EDUC 4201 - Education, Culture & Diversity (UG)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014

This course introduces students to theories around the construction of cultural identities and core values in Australia. This will include an overview of some of the paradigms, such as patriarchy, heterosexuality and `whiteness, which underpin both students cultural identities and schools, and how these then affect our assumptions about what students know, how they learn and how teachers teach. Themes covered include how hegemony (or power) can be theorised, how cultural differences affect teaching styles and reflect different understandings of how the world functions, the role of belief, gender and sexualities in shaping education, as well as some of the debates around race and language. This course also introduces students to political, historical and social issues to do with Indigenous education and aims to encourage students to engage with cultural inclusivity, reflexivity, and sensitivity regarding the needs of Indigenous (and all) students in their professional teaching practices. Furthermore, this course provides a background of specific types of disability and explores current issues in the education of young people with special needs. It will introduce students to key theoretical and practice approaches to behaviour management and examine general principles of formal and informal assessment techniques.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code EDUC 4201
    Course Education, Culture & Diversity (UG)
    Coordinating Unit School of Education
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Restrictions Available to B Teaching and B Music Ed students only
    Course Description This course introduces students to theories around the construction of cultural identities and core values in Australia. This will include an overview of some of the paradigms, such as patriarchy, heterosexuality and `whiteness, which underpin both students cultural identities and schools, and how these then affect our assumptions about what students know, how they learn and how teachers teach. Themes covered include how hegemony (or power) can be theorised, how cultural differences affect teaching styles and reflect different understandings of how the world functions, the role of belief, gender and sexualities in shaping education, as well as some of the debates around race and language. This course also introduces students to political, historical and social issues to do with Indigenous education and aims to encourage students to engage with cultural inclusivity, reflexivity, and sensitivity regarding the needs of Indigenous (and all) students in their professional teaching practices. Furthermore, this course provides a background of specific types of disability and explores current issues in the education of young people with special needs. It will introduce students to key theoretical and practice approaches to behaviour management and examine general principles of formal and informal assessment techniques.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Julie Matthews

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    (Subject Specific lecturers

    Schedule
    Week Text Focus Chapters(2) Lecture Hour 1: 12-1pm Lecture Hour 2: 1-2pm Workshop 2 hrs
    Week 1 Keeffe 2 + 4

    A Sociological Introduction to Education, Culture & Diversity

    Andrew

    Power, Hegemony and Inclusivity in Schooling

    Andrew
    Review of assignments. Organisation of Presentation Groups
    Identity, Culture and Power

    Andrew
    AITSL All 1, all 4 All 1 All 1
    Week 2 Websites
    Keeffe 3 + 5 (5 is really short) + 6

    Indigenous Students Indigenous Education Policies current


    Disabilities and legislation

    Michael

    Inclusion: Indigenous perspectives. High expectations

    Michael
    Focus: Legislation

    Sarra, What Works, Dare to Lead (etc)

    Michael
    AITSL All 1, 2.4, 4.1, 7.3, 7.4 All 1, 2.2, 2.4, 4.1, 7.3, 7.4 1.
    Week 3 Datta 1 article each from Sections 2, 6 and 7 Learning ‘Disorders’
    ADHD
    ASD

    Fizza
    Dyslexia Spectrum

    Fizza
    Workshopping Exceptional Learner needs 1#

    Focus: praxis

    Fizza
    AITSL 1.
    2.
    All 1, All 2, All 3, all 4, 5.3
    Week 4 Websites
    Keeffe 8
    Modification to pedagogy and classroom processes for exceptionalities

    (Learning Plans
    (ILP, NEP, IEP) are in the C and M core)

    Fizza

    Resources Roadshow

    Indigenous students

    ‘Special Needs’ students

    Michael and Fizza

    Fizza

    Students go on prac
    AITSL All 1, all 2, all 4, all 5 All 1, 2.2, , 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 All 1, all 2, all 3, all 4, all 7
    Week 5 Keeffe 6 (review)

    Datta 1 article each from Sections 5 and 8
    Giftedness
    Intellectual disabilities intelligence testing

    Fizza
    Whiteness and Race:
    ‘White Australia Policy’

    Michael

    Workshopping Exceptional Learner needs 2#

    Fizza
    AITSL All 1, all 2, all 3, all 4, 5.3 All 1, 2.4 All 1, all 2, all 3, all 4, 5.3
    Week 6 Faith Systems and Ontologies

