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Karly Neoh #110234311

EDUCATION, CHANGE & SOCIETY


JOURNAL

Week 1 – Identity & the Social Context of Education


Coming to an understanding of the ways in which one’s beliefs, experiences, values, and
assumptions are linked to culture is an essential feature of culturally responsive practice’
(White, Zion & Kozleski, 2005). Why is understanding one’s own cultural identity
formation important for an educator?
Due to Australia’s growing multiculturalism it is essential that Australia’s educational system
and teachers support this growing diversity of languages, races, cultural practices and values
in the classroom.

In order to understand students and their learning needs better, we must first understand
our own cultural backgrounds and values and how these have shaped our own identity
(Santoro, 2009, p. 35). What we see as respectful, normal, or ‘right’ stems from our own
personal experiences and cultural backgrounds. Malin (1997) used the example that skills or
characteristics of Aboriginal students which are positively valued, encouraged, or simply
seen as normal at home often become irrelevant and disabling at school due to cultural
ignorance. This example really stood out to me, as I don’t want to be a teacher who simply
accepts cultural stereotypes, instead I want to understand my student’s backgrounds and
make them all feel valued.

According to Le Cornu & Peters (2005, p. 33) successful teachers are able to critically reflect
on their own values and beliefs. Self-reflection reveals any racist or biased assumptions that
we may hold, and explore how these influence our behaviour and expectations of students
(Austin, 2005, p. 41). For example, my Mum always taught me to be 10 minutes early or I
was really late; my Dad always told me to look people in the eye when talking to someone
or it was disrespectful; and growing up with three older brothers taught me that teasing is
just a part of daily life. Although these things seem insignificant, they each affect how I view
and treat others, and will ultimately influence the learning strategies I use in the classroom
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(Le Cornu & Peters, 2005, p. 72). Without critically reflecting on my own experiences I would
just assume that these things are the right way of doing things. This could have a negative
impact on my teaching, as I would just assume that students who don’t look me in the eye
are disrespectful. However, my students will not have been taught the same values as me,
they will all have their own unique experiences.

Further, how you label your students can have negative impacts on them. If you go into a
classroom with racist or biased views students may begin take on the identities that you
represent them as (Austin, 2005, p. 10). Teacher assumptions are powerful, so it is
important that we are well informed and develop culturally responsive pedagogies. We
must deeply reflect and question our own cultural identities, past experiences and deeply
embedded beliefs (Lampbert, 2015, p. 72).

Introspection allows us to understand ourselves better, and in turn enables us to


understand our students better so we can learn to respect student’s ways of doing things,
appreciate their diverse cultures and better meet their learning needs (Santoro, 2009, p.
42). Due to Australia’s growing multiculturalism, it is highly likely that I will be teaching a
classroom full of students with different languages, races, cultures and values than me
(Lampbert, 2015, p. 77). Therefore, this ability to reflect my own cultural identity and
understand how this has shaped my teaching identity is increasingly important, as
classrooms will only become more and more diverse.
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Week 2 – Privilege & Oppression


How is the concept of privilege relevant to the educational context? As a beginning
teacher, how might you be able to work to disrupt patterns of privilege and oppression?
In this week’s tutorial, it was interesting to hear everyone’s different perceptions of what it
means to be privileged. From this discussion, it is clear that our understanding of the term
privilege depends on your background, culture and the ideals that have been instilled in
you.

Privilege means receiving unearned benefits or advantages because of your identity.


Example of identity that can provide individual privilege include race, gender, sexual
orientation, religion and socioeconomic status. Privilege and its advantages are often
invisible, especially to those who are privileged. A clear example of this is ‘white privilege’;
McIntosh (2012) explains that white people are made aware of racism but are not taught to
recognise white privilege; he goes further by listing a number of everyday ways in which
white people are privileged. This list helped me critically reflect on my own beliefs, as many
of these things applied to me as a ‘white female’. However, I hadn’t considered them as
privileges or advantages. Some things, such as being able to choose blemish covers or
bandages in ‘flesh’ colour to match my skin and being able to shop alone assured that I will
not be followed or harassed, highlighted the privileges I take for granted and how racism
can ultimately put some people at a disadvantage.

