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07 SES 13 A: In/exclusion, Migration and Sustainability (Joint Special Call NW 04, 07, 30)
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07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Building Capacities for Discomfort in Australian Initial Teacher Education on First Nations University of Melbourne, Australia Presenting Author:Amidst Australia's colonial history and the national call for truth-telling about colonial violence against First Nations peoples, educators play a crucial role in cultivating student understanding, even when facing uncomfortable content. While discomfort-based pedagogies have been well theorized (see for example Boler and Zembylas, 2003), this research uniquely addresses the development of 'capacity for discomfort' within teacher identity to assist Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students in navigating such content – both in their teaching degrees and their future teaching profession.
Discomforts often emerge in educative encounters that engage with difficult forms of knowledge, materialised through discussion topics including racism, stereotypes and biases, and truth-telling (Britzman, 1998; Zembylas, 2015). Literature defines ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ relates the intentional ways that educators and students examine their experiences of uncomfortable emotions when encountering knowledge that challenges dominant beliefs, attitudes, and social norms (Zembylas, 2015; Zembylas & McGlynn, 2012). This research is guided by Indigenous ethics rooted in the place and histories of Australia, specifically emphasizing 'relationality and reciprocity' (Bishop, Vass & Thompson, 2019), ‘mutuality and collectivity’ (Grande, This research seeks to identify the capacities that need to be developed for discomfort to be truly transformative.
Exploring the building of capacity for discomfort and the explicit teaching of this skill emerges as a crucial frontier in contemporary educational research. Acknowledging discomfort, particularly in educational settings that confront challenging topics such as racism, biases, and historical truths, is essential for cultivating critical thinking, relationality and empathy. The explicit teaching of discomfort as a capacity holds promise in reshaping educational practices and fostering resilience in the face of discomfort. This research seeks to understand how intentionally building capacity for discomfort can not only enhance learning outcomes but also contribute to the broader societal goals of truth-telling and reconciliation. Examining this intersection provides an opportunity to reevaluate pedagogical approaches, redefine educational objectives, and contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on transformative and inclusive education.
This presentation shares preliminary data from a pilot project integrating ‘discomfort education’ at the start of an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) subject focused on traumatic colonial histories in education.
This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on truth-telling and reconciliation by exploring innovative approaches to prepare educators who can navigate discomfort and contribute to a more inclusive and empathetic educational landscape. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Employing a mixed-methodology approach, this work is grounded in an extensive literature review and data analysis and the trialling of a ‘discomfort education’ module which seeks to build student literacy around the discomforts they may experience while learning about coloniality in the education system. This module encompasses various elements, such as identifying discomfort triggers, distinguishing between a trigger and general discomfort, and exploring personal motivations and strengths-based narratives. The qualitative data will be collected through participant engagement with the Discomfort Module. On the quantitative front, the study includes the design and implementation of a 'Discomfort Dispositions' metric utilizing Qualtrics. This metric aims to quantitatively assess participants' attitudes and responses to discomfort within the academic context. By combining both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of students' experiences with and strategies for coping with discomfort in their academic journey, ensuring a more holistic and nuanced perspective. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The project aims to improve student comprehension of discomfort in learning, fostering skills to manage and embrace it throughout their educational experience. The subsequent study will explore the impact of explicitly teaching discomfort on learning and engagement within the subject. References Bishop, M., Vass, G. & Thompson, K. (2021), Decolonising schooling practices through relationality and reciprocity: embedding local Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 29:2, 193-211, DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2019.1704844 Boler, M & Zembylas, M. (2003). Discomforting truths: The emotional terrain of understanding differences. Pedagogies of Difference: Rethinking Education for Social Justice. 1. 