    Andrew

    Dreaming and Indigenous Epistemologies

    Michael

    Rethinking ‘Faith’

    Michael
    AITSL All 1. All 2,2.4 1.
    Week 7 Datta 1 article each from Sections 3 and 9
    Sexualities

    Linda
    Languages
    AE/SAE
    Auslan

    Linda
    Group presentations
    AITSL All 1. All 1, 2.2, 2.4, 4.1, 5.3 All 1, 2.4
    Week 8 Keeffe 12

    Datta 1 article each from Sections 1 and 4
    Physical Disabilities
    Visual
    Auditory
    Mobility

    Fizza
    Gender

    Andrew
    Group presentations
    AITSL 1.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    Course Learning Objectives

    University Graduate Attribute

    AITSL Standard

    1

    1. To demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and the different kinds of exceptionality encountered in the classroom

    1, 2, 6, 8

    2

    1. To appreciate and understand the specific needs of Indigenous students

    1, 2, 3, 6, 8

    3

    1. To gain an understanding of the range of inclusive teaching strategies that could be adopted in the ‘regular’ or ‘mainstream’ classroom

    1, 3, 5, 6, 8

    4

    1. To critically assess how differences can relate to teaching and learning, and develop inclusive teaching strategies, including the creation of NEPs and IEPs for students with specific needs

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

     

    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    The set textbook for this course is:

    Keeffe, Mary and Carrington, Suzanne (2007) Schools and Diversity. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
    Recommended Resources

    Below is a list of references for some of the subject areas covered by the course. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ ALL OF THESE TEXTS – it is simply there to provide you with some initial subject area references. The texts have been sorted by theme, however, do be aware that some themes intersect. Use this list as a starting point for your own research.

    As this list is an ongoing creative exercise, if you find some particularly good sources, please share them with your professional colleagues and with Dr Linda.

    Identities

    Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities. London, Verso.

    Bourke, E. (1995). On Being Aboriginal. in Identifying Australia in Postmodern Times Ed. L. Dobrez. Canberra, Australian National University. 131-136.

    James, P. (1996). Nation Formation. Towards a Theory of Abstract Community. London, Sage Publications.

    Meekosha, H. and J. Pettman (1991). “Beyond Category Politics.” Hecate 17 (2): 75 - 92.

    Belief and Education

    Dosanjh, J. S. (Jagjit Singh) and Ghuman, Paul A. Singh (Paul Avtar Singh), (c1997) Child-Rearing In Ethnic Minorities. Bilingual education and bilingualism ; vol. 12. Multilingual Matters Clevedon.

    Burley, Stephanie (2003) Chapel, Cloister And Classroom : The Intersection Of Class, Gender And Religion In Catholic Convent Schools In South Australia 1880-2000. Thesis (Ph.D.), University of Adelaide, Graduate School of Education.

    Harding, Ben, Abdel-Fattah, Randa and Video Education Australasia. (2001) Muslims in Australia Video Education Australasia, Bendigo.

    Ata, Abe W. (2005) ‘Beyond the Stereotypes.’ Quadrant January-February, pp. 57 – 59.

    Crotty, Robert B. (1992) Australian Diversity : Religious Pluralism. Multicultural materials paper ; no. 3 Centre for Intercultural Studies & Multicultural Education, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.

    Gender and Sexualities

    Moreton-Robinson, A. (2000). Talkin' up to the White Woman. Indigenous Women and Feminism. St Lucia, University of Queensland Press.

    Pilcher, J. and Whelehan, I. (2004) 50 Key Concepts in Gender Studies. Sage, London.

    Richardson, Laurel (1993) ‘Gender Stereotyping in the English Language.’ In Laurel Richardson and Verta Taylor (EDS) Feminist Frontiers III. McGraw-Hill, New York,l pp. 44 – 50.

    Greer, Germaine. (1999) The Whole Woman. Doubleday, London.

    Wolf, Naomi. (1992) The Beauty Myth. Anchor Books, New York.

    Bordo, Susan (1993) Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture and the Body. University of California Press, Berkeley.

    Ang, Ien (1996) “ The Curse of the Smile: Ambivalence and the Asian Women in Australian Muloticulturalism.’ Feminist Review, vol 52, pp. 36 – 49.