Most teachers are white and come from middle-class backgrounds (Mills, 2012), however
classrooms are filled with diverse students with different experiences, backgrounds and
cultures. Therefore, most teachers come to classrooms with little knowledge of their
student’s backgrounds, families and communities (Lampert et al., 2015). According to
Lampert et al. (2015), critical reflection is vital, otherwise teachers miss the effects of
privilege and in particular being ‘colour blind’. This term is used for teachers who fail to
acknowledge race, and will pretend it doesn’t exist. Teacher’s attempt to treat all students
as equal, however this can be a neglectful approach. It is important for teachers to
acknowledge the ways in which factors of identity such as race or class might impact on a
child’s education.
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Malin (1997), highlights the importance of not walking into a classroom with pre-held
assumptions or stereotypes as these can have damaging effects on students. It was
confronting to see the transformation of Aboriginal students in this reading go from
intelligent, confident and valued members of the community with strong family foundations
to self-doubting and unconfident individuals, all due to a teacher’s cultural prejudices.

It is important that teachers reflect on their own cultural identity and become aware of their
privileges and how these affect the way they treat students. It is not enough to attend
cultural competency workshops (Lampert et al., 2015); teachers must question current
beliefs and norms. Keeping aware of your own prejudices and thoughts or stereotypes
about students in your classroom will help disrupt patterns of privilege an oppression.
Karly Neoh #110234311

Week 10: Refugee Education


Given the current social and political climate around refugee intake, what are some of the
issues you will need to be aware of, and what are some strategies for managing these in
your teaching?

In Australia, around 15,000 refugees are resettled every year, mostly from war-torn
countries in Asia and Africa (Windle & Miller, 2013). Beyond learning English on arrival,
refugee students face various other issues in pursuing education in Australia. The challenges
faced by refugee students are extremely different than for other migrants as they have been
forced to migrate; often they have experienced violence, trauma and ultimately disruption
of their daily lives (Pugh et al., 2012). Due to this trauma, they are likely to be emotionally
distressed, experience memory impairment, physical disorders and difficulties forming
positive relationships. Many refugee students also struggle with unrealistic social and
learning demands, as well as language barriers and cultural differences (Pugh et al., 2012).

Many refugees who come to Australia are negatively labelled as queue jumpers, terrorists
or bogus refugees (Windle & Miller, 2013). These accusations and stereotypes can have a
significant influence on the values and beliefs of students, teachers and the whole school
community. It was shocking to see how influential negative teacher behaviours and beliefs
such as stereotyping, blaming the students and labelling them as incapable can devastate
the progress of refugee students’ education and decrease their chances of reaching
University (Windle & Miller, 2013). Today’s educational policies and curriculum favour
privileged individuals who have economic, social and cultural capital, over those who do
not. Rather than explore the influence of social, cultural and economic factors on those who
have been forced to migrate, they focus on a student’s grades and behaviour.

I haven’t had the chance to teach any refugee students yet, but on my first placement more
than half the students in my class were EALD. The language barrier alone brought many
issues and challenges for students and myself, so I found this week’s topic really interesting
as refugee students are very complex.
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Schools and teachers have a very important role in helping refugee students settle into their
new community and recover from past experiences (Christie & Sidhu, 2002). For this to
occur, teachers must provide culturally appropriate and inclusive education. Creating a
welcoming, inclusive, respectful and safe environment in the classroom is vital for all
students, especially refugee students. Pugh et al. (2012), highlight the greater benefits of a
whole school approach rather than programs which simply focus on teaching individuals
English language, for both mainstream and refugee students. This reading demonstrated the
positive effect integrating refugee and EALD students into mainstream classrooms and
school yards; it allows for a smoother transition.

Pugh et al. (2012), demonstrates the importance of looking deeper into behavioural
incidences especially with students who have experiences trauma. We need to be aware of
how our own background and knowledge can limit what we see, and how we respond to
different students. No two refugee students will have the same experiences; therefore, it is
crucial that teachers have a thorough understanding of their students to ensure that
learning is culturally appropriate and connects with the child’s prior knowledge. Not just
finding their weaknesses but also giving them an opportunity to showcase their strengths.
Karly Neoh #110234311

Week 11: Diversity – Class & Cultural Capital


How might cultural capital impact on a student’s capacity to engage with education as
well as on their educational outcomes?
I found this week’s topic really interesting. I had no understanding of what cultural capital
was, but the readings and tutorial really helped me understand. Cultural capital is the
knowledge of behaviours and skills that are valued within particular social fields, they
provide access to resources and socially desirable ends (Bourdieu, 2004).

