of the race disparity audit: an example of the White racial frame in institutional operation. Discourse studies in the cultural politics of education. Vol 15 (1). [online] can be accessed at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epub/10.1080/01596306.2021.1931035?needAccess=true.
Solanke, I (2011) Infusing the Silos in the Equality Act 2010 with Synergy. International Law Journal. Vol 40 (4). [online] can be accessed at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.1080/09620214.2010.516106?scroll=top.
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
A Fragmented Sense of Belonging: non-EU Young Adult and Adult Students' Experiences in Finland
Alessandra Aldrovandi, Tuuli Kurki
University of Helsinki, Finland
Presenting Author: Aldrovandi, Alessandra
Migration constitutes an increasingly significant phenomenon in the Western world, and the reasons behind people’s choice to leave their native land are multiple. Most migrants depart from their country of origin to secure a better life for themselves and their offspring; aiming to do so, many of them rely on education. Given how Finland represents an attractive option for foreign students, who form a conspicuous part of its immigrant population (Maury, 2017), it is important to evaluate what shapes their identity and sense of belonging.
This paper contributes to the field of educational research by focusing on young adult and adult students who are from non-EU countries, particularly the ones who are reskilling, upskilling or in courses aimed for them to enter the labour market. My interest lies in how their experiences may contribute to the development of their sense of belonging. Aiming to provide an in-depth view of individuals' narratives, the fieldwork was carried out in adult vocational schools by means of mixed methods combining ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews.
The article aims to answer the following questions:
- What are the factors that contribute to young adult and adult migrant non-EU students’ sense of belonging in Finland?
- What barriers might they encounter and how does this affect their plans?
Previous research focusing on migrants’ experiences through the Finnish educational system show how these may be hindered by racialisation and genderisation (Kurki, 2019; Kurki et al., 2019). ‘Immigrantisation’ and ‘immigrant-ness’ combined with other social dimensions such as race, gender and class position them in a disadvantaged place within the power discourse, defining their subjectivities and their future perspectives.
Drawing on Foucault’s subjectification theories (1982) and Sara Ahmed’s feminist and postcolonial work on ‘Embodied Otherness’ (2000), I argue that temporality combined with racialisation may affect the development of young adult and adult students’ identity and sense of belonging.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis paper addresses a relevant research agenda in adult education studies and aims to contribute to discussions within the field of migration and adult education. Given that its focus is on human experiences, I collected the data by means of mixed methods combining ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews through which I aim to give a fair representation of the participants' experiences.
The fieldwork for this article is ongoing: students and staff have been invited to take part after approaching adult education providers in southern Finland. I have observed different groups, on a regular basis and at different times of the academic year, during lessons as well as students' meetings with teachers and staff. In particular, I have been interested in their interaction with colleagues and educators, as well as career or future plans sessions, whether in 1 to 1 or group discussions. Through ethnographic observations, I have been able to relate to the young people and adults involved in the study from a privileged perspective. Furthermore, I have been able to acquire a rich set of data which draws upon a first-hand experience of the participants' world.
I have also interviewed students from a variety of countries of origin as well as teachers and other members of staff. Semi-structured interviews have given the participants an opportunity to give an account of their experiences. They have also been a chance for them to represent their social world, as well as their perception of themselves in relation to other social actors. The analysis of the participants' accounts will delve into the complexity of their identity, providing a valuable insight in relation to their gender, class and ethnic dimension. The data has been coded and analysed using a thematic approach.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsMy findings confirm how experiences of racialisation and temporality may hinder non-EU migrant students' sense of belonging.
ReferencesAhmed, Sara (2000). Strange Encounters: Embodied Other in Post-Coloniality. London: Routledge.
Coffey, A. (1999), The Ethnographic Self: fieldwork and the representation of identity. London: Sage Publications.
Foucault, M. (1982). The Subject and Power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), 777–795. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343197
Kurki, T. (2019). Immigrant-ness as (mis)fortune? Immigrantisation through Integration Policies and Practices in Education. Academic Dissertation, University of Helsinki.
Kurki, T., Brunila, K. and Lahelma, E., (2019). Constituting Immigrant Care Workers Through Gendering and Racialising Practices in Education. Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 9(3), pp.329–345. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2478/njmr-2019-0009
Maury, O. (2017). ‘Student-Migrant-Workers: Temporal Aspects of Precarious Work and Life in Finland.’ Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 7(4), pp.224-232
Maury, O. (2021). Punctuated Lives: Student-Migrant-Workers Encounters with the Temporal Border Regime. Academic Dissertation, University of Helsinki.
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