TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring educators' practices for African students from refugee backgrounds in an Australian regional high school
AU - Wilkinson, Jane
AU - Langat, Kiprono
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Australia s regional refugee resettlement policy has led to increasing
numbers of refugees settling in regional areas. This trend has had a major
impact upon regions, yet few studies have examined its implications for
regional schools. This article reports on findings from focus groups
conducted with mainstream and English as a Second Language (ESL)
teachers at a previously ethnically homogenous regional secondary
school, which had experienced a major increase in students of refugee
background from a variety of African nations, and in particular, Sudan.
Two kinds of analysis are employed in the article. The first identified key
themes arising from the focus groups which explored how the school, and
in particular, the teachers at classroom level, were responding to and
addressing this changing student demographic, both socially and
academically. The second analysis employed a theoretical framework
that focused on the discursive, material and social preconditions that were
enabling and constraining changes to educators practices in relation to
these themes, as they responded to, and addressed this new cohort of
students. Four key themes emerged from the focus groups: the role of
leadership in fostering a whole school approach to inclusion, teachers
access to ongoing professional development, the increasing diversity of
mainstream classrooms, and the major role played by ESL teachers. The
paper concludes by suggesting the potential implications of these findings
in terms of the preconditions that are necessary in order for regional
educators to work productively with African students from refugee
backgrounds.
AB - Australia s regional refugee resettlement policy has led to increasing
numbers of refugees settling in regional areas. This trend has had a major
impact upon regions, yet few studies have examined its implications for
regional schools. This article reports on findings from focus groups
conducted with mainstream and English as a Second Language (ESL)
teachers at a previously ethnically homogenous regional secondary
school, which had experienced a major increase in students of refugee
background from a variety of African nations, and in particular, Sudan.
Two kinds of analysis are employed in the article. The first identified key
themes arising from the focus groups which explored how the school, and
in particular, the teachers at classroom level, were responding to and
addressing this changing student demographic, both socially and
academically. The second analysis employed a theoretical framework
that focused on the discursive, material and social preconditions that were
enabling and constraining changes to educators practices in relation to
these themes, as they responded to, and addressed this new cohort of
students. Four key themes emerged from the focus groups: the role of
leadership in fostering a whole school approach to inclusion, teachers
access to ongoing professional development, the increasing diversity of
mainstream classrooms, and the major role played by ESL teachers. The
paper concludes by suggesting the potential implications of these findings
in terms of the preconditions that are necessary in order for regional
educators to work productively with African students from refugee
backgrounds.
UR - http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=067118518486912;res=IELIND
M3 - Article
SN - 1447-8420
VL - 33
SP - 158
EP - 177
JO - Australasian Review of African Studies
JF - Australasian Review of African Studies
IS - 2
ER -