Ada Mau

Parents’ and teachers’ constructions of the purposes of Chinese complementary schooling: ‘culture’, identity and power

User perceptions and experiences of complementary education are neglected in the research literature, yet they are important in providing understanding concerning complementary schools and their impact on educational and social identities. This paper explores the constructions of parents of pupils attending these schools, and of teachers at these schools, regarding the purposes and benefits of Chinese complementary schools. Data is drawn from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)‐funded study of six Chinese schools in England, including interviews with 24 parents and 21 teachers. Findings demonstrate that in contrast to complementary school pupils, Chinese adult participants see a diverse range of purposes of these schools besides perpetuating heritage language. Many of these purposes related to ‘identity’ and ‘culture’, were often produced in reified terms. In interrogating these themes we focus particularly on the productions of ‘culture’ generated and the implication of both Chinese and Western bodies in these constructions in relations of power.

The Culture Project: diasporic negotiations of ethnicity, identity and culture among teachers, pupils and parents in Chinese language schools

Notions of culture, ethnicity and identity are highly political (and also personally meaningful) issues within diasporic communities. Complementary schools are particularly interesting sites in this respect, as they are often set up with an explicit cultural agenda of ‘preserving’ or ‘maintaining’ ‘traditional’ culture and language within diasporic communities. In this paper, we draw on qualitative data from an ESRC funded study conducted in six Chinese complementary schools to consider how pupils (n=60), parents (n=24) and teachers (n=21) in these schools construct and negotiate issues of culture and identity. We consider the ways in which the cultural agenda of the schools is constructed and experienced, teasing out the ways in which cultural discourses and pupil identities are deployed (and resisted, reworked) within the space of Chinese schools. Finally we consider the extent to which the schools are perceived by the young people to be ‘successful’ (or not) in their efforts to make pupils feel ‘more Chinese’.

Mapping politics and pedagogy: understanding the population and practices of Chinese complementary schools in England

Remarkably, little academic attention has been given to the phenomenon of Chinese language schools in the UK. This paper aims to address this important gap in knowledge through the development of a detailed mapping of the population and practise of Chinese complementary schooling in England. The paper draws on ethnographically informed observations and interviews with 60 pupils, 21 teachers and 24 parents conducted in six Chinese schools as part of an Economic and Social Research Council (UK) funded study. The mapping is presented in terms of three core questions: what are Chinese schools like? (how they are funded, resourced and organised); who attends? (characteristics of the pupils’ population); and what is taught there? Analyses highlight the social political implications arising and raise issues for education policy and practice.

'Boring and stressful' or 'ideal' learning spaces? Pupils' constructions of teaching and learning in Chinese supplementary schools

Chinese supplementary schools have been accused of having ‘old‐fashioned’ and ineffective teaching methods, with most teaching being undertaken by ‘unqualified’ volunteer parent teachers. But how do pupils themselves interpret and experience the complementary school setting and to what extent do they feel it affects their learning? Drawing on empirical data from an ESRC study, including classroom observations and interviews with 60 British‐Chinese pupils and 21 teachers across six Chinese supplementary schools, this paper explores pupils’ preferred teaching/learning approaches and questions to what extent do pupils feel the culture and organisation of Chinese schools helps them to learn? Indeed, might complementary schools contribute in any way to British‐Chinese pupils’ phenomenally high achievement within mainstream education? The analyses highlight both positive and negative aspects of the young people’s experiences, paying particular attention to the implications for their constructions of learner identities within the complementary school setting.

Dimensions of science capital: exploring its potential for understanding students’ science participation

ABSTRACT As concerns about participation rates in post-compulsory science continue unabated, considerable research efforts have been focused on understanding and addressing the issue, bringing various theoretical lenses to bear on the problem. One such conceptual lens is that of ‘science capital’ (science-related forms of social and cultural capital), which has begun to be explored as a tool for examining differential patterns of aspiration and participation in science. This paper continues this line of work, attempting to further refine our conceptualisation of science capital and to consider potential insights it might offer beyond existing, related constructs. We utilise data from two surveys conducted in England as part of the wider Enterprising Science project, a broader national survey and a more targeted survey, completed by students from schools generally serving more disadvantaged populations. Logistic regression analyses indicated that science capital was more closely related than cultural capital to science aspirations-related outcome variables. In addition, further analyses reflected that particular dimensions of science capital (science literacy, perceived transferability and utility of science, family influences) seem to be more closely related to anticipated future participation and identity in science than others. These patterns held for both data sets. While these findings are generally in alignment with previous research, we suggest that they highlight the potential value of science capital as a distinct conceptual lens, which also carries particular implications for the types of interventions that may prove valuable in considering ways to address disparities in science engagement and participation.

Using Bourdieu in practice? Urban secondary teachers’ and students’ experiences of a Bourdieusian-inspired pedagogical approach

Abstract This article discusses an attempt at a Bourdieusian-inspired form of praxis, developed and implemented in collaboration with nine London teachers, aimed at developing a socially just approach to engaging students with science. Data are discussed from nine months of classroom observations of nine secondary science classes from six inner London schools (approximately 200 students, aged 11–15), interviews and workshop data from the nine teachers and 13 discussion groups conducted with 59 students. The approach resulted in noticeable changes in practice, which were perceived by teachers and students to improve student engagement, cultivate a range of science-related dispositions and promote wider student participation and ‘voice’ in classes. Issues, limitations and possibilities for sociology of education are discussed.

The construction of British Chinese educational success: exploring the shifting discourses in educational debate, and their effects

ABSTRACT The high achievement of British Chinese students in the British education system is established in the official literature and has recently been subject to increased attention and comment; albeit it remains the case that few studies have asked students or their families about the factors contributing to their success. This paper revisits findings from an earlier research project that investigated the extent to which British Chinese students and their parents value education (and their rationales), their experiences of British education, and the construction of British Chinese students by their teachers. The study revealed the ‘hidden racisms’ experienced by British Chinese students, the problematisation of their perceived approaches to learning by British teachers in spite of their high attainment, and the benefits, costs, and consequences of their valuing of education. This article contextualises these prior findings within more recent discourses and debates around ‘Chinese success’, precipitated by increased policy attention to the educational attainment of different groups of students, especially from low socio-economic backgrounds. It argues that these discourses on one hand elevate Chinese successes and teaching methods (in contrast to prior narratives), but on the other they continue to exoticise and ‘Other’ the British Chinese, misrecognising educational practices common among White middle-class parents.

Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities

This book brings together new theoretical perspectives and bilingual education models from different sociopolitical and cultural contexts across the globe in order to address the importance of sociocultural, educational and linguistic ...

Speaking of identity?: British-Chinese young people’s perspectives on language and ethnic identity

This book brings together new theoretical perspectives and bilingual education models from different sociopolitical and cultural contexts across the globe in order to address the importance of sociocultural, educational and linguistic ...