I hadn’t realised, but cultural capital has a huge impact on a student’s capacity to engage
with education and the educational outcomes they receive. Research shows that students
with limited cultural capital are at a distinct disadvantage of having success in the school
system, compared to those with high cultural capital (Thomson, 2002). Children who come
to school with simple knowledge and skills, such as reading, being able to write letters, or
counting, can thrive in a school environment. The skills that children bring with them to
school are known as the ‘virtual schoolbag’, this comprises all the knowledge and
experiences a child has gained before entering school (Thomson, 2002).

Cultural capital that is valued in school may include having parents who are involved in your
learning, watching documentaries over cartoons, learning to play an instrument, having
parents who read to you every night, going on holidays overseas and visiting museums. I
hadn’t really considered the significant effect these small things can have on a student’s
ability to learn.

While cultural capital does not include financial assets, a low socioeconomic status can
mean a lack of access to resources, such as books, internet or sports equipment, (all of
which are forms of cultural capital). Research has shown that students and families from
low socioeconomic backgrounds interact differently with schools than middle-class and
upper-class families (Frohard-Dourlent, 2009). Parents from low socioeconomic
backgrounds may view their child’s teacher as removed from their social class, whereas
middle-class parents would view them as equal (Frohard-Dourlent, 2009). Parents from low-
socioeconomic backgrounds also often find it harder to be involved in extra-curricular
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activities that schools run, including assemblies, sports days and book week. Whereas,
middle-class parents, who may have one parent stay at home, can attend these events and
support their child’s learning.

I worked in a category 2 school during my first placement, therefore students came from
low socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite this, many of the parents were involved in their
child’s learning; they came into the classroom in the mornings, read to their kids most
nights and attended extra-curricular activities like book week and the fun run. After
engaging with this week’s topic, I understood why some students thrived in the classroom
and others struggled. The higher achieving students from placement had greater cultural
capital.

It was also interesting to see that children from families with low socioeconomic
backgrounds with high parental monitoring, high support and children with high
psychological autonomy achieved grades similar to children from high socioeconomic
backgrounds with low parental monitoring, limited support, and children with low
psychological autonomy (Fouhard-Dourlant, 2009). It really emphasised the influence socio-
economic background and cultural capital has on a student’s educational outcomes.

As future educators, we can also impact on our students’ learning based on our perception
of social difference, as some teachers may differentiate their classroom based on a
student’s social difference. For example, a teacher may have lower expectations for a
student from a low socioeconomic background, which can lead to lower educational
achievement for that student (Bok, 2010). Teachers need to be aware of their biases and
have a good understanding of their students’ backgrounds. Getting an education, whether
it’s primary school or university, provides us with opportunities to build cultural capital.
Karly Neoh #110234311

Hindsight Reflection
Before stepping foot into any of the tutorials or engaging with the readings, I didn’t
understand the importance of Education, Change and Society. It sounded like a lot of
theory, and from previous experience in my past degree subjects focused on theories and
ideas were usually uninteresting and pointless in my eyes. Instead, my greatest learning
comes from hands on and practical classes.

However, after attending my first tutorial and engaging in discussions with my peers it
became clear that this subject would be useful in providing me information for navigating
today’s diverse schooling system. The most useful aspect of this course has been the critical
discourse from others within my course; my peer’s insights offered me different
perspectives on topics I often had a naïve view on. It was also comforting to see that other
pre-service teachers were having similar experiences and thoughts to me.

Schools are now complex places. Australia is a diverse country, and its schools are no
exception. Classrooms today are filled with students with varying cultural backgrounds,
socioeconomic statuses, experiences, parent expectations, genders, religious beliefs and
values. Therefore, it is important that teachers are well equipped with the knowledge and
skills to support these diverse students, their families and the wider school community.

