Joshua Alvarado 16566066 Research Assessment 2

Students of a refugee background have complex learning needs, hence programs like the

Refugee Action Support (RAS) need to be explored as a potentially viable solution to

meeting those needs. Though the Australian Professional Standard for Teachers (APST)

promotes inclusiveness, the advent of more and more refugee students entering our schools

has meant that the training, knowledge, skills and understanding of our teachers and

education system has not kept up in being sufficient in meeting the needs of these students.

Naidoo (2012) believes the RAS program between the Western Sydney University and local

schools recognises the relationship linking the complex needs of refugee students and these

students engagement in education. Similarly, Ferfolja (2010) believes programs like the RAS

could have positive implications on schools by helping students of a refugee background,

while at the same time teaching tutors through reciprocal learning. I will compare these two

articles, firstly critically analysing them side by side, while comparing and contrasting them,

then secondly, from the findings of the analysis I will consider the implications they may

have on the educational system and teaching practice.

Naidoo (2012) purposed to study the wider implications of school- community-university

partnerships in order to improve strategies used to help refugee students. It looked

specifically at the Refugee Action Support Program (RAS) and three factors, its impact upon

schools involved in the one-on-one tutoring program, the impact upon refugee students being

tutored, and the impact on pre-service teachers offering their time as tutors. Similarly,

Ferfolja (2010) looks at the impacts the RAS program has on students of a refugee

background, but from the point of view of their teachers who have experience in ESL and at

times assist RAS tutors.

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In reviewing literature, Naidoo (2012) concluded that students of a refugee background

needed more time with targeted learning activities that could help their overall literacy.

Naidoo (2012) also found service-learning programs helped develop pre-service teachers with

the knowledge, skills and sensitivity in dealing with and helping students from a diverse

background. Ferfolja (2010) also came to a comparable conclusion, finding that service

learning enables reciprocal learning for both students and tutors alike, as it helps students

academically and socially, it also helps tutors gain appreciation and knowledge of diversity.

Although Naidoo (2012) found literature which showed some service-learning was not being

effectively used, Naidoo’s other research shows that it assists all parties involved, including

the school, university, students and pre-service teachers.

Naidoo gives us an extensive review of literature which looks at a range of articles, from a

range of authors who wanted to improve the pedagogical strategies used in helping students

of a refugee background. All the articles understood that helping students of a refugee

background involved complex challenges, and in suggesting that service-learning programs

could potentially help both the student and the tutor, none were simply looking for quick

fixes. This indicates a good literature review, without bias, which uses applicable data to the

article. Ferfolja (2010) also explores a wide range of literature, including some background

into the challenges faced by refugee students, such as history, bullying, schooling and the

lack of literature written about African refugee students’ experience in Australian schools.

Despite this, Ferfolja (2010) only uses a little bit of literature on academic service learning to

back the claims that RAS is or could be a useful tool for students and teachers, instead,

simply stating that it is backed up by past papers researching the same topic. It is true that

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these past papers are extensive literature, but Naidoo effectively used the sources within the

article, instead of just listing what is good material.

Naidoo (2012) collected data through qualitative methods, including the examination of

previous RAS investigations and dialogue with a school running the program, and all the

people involved in the process. This involved individual and group interviews which

endeavoured to record the experience of principles, the school’s RAS coordinator, the RAS

tutors, the classroom teachers of RAS students and the RAS students themselves (Naidoo

(2012). When it came to the RAS students, they thought it would be best to interview

students who regularly attend the tutoring program through focus groups, but it would have

been interesting to see if we could also learn why other students did not regularly attend and

how they felt about it. Although the exact questions being asked by the investigator were not

provided, we are told that it focused on the value, effect and structure of the program, and

how it helped teaching and learning in the classroom (Naidoo 2012), while the article also

provides transcripts of people’s responses. The school chosen for the study was flagged as

one which had established a successful program, but begs the question whether other schools

are running successful programs, and if they are not, what we could also learn from them.

Despite this, it does not change the fact that it succeeds in having a good data collection

process which leads to valuable and usable data towards teaching practice and the educational

system. Interestingly, where Naidoo (2012) was able to investigate most parties involved in

the RAS program, Ferfolja (2010) insisted that due to trauma, distrust and language

difficulties, it was best not to gather information from students, but instead from the school

RAS coordinator. Ferfolja (2010) was more thorough in providing how the interviews were

conducted, such as conducting face-to-face interviews ranging from 30 and 60 minutes before

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the 12 week program commenced and after it ended. Furthermore, the questions which would

be asked by the investigator were provided, and we are told that the interviews were taped

and transcribed. Not only did Ferfolja (2010) obtain qualitative data, but also received

quantitative data from questionnaires given to 5 coordinators. Ferfolja (2010) rightfully

admits two problems with the quantitative data, first that the sample size is too small, and

second, that due to time constraints, not all coordinators were able to complete the

questionnaires a second time. Nevertheless, Ferfolja (2010) believes that the quantitative data

backs the qualitative data.