    Gatens, Moira (1998) ‘Sex/Gender.’ In Caine, B. et al Australian Feminism: A Companion. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p.489.

    Tomsen, Stephen and Donaldson, Mike (EDS) (2003) Male Trouble: Looking at Australian Masculinities. Pluto Press, North Melbourne.

    Price, J and Shildrick, M. (EDS) (1999) Feminist Theory and the Body. Routledge, New York.

    Gilding, Michael (1997) ‘Gender Roles in Contemporary Australia.’ In Kate Prichard-Hughes (ED) Contemporary Australian Feminism 2, Longman, South Melbourne, pp. 188 – 215.

    Summers, Anne (2003) The End of Equality: Work, Babies and Women’s Choices in 21st Century Australia. Random House, Milsons Point.

    Language and Multilingual Contexts

    Lemert, Charles C. (1999) Social theory: the multicultural and classic readings. Macmillan Education, South Yarra.

    National Multicultural Advisory Council, Australia. Dept. of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (1999) Australian Multiculturalism For A New Century: Towards Inclusiveness A Report By National Multicultural Advisory Council. The Council, Canberra.

    Kramer, Leonie (2003) (ED) The Multicultural Experiment : Immigrants, Refugees And National Identity. Paddington, Macleay Press.

    Castles, Stephen and Miller, Mark J. (2003) The Age Of Migration. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.

    Cerwonka, Allaine. (c2004) Native To The Nation: Disciplining Landscapes And Bodies In Australia. Borderlines ; v. 21 University of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis.

    Leigh, James and Loo, Eric. (c2004) (EDS) Outer Limits : A Reader In Communication Across Cultures. Language Australia Melbourne.

    Aboriginal Education

    Rose, D. B. (1999). Indigenous Ecologies and an Ethic of Connection. in Global Ethics and Environment Ed. N. Low. London, Routledge. 175 - 187.

    Illyatjari, Nganyintja (1998) ‘How I Learned as an Aboriginal Child.’ In W.H. Edwards (ED) Traditional Aboriginal Society. MacMillan Education, South Yarra, Second Edition, pp.1-5.  

    Crawford, Evelyn (1993) (with Chris Walsh) Over My Tracks: A Remarkable Life. Penguin, Ringwood, pp.12 - 40.

    Partington, Gary (2002) ‘”In Those Days it Was That Rough.” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and Education.’ In Partington, Gary (ED) Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. Social Science Press, Tuggerah, pp. 27 – 54.

    Lampert, Jo (2005) ‘The Teaching that Matters: Merging our Personal Beliefs with our Professional Practice in the Classroom.’ In Jean Phillips and Jo Lampert, Introducing Indigenous Studies in Education: The Importance of Knowing. Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, pp. 83 - 100.

    Whiteness

    Schech, Susanne and Wadham, Ben (2004) (eds) Placing Race and Localising Whiteness. Flinders Press, Adelaide. (This is the proceedings from the conference of the same name held in 2003 – well worth a look if this is an area of interest).

    Anderson, Warwick (2002) The cultivation of whiteness: science, health and racial destiny in Australia. Melbourne University Press, Carlton.

    Cuomo, Chris J. and Hall, Kim Q. (eds) (1999) Whiteness: feminist philosophical reflections, Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham.

    McKay, Belinda (ed) (1999) Unmasking whiteness: race relations and reconciliation. Queensland Studies Centre, Nathan.

    Lea, Virginia and Sims, Erma Jean (eds) (c2007) Undoing whiteness in the classroom: critical educultural teaching approaches for social justice activism. P. Lang, New York.

    Being a teacher – Schools

    Burnett, Bruce, Meadmore, Daphne and Tait, Gordon (eds) (2004) New Questions for Contemporary Teachers: Taking a Socio-Cultural Approach to Education. Pearson Education Frenchs Forest.

    Brady, Laura (2003) Teacher Voices: The School Experience. Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.

    McLeod, Julie and Yates, Lyn ( 2006) Making Modern Lives. Subjectivity, Schooling and Social Change. State University of New York Press, Albany.

    Sapon-Shevin, Mara (2007) Widening the Circle. The Power of Inclusive Classrooms. Beacon Press, Boston.