110-136. Britzman, D. P. (1998). Lost subjects, contested objects: Toward a psychoanalytic inquiry of learning. State University of New York Press. Grande, Sandy. (2018). Refusing the University. In Toward What Justice? : Describing Diverse Dreams of Justice in Education, edited by Eve Tuck, and K. Wayne Yang, Routledge, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/tamucs/detail.action?docID=5257621. Zembylas, M., & McGlynn, C. 2012. “Discomforting Pedagogies: Emotional Tensions, Ethical Dilemmas and Transformative Possibilities.” British Educational Research Journal 38 (1): 41-59. Zembylas, M. 2015. “‘Pedagogy of Discomfort’ and its Ethical Implications: The Tensions of Ethical Violence in Social Justice Education.” Ethics and Education 10 (2): 163-174. 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper The Silence about Children with Special Needs Department of Education, University of Oxford, United Kingdom Presenting Author:This paper explores the experiences of families with children who have special educational needs by problematizng the idea of educational provision for children and families who are facing extra challenges in UK. This is particularly the case for parents of vulnerable children from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Teachers and other support workers are not aware of the broad cultural framework within which parents and families of these vulnerable children operate. Parents have an enduring interest in their children’s well being, while teachers are under pressure to focus on academic matters. These two categories of adults do not see the educational provision in identical ways. There is a lack of understanding about school processes, and therefore mistrust on parents’ part. Equally, there is misunderstanding and lack of information for teachers. Children are the ones who have live with the consequences of adults’ misconceptions and decisions. What kind of social justice is denied? What sort of intercultural dialogue could ease children’s journeys through school? This paper will explore some of these issues with a view to attempting to address the situation adequately and more holistically. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Theoretical framework: Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model Method: in-depth interviews of parents, professionals and Special Educational Needs Coordinators Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings This paper will focus on the under-researched and mostly hidden experiences of migrant and refugee families who have children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It looks at the challenges migrant parents face when trying to make sense of the schools their children attend. Parents do not always understand the practices prevalent at the schools, nor some of the decisions the schools take. Although the research was conducted in England in 2021/22, the issues raised here also have implications for some children and their families in other parts of Europe. The first purpose of this chapter is to present research with education professionals on the challenges that the current education system in the UK creates for migrant children with SEND. While policy documents regarding migrant students refer to inclusion in general, few address the specific context of disabled children from migrant and refugee groups. Despite policy directives, what ‘inclusion’ looks like in practice is open to question and debate. A second purpose of this chapter is to shed light on different perspectives, considering not only the views of education professionals but also those of parents of children with SEND, who are trying to make sense of the educational and social situations in which they and their children find themselves. These comprise of remarkably diverse groups, including children with a range of needs, as well as asylum seekers and refugees in the UK from many backgrounds. What can easily pass unnoticed are the rich and diverse cultural positions held within different communities in relation to disability. Exploring these perspectives will highlight the complexity of what inclusion entails, and provide a nuanced and deeper understanding of the various challenges facing parents, children and school professionals. References Al-Hassan, S. & Gardner, R. (2002). Involving immigrant parents of students with disabilities in educational process. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34 (5), 58. Ball, S., Macrae, S., & Maguire, M. (2013) Choice, Pathways and Transitions Post- 16: new youth new economies in the global city. London: Routledge. Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (2010). Multilingualism: A critical perspective. London: Bloomsbury. Caldin, R. (2014) inclusive social networks and inclusive schools for disabled children of migrant families. ALTER-European Journal of Disability Research, 8, 105-117. Caldin, R., & Cinotti, A. (2018) Migrant families with disabilities. Social participation, school and inclusion. Interdisciplinary Journal of Family Studies 23. Habib, S. (2018) Fundamental British Values: moving towards anti-racist and multicultural education? In A. Johnson, R. Joseph-Salisbury & B. Kamunge. (Eds.) The Fire Now: Anti racist scholarship in Times of Explicit Racial Violence. Zed Books 209-222. HM Government (2018) Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper. Building stronger, more united communities. Hooley, N., & Levinson, M.P. (2013) Investigating networks of culture and knowledge: a critical discourse between UK Roma Gypsies, Indigenous Australians and Education. Australian Educational Researcher, 41(2) 139-153. Jorgensen, C., Dobson, G.,& Perry, T. (2021) Migrant children with special educational needs. British Academy funded report: University of Birmingham. Lander, V. (2016) Introduction to Fundamental British Values. Journal of Education for Teachers, 42(3), 274-279. Manzoni, C., & Rolfe, H. (2019) How Schools are integrating new migrant pupils and their families. National Institute of Economic and Social Research. McEachron, G., & Bhatti, G. (2015) Teaching English as an additional language in the global classroom; a transnational study in the US and UK, Global Education Review, 2(2) 59-83. Migliarini, V. (2018) Colour-evasiveness’ and racism without race: the disablement of asylum-seeking children at the edge of fortress Europe. Race, Ethnicity and Education 21: 438-457. Mirza, H., & Meeto, V. (2012) Respecting Difference: Race, Faith and Culture for Teacher Educator. London: Institute of Education. Osler, A., &Solhaug, T. (2018) Children’s human rights and diversity in schools: framing and meaning. Research in Comparative and International Education, 13 (2) Paniagua A. (2017) The intersection of cultural diversity and special education in Catalonia. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 48 (141-158). Panjwani, F. (2016) Towards an overlapping consensus: Muslim Teachers’ views on Fundamental British Values. Journal of Education for Teaching 42(3) 329-340. 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper An Embodied Learning Educational Project for Women’s Self-Determination and Community Building to Help Navigate the Uncertainties of Migration Journeys University of Toronto, Canada Presenting Author:Women’s relationships with and experiences in diaspora are remarkedly varied and complex (Spivak, 1996). To fully understand their diverse experiences, it is necessary to consider the interaction of gender, class, race, and ethnicity alongside nationalism, colonialism, and imperialism (Banerji et al., 2010). Around the world, migrant women are often siphoned into gendered and racialized jobs, contributing to the increasing feminization of migration (Castles & Miller, 2009). The phenomenon of increasing female migrants for employment is accompanied by the contentious deskilling process of immigrant women in traditional education models, leading to questions about power, education, and the economy (Gunduz et al., 2013; Mojab, 2000). The resourcefulness and agency of diasporic women in foreign contexts is often overlooked, and research on migrant workers can perpetuate victimhood narratives and discourses of victimization from diasporic experiences (Maitra, 2015; Mansuri & Tittensor, 2017). In order to support migrants in lifelong learning and decolonize transnational migration contexts, a shift towards strengths-based holistic pedagogies is required (Maitra & Guo, 2019). The focus of this paper is to examine how embodied learning pedagogies can assist women in diaspora in establishing social relationships and community connections to navigate and overcome the stress, uncertainties and isolation of migration experiences. This will be accomplished through the use of findings from a community-engaged educational research project that brought together diasporic women to connect in peer-learning and knowledge co-creation activities designed to build situated solidarities and strengthen their social connections and relationships through an embodied whole-person learning curriculum. The research objective of this project was to develop and evaluate a model for newcomer education that took a strengths-based curriculum approach and shifted away from colonial deficit logics. This paper will answer the following research questions: 1) What opportunities does employing embodied learning and education methods that consider the whole person in learning create to assist diasporic women in addressing their current and future needs and challenges? 2) How might this learning support and foster more positive migration journeys and outcomes? The research project utilized theories of embodied learning, situated solidarities, and transnational feminisms. Embodied learning is a learning concept that affords multiple ways of knowing and being in the world by connecting the mind, body, emotions, and spirit in learning. This concept and approach to learning emphasizes and explores the body’s involvement and significance in generating knowledge (Stoltz, 2015; Wong & Batacharya, 2018). Situated solidarities promote the co-creation of knowledge across borders and “multiple divides… without reinscribing the interests of the privileged” (Nagar, 2014, p. 82). In theory, this includes distributing power, questioning knowledge hierarchies, and examining the politics of place (Routledge & Derrickson, 2015) Social networks are “central to the process of migration and the formation of transnational identities and communities” (Monkman, 1999, p. 348) and impact nonformal and informal learning which is exceedingly valuable to navigating migration trajectories. Educators can gain a deeper understanding of transnational learning and living by studying social network relations which can result in improved learning opportunities for migrants. The use of embodied learning and practices to support migration journeys and experiences (Biglin, 2020). This paper contributes to advancing this area of research by sharing novel approaches for education and community building with diasporic women which is needed given the rising levels of transnational migration. The research has important implications for educationalists and education researchers and offers hope for re-imagining educational objectives and curricula through a social justice lens. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The qualitative research project discussed in this paper employed a feminist decolonial research methodology (Mohanty, 2003; Tuhiwai Smith, 2021). A curriculum of twelve workshop sessions was created and workshops were facilitated by the project’s principal investigator. Participants attended two sessions per week for six weeks. Each session involved an embodied movement practice followed by group discussion, self-reflection, and time for participant journaling. Data collection followed a multi-modal strategy which included verbal data, via one-on-one individual semi-structured interviews and non-verbal data from embodied ethnographic methods (Pink, 2015). The first source of data comes from the individual in-depth semi-structured participant interviews. To gain insight into participant’s learning experiences, two interviews were conducted. The first interview took place before the workshops began. The second interview took place within one month of the final workshop. The second source of data comes from the embodied ethnographic field notes and the researcher’s reflective practice on the experience of facilitating the workshops and being part of the sessions (Pink, 2015; Spencer, 2011). The third source of data comes from the participant journals. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2021) was the method used to analyze this data. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Empirical evidence from the data gathered through this research project indicates that including embodied learning improves individual learning, strengthens community support, and enhances resilience to the inevitable challenges encountered as part of migration. The educational approach delivered through the workshops proved to be effective at supporting diasporic women in navigating the loneliness and uncertainty of their migration trajectories. Significant enhancements in bodily confidence and self-acceptance were reported by participants during post-project interviews, positively impacting their ability to navigate life in Canada and fostering improved relationships and their sense of belonging. This demonstrates how a whole person strengths-based learning approach can produce positive transformations in how learners think and feel about themselves. The educational project led to a greater appreciation for different cultures and increased respect between individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. This shows the potential of embodied learning to enhance intercultural communication and learning. This finding was attributed to the impacts and effectiveness of situated-solidarity building. The significance of embodied learning research for educationalists lies in its potential to disrupt colonial systems and challenge dominant discourses, fostering greater equity and diversity in learning. The implementation of this approach can support migrant learning, foster community development, and cultivate stronger relationships between students and instructors, all of which are crucial for driving societal change for supporting more positive migration experiences. References Bannerji, H., Mojab, S., & Whitehead, J. (2010). Of property and propriety: the role of gender and class in imperialism and nationalism: a decade later. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 30(2), 262-271. Biglin, J. (2020) Embodied and sensory experiences of therapeutic space: Refugee place-making within an urban allotment. Health & Place, 62, 102309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102309. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications. Castles S., & Miller, M.J. (2009). The age of migration: International population movements in the modern world (4th edition). Palgrave MacMillan. Gunduz, Z. Y. (2013). The feminization of migration: Care and the new emotional imperialism. Monthly Review (New York. 1949), 65(7), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.14452/MR-065-07-2013-11_3 Maitra, S. (2015). Between conformity and contestation: South Asian immigrant women negotiating soft-skill training in Canada. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 27(2), 64–78. Maitra, S., & Guo, S. (2019). Theorising decolonisation in the context of lifelong learning and transnational migration: anti-colonial and anti-racist perspectives. