Judith Kearney

Teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms: implications for the development of professional standards and for teacher education

This paper reports the outcomes of a survey to investigate the level of cultural understanding and confidence for teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms. The survey was administered to teachers in primary and secondary schools in an Australian regional city. The aim of analysis was to determine the direction and strength of association of six demographic variables with measures of cultural awareness among teachers and confidence in supporting the learning of students. It found that teacher responses to working in culturally diverse classrooms varied according to levels of familiarity with the cultural groups concerned and with the level of schooling within which the teacher worked. The paper outlines the implications of these findings for the development of professional standards and for teacher education. It discusses how these findings contribute to further investigations into the extent to which teachers understand cultural diversity and their confidence as literacy instructors.

From learning organization to learning community: Sustainability through lifelong learning

Purpose – This paper aims to: extend the concept of “The learning organization” to “The learning community”, especially disadvantaged communities; demonstrate how leaders in a migrant community can achieve positive change at the personal, professional, team and community learning levels through participatory action learning and action research (PALAR); and identify the key characteristics of a sustainable learning community.Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines an innovative and creative methodology of PALAR and a new learning system designed by the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL).Findings – A lack of cultural understanding on the part of government agencies contributes to a migrant communitys socio‐economic disadvantage, e.g. high unemployment and crime rates, underachievement in education, exclusion from higher education. The Samoan community is a disadvantaged migrant group in Australia who were helped to help themselves to achieve positive change and quality learning in part...

Nonaligned worlds of home and school: A case study of second-generation Samoan children

Abstract This paper focuses on issues of transition for children from a Samoan migrant community in Australia. This is an important and underdeveloped research area. Our qualitative study found that the home–school transition for three second-generation Samoan children was characterised by nonaligned expectations on the part of their parents and classroom teacher. These expectations related to the definition of roles and responsibilities, and to communicative practices. In addition, no attempt was made by parents or teachers to accommodate discontinuities between home and school. Our paper contributes to the explanatory power of theories ofcultural discontinuity and of structural inequality in accounting for this migrant group’s over-representation in underachieving student cohorts. Recommendations offer possible ways to smooth the cultural transition of second-generation Samoan children between home and school, recognising that transition problems can damage not only educational wellbeing but also emotional wellbeing, potentially across several generations.

Conclusions and Critical Reflections

In this final chapter we aim to draw conclusions from all previous chapters in this book into a coherent argument that moves our minds and hearts towards a new vision for action research. Here we explicate our vision of action research in general and of PALAR in particular, and tell the story of our journey in collaborating to think, write and orchestrate this book. On the basis of our findings across the chapters, we argue that PALAR can best facilitate the collaborative learning and shared democratic action leadership required for individuals, groups and whole organisations and communities in this 21st century. We also discuss our own professional learning through critical and self-critical reflections on our research and writing. Consistent with and illustrative of the PALAR experiences we discuss in this book, our PALAR project in producing this book has been transformational and holistic, affecting our feelings, thoughts and human/social relationships and a source of profound and valuable professional learning for all three of us. We encourage our readers to share, adopt, adapt or critique our approach to professional learning and to further develop and extend our praxis and shared vision, and thus to contribute to the ever growing literature and knowledge of action research.

Developing an interpretive learning framework for understanding action research projects

Abstract In contemporary educational settings, school leaders and teachers face increased accountability and pressure to raise student performance. Utilising professional learning to develop individual and collective capability is a common feature of these settings. In Australia, there is evidence that many schools have implemented action research to support the improvement agenda. A significant part of this agenda is providing evidence of outcomes arising from the action cycles. Indicators of progress and outcomes provide evidence of improvement to external audiences and afford insights and feedback for participants, which assist in developing further plans to address improvement. This paper outlines the development and use of an interpretive learning framework, incorporating a two-part reflection tool, developed to assess the quality of action research projects conducted by teacher researchers in schools. To do this, individual school case accounts were initially developed from analysis of action project data. A thematic analysis was then undertaken and the emergent themes, together with pertinent action research literature, informed the basis of the tool and its two integrated elements: an innovation matrix and rubric. Both elements permit understanding of project strengths and areas for further development within individual projects.

The effects of citizenship and ethnicity on the education pathways of Pacific youth in Australia

This article reports on a study that investigated the education pathways of 464 young people. We were interested in the effects of New Zealand citizenship and Pacific ethnicity on pathways so compared findings for three groups residing in Australia: Pacific youth with New Zealand citizenship, Pacific youth with Australian citizenship, and non-Pacific youth with Australian citizenship. Findings showed that the first group was significantly less likely than others to have gained a university qualification. Pacific youth, regardless of citizenship, were more likely than non-Pacific peers to have a vocational qualification rather than a university qualification. No evidence suggests this resulted from lack of motivation or lack of ability. However, two inter-related factors explained outcomes for the Pacific cohort: likelihood of low socio-economic status and first-in-family to attend university. We propose that Pacific communities’ collectivist orientation may also restrict opportunities for Pacific youth seeking higher education pathways. We therefore argue that until Pacific young people are better represented in higher education cohorts, they should be a targeted equity group, and that the Australian government’s decision to exclude many of these young people from higher education loans is an anomaly in the context of its ‘widening participation’ agenda for Australian higher education.

Designing Creative Projects with Young Adults: Peace-Building in Lebanon

World Vision has been active in Lebanon since 1975 when it began providing shelter, food, and medicine for people affected by civil and regional conflicts. In the 1980s, World Vision Lebanon (WVL)1 initiated its development work among various communities and denominations, mainly through institutional projects and small grants.

House of Joy: Community Living, Service and Social Enterprise

This is the story of Joy to the World Community Services (JWCS) Malaysia, a not-for-profit charitable community founded on 1 August 1992 by Reverend Tang Chee Sing (better known as Pastor Joseph) and his wife Lee Ching Mun in support of disadvantaged children and young adults.

Ubunye: Providing Pathways for Youth Development through the Community School

This chapter focuses on the action research partnership established between the principal of a school situated in a socio-economically disadvantaged community in South Africa and members of the local community. Bruce Damons is a visionary leader who embodies values such as respect, integrity, a strong work ethic and a love for people in his leadership.

Introduction to the Book

This book is the second in a series to explore the potential for self-directed lifelong action learning (LAL). LAL enables all people and especially the world’s most marginalized, to discover their unique gifts; develop these talents together with likeminded people, become self-confident, self-directed and self-sufficient; and then cascade what they have learned to help others.