    Childs, Gilbert (1993) Steiner Education in Theory and Practice, Floris Books, Edinburgh.

    Special Needs

    Ashman, A. & Elkins, J. (2009), 3rd edit, Education for Inclusion and Diversity, Frenchs Forest: Pearson

    Hodkinson, A. & Vickerman, P. (2009) Key Issues in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion, London: Sage

    Gibson, S. & Blandford, S. (2005), Managing Special Education Needs, London: Sage.

    Hallahan, D.P; Kauffman, J.M. & Pullen, P.C. (2009), 11th edition, Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special Education, Boston: Pearson.

    Rathvon, N. (2008) Effective School Interventions, New York: The Guilford Press.

    You are encouraged to search journals in the area of Special Education, for example:

         Australasian Journal of Special Education

         The International Journal of Special Education

         The Journal of Special Education

         British Journal of Special Education

         Journal of Special Education in the Asia Pacific (JSEAP)
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    There will be 2 x 50 minute lectures and 1 x 100 minute Workshop for per week for this course. Students are expected to engage with MyUni for some online assessment components, lecture information and readings.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    There are 4 hours contact time for eight weeks in semester two. Students should expect that an additional 5 - 6 hours will be required for preparation. At the peak time of assessment, students can expect an increased time commitment.
    Learning Activities Summary
      Covered in the course timetable above.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Reflective Essay 70%
    Group Presentation 30%
    Assessment Detail

    2.1   Assessment Summary

    Assignment 01: Praxis: Putting it Together in Relation to a Class

    2000 words                                                                           70% of the course mark

    You have a class of thirty year 10 students in your subject area for four lessons of 50 minutes duration a week. They are a mixed bunch. (Note – it isn’t likely that you’ll get this kind of range in a real class, but no promises!) Students with disabilities are included as part of Inclusive policy. Four students are struggling and four are succeeding well – one of these students is probably gifted. One student has had an assessment for Giftedness. Two students in the class are actively non-compliant, but are likeable individuals when you get them on their own. One of these students spends his time reading surfing magazines.The other is a chatty girl. She spends most of the class leaning around her chair to talk to the person behind her. This student began well, but doesn’t seem to be engaging with the subject.

    The ethnicity, religious affiliations and languages spoken in the class are also mixed. You have had one week already with the group and have a basic idea about some of their interests and needs.

    There are no specific enmities between the students, except that one of the Aboriginal students will not sit with the others. This may be interpreted in any way you choose.

    Be guided by the brief descriptors, but also expand on them. Just because a student wants to be a chef (for example), doesn’t mean that they are ‘bad’ at academic school work.

    Outline the strategies you could use to teach three of these students.

    • A student with a specific learning need derived from Culture
    • An Indigenous student
    • A student with a Special Learning Need derived from an exceptionality

    Your essay needs to include how you would identify and deal with the learning needs of each student, including a consultation process. You must demonstrate your knowledge of the readings in this topic in your actions and plans. You must demonstrate your understanding of the themes and course objectives. Please choose dissimilar students.

    You will need to specify a subject area and give some idea of content, such as a draft unit plan. This can be included as an appendix if you wish (and thus its words are not counted), and can take any form you like. The unit plan can be drawn from one already created for a curriculum area. Any unit plan you create can also be the basis of further teaching as this component will not be assessed in the Praxis. It should not be more than about 300 words and is simply there to guide your marker through your teaching approach. Please note that we are not expecting polished teaching plans, but creative strategies and commonsense problem solving.  

    You will need to have a bibliography and include references with page numbers.

    This is NOT an essay about behaviour management in the sense of disciplining the students. This is about managing cultural and Special Needs behaviours and about your teaching, especially the latter.

    You will need to think creatively and ‘flesh out’ the scenario so that your essay is specific to your subject area and teaching.