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 38(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2018.1561533 Mansouri, F., & Tittensor, D. (2017). Introducing and contextualising feminised migration. The Politics of Women and Migration in the Global South, 1-10. Mohanty, C. T. (2003). Feminism without borders: Decolonizing theory, practicing solidarity. Duke University Press. Mojab, S. (2000). The power of economic globalization: Deskilling immigrant women through training. Power in practice: Adult education and struggle for knowledge and power in society, 23-41. Monkman, K. (1999). Transnational migration and learning processes of Mexican adults constructing lives in California, International Journal of Educational Development, 19, 367-382. Nagar, R. (2014). Reflexivity, positionality, and languages of collaboration in feminist fieldwork. In Muddying the Waters: Co-authoring Feminisms Across Scholarship and Activism (pp. 81- 104). University of Illinois Press Pink, S. (2015). Doing sensory ethnography (2nd ed.). Sage. Routledge, P., & Derickson, K.D. (2015). Situated solidarities and the practice of scholar-activism. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 33, 391 – 407. Spencer, D.C. (2011). Ultimate fighting and embodiment: Violence, gender and mixed martial arts. Routledge. Spivak, G.C. (1996) Diasporas old and new: Women in the transnational world, Textual Practice, 10(2), 245-269, 10.1080/09502369608582246 Stolz, S.A. (2015) Embodied Learning. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 47(5), 474-487. 10.1080/00131857.2013.879694 Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2021). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples. Zed Books Ltd. Wong, R., & Batacharya, S. (2018). Sharing breath : embodied learning and decolonization. Athabasca University Press. 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Challenges faced by Disabled Students to Pursue Their Education a critical study in Bangladesh. 1Bangladesh, National University; 2Hongkong Baptist university; 3University of Chittagong, Department of Education Research; 4Government Teachers' Training college,Dhaka; 5Govt. TTC Dhaka; 6Department of Management , Rabindra University, Bangladesh Presenting Author:This study seeks to answer the following research questions:
v To explore the disabled students social challenges v To explore the disabled students Economics challenges v To explore the disabled students Institutional challenges v To explore the disabled students friends and family Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Research Design This study will employ a mixed-methods research design, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods will be used to get a comprehensive picture of disabled student’s education challenges in Bangladesh. 3.2 Data Collection Quantitative Data: Conduct surveys among disabled students in various educational institutions across Bangladesh to gather quantitative data regarding the challenges they face and their impact on academic performance and well-being. Qualitative Data: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with disabled students, teachers, parents, educational administrators, and relevant policymakers. These interviews will provide in-depth insights into the experiences, perceptions, and recommendations regarding the challenges faced by disabled students in the educational context and potential solutions. Study area: The study will be conducted proportionately in different public, private and national university of Bangladesh. Study population: The study populations will be the different types of disabled university level students in Bangladesh to get a comprehensive idea of disabled student’s education challenges in Bangladesh. Sampling Technique: A convenient sampling technique will be used to reach the target sample. Selection of Sample: All targeted respondents will be covered as sample (100 Disabled students) under the total questionnaire survey in face to face interviews. However, if requires online survey will also be to collect data. 3.3 Data Analysis After checking and cross-checking of the collected data, all the questionnaires will be coded and entered into the SPSS data base .Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical software spss and qualitative data will be analyzed thematically. Triangulation Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings 4. Expected outcomes This research aims to make several contributions: • Provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by disabled students in Bangladesh when pursuing education. • Highlight the factors contributing to these challenges, including socio-cultural, economic, and policy-related factors. • Offer insights into the impact of these challenges on academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. • Propose evidence-based strategies and interventions to promote inclusive education in Bangladesh. References 7. References Ahmmed, M., Sharma, U., & Deppeler, J. (2014). Variables affecting teachers’ intentions to include students with disabilities in regular primary schools in Bangladesh. Disability and Society, 29(2), 317–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2013.796878 Malak, M. S., Begum, H. A., Habib, A., Shaila, M., & Moninoor, M. (2013). Inclusive Education in Bangladesh : Policy and Practice. AARE Annual Conference, Adelaide, 1–15. Šiška, J., & Habib, A. (2013). Attitudes towards disability and inclusion in Bangladesh: From theory to practice. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(4), 393–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2011.651820 | ||