Naidoo’s article gives us three headings of results, including school perceptions of RAS,

student’s perception and the tutors perception. Each heading supplies transcripts of the

responses given by all parties, but as discussed in the methodology, we are missing the

questions. Although this does not mean bias, because all of the transcripts are very positive, it

could be seen as suspect. To address this, Naidoo (2012) talks about using a case study report

to support her claims. Ferfolja & Naidoo (2010) look at two schools, rather than one, and in

investigating both schools, even though they found contrasting results, they found that the

benefits in the RAS program were very similar and worthwhile. Ferfolja (2010) also

documented the results effectively, first, in the qualitative data, transcripts outlining answers

the teachers gave before and after are well documented, and second the quantitative data is

well tabled. Ferfolja (2010) admits that the quantitative data would be not usable outside of

this article though. Although Ferfolja (2010) only investigated teachers, while Naidoo (2012)

investigated most people involved in the program, it seems as though the teachers would have

no bias in the information they provided the investigator since the program is free and does

not benefit anyone monetarily.

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The article provides a succinct conclusion that a program like the RAS can help all parties

involved, but especially the students and pre-service teachers providing the tutoring. Naidoo

(2012) found in her research that these students need more time and tailored learning to meet

their needs, and finds that the program provides this. Likewise, Ferfolja (2010) concludes that

while more study is needed into the RAS program, from her findings and investigation, a

program like RAS can help newly arrived refugee students academically and socially through

one-on-one tutoring, while also benefiting pre-service teachers with the preparation to

become successful teachers.

Naidoo (2012) believes that If used correctly, RAS can have great positive implications upon

the educational system and teaching practices in general as it can help all people involved in

the process. Ferfolja (2010) agrees, arguing that both refugee students and service teachers

alike can benefit. Due to a global increase of refugees, it is important that we look at

schooling, schooling practices and the challenges faced by a growing number of students

from refugee backgrounds (Taylor 2011). Standard 1.3 of the Australian Professional

Standard for Teachers (APST, 2017) says teachers must know how to teach “Students with

diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds,” and standard 4.1 says

teachers must “support student participation.” The truth though, is that teachers very often

struggle to help and work with students of a refugee background as they do not have the

experience or the knowledge to meet their individual needs (Roxas (2010). Another issue

these students face is that some teachers are of the idea that students from a refugee

background need to assimilate quickly, and if they are not able to it means they are simply

not intelligent (Roxas, 2010). One of the conclusions of the RAS program is that it takes

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more than just the teacher knowing how to meet the APST, in fact it takes

school-community-university partnerships provided by the RAS program to truly meet the

needs of these individual students. Windle & Miller (2012) believe that the rapid increase of

refugee students enrolling in the same schools is already affecting our classrooms in ways we

do not quite understand because teachers do not know how to deal with it. The RAS program

not only begins to help schools understand the needs of these students, but it begins to teach

pre-service teachers with the knowledge, skills and the understanding of how to work with

them now and in the future when they become teachers (Naidoo 2012). Where at the moment

some teachers do not understand how to work with refugee students, through programs like

this one, future students will understand the complexities and have the patience to meet their

needs. RAS provides a program that can meet many needs and break many barriers that

refugee students face. Arnot and Pinson (2005) argue that one barrier refugee students face in

the UK has been funding for programs and training of teachers working with these students

(2005). RAS overcomes this by offering a free program to the schools involved by training

Pre-service teachers in methodologies and targeted strategies to support students of a refugee

background with individual literacy needs (Naidoo 2012). Taylor (2011) argues that there has

been a disconnect in realising that refugees come from many different backgrounds both

educationally and culturally. So another benefit of the RAS program is that it is conducted

through mostly one-on-one tutoring and is able to cater to many different refugee students

despite their educational or cultural differences (Ferfolja 2010). The RAS program could be

explored on a larger scale and if implemented with the help of other institutions, it could

mean that much less refugee students would fall through the cracks. Many of the people

involved in Naidoo’s (2012) and Ferfolja’s (2010) investigation reported positive outcomes

for these students educationally and socially. Taylor (2011) suggests refugee students need an

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individualised support program that addresses every aspect of their education and well-being

through parental and community support. Not only is the RAS program able to offer

individualised support, but Naidoo (2012) says that through the program parents have

become more involved in school matters. If more programs like the RAS could be

implemented in our schools, everybody involved could greatly benefit, reducing the load on

teachers and schools, which could in turn reduce burn out, but most of all it can help students

of a refugee background.

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Reference List

Arnot, M., & Pinson, H. (2005). The education of asylum-seeker & refugee children:
A study of LEA and school values, policies and practices. Cambridge: Faculty
of Education, University of Cambridge. Retrieved from
https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/arnot/AsylumReportFinal.pdf

Ferfolja, T., & Naidoo, L. (2010). Supporting Refugee Students Through the Refugee
Action Support (RAS) Program: What Works in Schools. Penrith, N.S.W.:
University of Western Sydney. Retrieved from
https://alnf.org/content/files/files/whatworksinschools_lores.pdf

Ferfolja, T., & Vickers, M. (2010). Supporting refugee students in school education in
Greater Western Sydney. ​Critical Studies in Education, 51(​ 2), 149-162.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1080/17508481003731034

Naidoo, L. (2012). Refugee action support: Crossing borders in preparing pre-service

teachers for literacy teaching in secondary schools in Greater Western
Sydney. ​International Journal Of Pedagogies And Learning​, ​7(​ 3), 266-274.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5172/ijpl.2012.7.3.266

Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R. (2011). Supporting refugee students in schools: what
constitutes inclusive education?. ​International Journal of inclusive Education,
16(​ 1), 39-56.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1080/13603110903560085

Windle, J. & Miller J. Approaches to teaching low literacy refugee-background

students. ​Australian Journal of Language and Literacy,​ ​35(​ 3), 317-333.

Standards | Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.​ (2017).

Aitsl.edu.au.​ Retrieved 1 June 2017, from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standa
rds/list