    Note: Do NOT write in point form: this is an exercise in writing as much as an assessment of your ideas. Your opinion is important, so use your critical literacy skills and craft an essay. You can use the first person pronoun (‘I think…’)

    Your Class list:

        
    1. Abbot Hannah (Bright, Doing well, horses)
        
    1. Burnes Henry (Rural kid, Boarding, homesick)
        
    1. Chiarolli Adrianna (Goth, music, disengaged)
        
    1. Corcoran Donna (Vision Impairment, ballet)
        
    1. Cousins Ruby (Doing well, wants to be a lawyer)
        
    1. Fasifalah Didi (lone Indonesian student)
        
    1. Fletcher Karen (Struggling, Dyscalculia)
        
    1. Gardiner Raymond (bored with school, soccer)
        
    1. Haese Lydia (Struggling, Dyslexia)
        
    1. Hernandez Mario (ESL, plays violin)
        
    1. Houston Adele (Hearing Aid, photography)
        
    1. Hsu Melissa (chatty girl, began well, disengaged)
        
    1. Knight Jason (Struggling – unknown cause)
        
    1. Meadows Elisabeth (Downs Syndrome, theatre)
        
    1. Mitchell Adam (Kaurna, documented giftedness)
        
    1. Nantes Carlos (Anything – you decide)
        
    1. Papadimitriou George (ADHD,  cars/engines)
        
    1. Pavaroti Antony (Struggling, wants to be a chef)
        
    1. Potter Harry (Aspergers, fantasy novels)
        
    1. Randel Tim (Surfy Mags, popular, gregarious)
        
    1. Rivers Heather (Kaurna, bored with school)
        
    1. Smiles Peter (Ballet, Studious, Films)
        
    1. Smythe William (Doing well, Emo)
        
    1. Trimboli Leslie (extreme sports, science)
        
    1. Van Wagenin Yuki (thick accent, plays the Koto)
        
    1. Verdi Immanuel (ESL - recent immigrant)
        
    1. Weinstein Carl (Exchange student from Austria)
        
    1. Wilson Helen (lone Aboriginal girl, drawing)
        
    1. Wyman Gillian (too cool for school, television)
        
    1. Young Thomas (Doing well –computer geek)

     Submission: All essays must be word-processed or typed. Illegibly written or badly presented assignments will be sent back for re-transcription. Legible typescript and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process. Assignments must: Can be single or double spaced. Have all pages numbered and securely attached. Clearly indicate on the front page of your essay your name and student ID, and the name of your seminar tutor. The name of the lecturer is not required. Included a detailed bibliography. Please note that a reference list and a bibliography are not required. Only list those sources actually used. Copies printed back to back are acceptable. Use no plastic covers. Content and quality of thought matter more than quantity but you should keep to the prescribed limit. If you find that your draft is under 90% you probably have written too little. If it is below 80% you have certainly done so. Equally if you have written more than 110% you have probably written too much. The Praxis assignment will be submitted in hard copy via the Professions HUB. It will be marked and returned via the Hub. Markers can refuse to accept assignments which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism or where a student has not accepted the plagiarism rules in an online submission of an essay (refer to the policy on plagiarism below). IN the case on online submission, an adaptive release must be accepted. Requests for extensions will be considered only if they are made three days before the due date for which the extension is being sought. Computer problems, resource availability and/or lost materials do not constitute grounds for an extension. If you are experiencing any difficulties understanding an assigned task you are encouraged to make an appointment with your seminar tutor to discuss the matter as soon as the problem is apparent. Students are encouraged to check their marks and notify the lecturer-in-charge (Dr Andrew Hope) of any discrepancies. Students must not submit work for an assignment that has previously been submitted and assessed for this course or any other course.

    Assignment 02: Reflecting on the teaching practice                          

    Group Presentation                                                                                 30% of the course mark

    Your seminar tutor will allot particular time slots for groups to present in the last two weeks of seminar meetings. Seminar classes will be divided into groups of four or five closely matching one of students’ subject area. Reflecting on experiences from both the first and /or second teaching practice each group should think about cultural differences that they came across in the classroom and how these related to teaching and learning. The group may choose to identify one particular broad issue such as ethnic diversity, gender issues or Special Educational Needs and then construct a presentation outlining their experiences relating to this issue during teaching practice and the strategies, they adopted or would adopt in future.

    Each group will present for 20 minutes how they would / did modify their pedagogy and/or curriculum so as to account for the needs of the students they are reflecting on, SPECIFICALLY relating to their SUBJECT AREA. The presentation will be marked NOT on how effectively you teach your subject, but on what MODIFICATIONS you have chosen to use in your teaching, taking into account that you are teaching a ‘regular’ class.

    You can bring in any resources to your seminar presentations (e.g. your laptop, pendrive (USB), OHP slides etc).

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.