From past units in my degree, particularly Professional Placement and Reflection 1 and 2, I
had learned the importance of reflecting on my experiences to help improve my teaching
practice. In this course, it was crucial for me to reflect on my experiences from placement,
to, on my encounters with students and their parents, reflect on lessons after I had taught
them. However, I have learnt that simply reflecting after the fact is not enough; I need to
think about the why before I have done something. This course took my reflecting one step
further by pushing me to reflect on my own identity and past experiences in line with the
topics covered each week. It was really useful looking at my own school experiences, family
values, attitudes and beliefs to see how this influenced how I behaved in the classroom and
viewed students.
Karly Neoh #110234311

I found the topic on class and cultural capital very interesting as these were things I hadn’t
considered before. Prior to this unit I wasn’t even aware of the term cultural capital and its
significant influence on students’ educational outcomes. I realised that I held significant
cultural capital in my ‘virtual school bag’ when I arrived at school. My father highly valued
education as he had migrated over to Australia with two of his siblings when he was just 14
for a better life and greater educational opportunities, my parents read to me most nights, I
had older siblings who all attended University and helped me with my homework, I was
taken on trips overseas, given the opportunity to play sports and learn instruments, given a
laptop and access to the internet, I learnt a second language and was taken on educational
trips to museums and galleries. On top of this I had always been encouraged to go to
University and told that I could be whatever I wanted, therefore I always had high
aspirations all throughout primary school and high school.

This week’s readings and tutorial discussion really made me aware of how important it is to
reflect on my own identity and experiences. I understand that not every student in my
classroom will have the same experiences, backgrounds, resources and opportunities, and it
is vital that we are aware of these differences and how we can best support each student.
Unlike past units that had focused on theory, this course linked theory with practice by
allowing us to discuss our placement experiences. It was comforting to be able to share my
experiences from placement and seeing that other pre-service teachers had like experiences
to me. It was also useful hearing stories from my peers on issues that had not come up on
my placement and what strategies they used to overcome these problems, including ideas
of racism, refugee education and religion. This critical discourse helped me view concepts
from different perspectives and develop my beliefs.

After completing this course, I feel I have a deeper knowledge of terms such as cultural
capital and critical pedagogy, and the impacts of class, gender, race and socialization on
educational outcomes.
Karly Neoh #110234311

REFERENCES
Austin, J 2005, Identity and Culture - Identity and Identity Formation, in Austin, J, Culture &
Identity, 2nd Edition, NSW, Pearson Education, pp. 7 – 15.

Bok, J 2010, ‘The capacity to aspire to higher education: ‘It’s like making them do a play
without a script’, Critical Studies in Education Vol. 51, No. 2.

Bourdieu, P 2004, The forms of capital, In S. Ball (Ed.), The Routledge Falmer reader in
sociology of education (pp. 15–29). Oxford: Routledge Falmer.

Christie, P & Sidhu, R 2002, Responding to Refugees: Globalization and the Challenges
Facing Australian Schools, Mots Pluriel.

Frohard-Dourlent, H 2009, ‘Why the school system fails to equalize: the influence of
socioeconomic background on children’s achievement in school, Sojourners: Undergraduate
Journal of Sociology, vol. 1, pp 37-45.

Lampert, J, Burnett, B & Morse, K 2015, Destabilizing Privilege, in Ferfolja, T Understanding


Sociological Theory for Education Practices, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne,
pp. 76-92.

Le Cornu, R & Peters, J 2005, Towards Constructivist Classrooms: the Role of the Reflective
Teacher, Journal of Educational Enquiry, vol. 6, no. 1.

Malin, M 1997, Mrs Eyers is No Ogre: A Micro-Study in the Exercise of Power, in Cowlishaw,
G & Morris, B, Race Matters, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.

McIntosh, P 2012, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, in Rothberg, P White
Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism, Worth Publishers, New York, pp.
121 – 125.
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Mills, C & Keddie, A 2012, ‘Fixing’ Student Deficit in Contexts of Diversity: Another
Cautionary Tale for Pre-service Teacher Education, International Journal of Pedagogies and
Learning, Vol 7, No 1, pp. 9 – 19.

Pugh, K, Every, D & Hattam, R 2012, Inclusive Education for Students with Refugee
Experience: Whole School Reform in South Australian Primary School, Australian Educational
Researcher, Vol 39, No 2, pp. 125 – 141.

Santoro, N 2009, Teaching in Culturally Diverse Contexts: What Knowledge of ‘Self’ and
‘Others’ do Teachers Need?, Journal of Education for Teaching, vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 33 – 45.

Thomson, P 2002,'Vicki and Thanh' in Schooling the rustbelt kids: making the difference in
changing times, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, pp. 1-16.

Windle, J & Miller, J 2013, The Reception of Refugee-Background Students in Australian


Schools’, in Bartlett, L & Ghaffar-Jutcher, A, Refuees, Immigrants and Education in the Global
South: Lives in Motion, Routledge, New York, pp. 196-210.

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