Diverse Teachers and Diverse Learners SATEAL Conference 2011

Diverse Teachers and Diverse Learners SATEAL Conference 2011: Meeting the Diverse Needs of EAL Learners

Overview of Presentation • Context in Scotland • Rationale for structural and institutional support for diversification of teaching profession in Scotland • Case Study: Refugees Into Teaching in Scotland (RITe. S) project • Challenges and Barriers for Diverse Teachers • Cummins’ Framework for Collaborative Empowerment • Role of EAL teachers

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Ø Culturally responsive pedagogy facilitates and supports the achievement of all students. In a culturally responsive classroom, effective teaching and learning occur in a culturally supported, learner-centered context, whereby the strengths students bring to school are identified, nurtured, and utilized to promote student achievement. (Richards, Brown and Forde) Ø Educational practices that build upon and are responsive to the linguistic, interactional, cognitive and learning patterns of diverse families. (Perry)

Multilingual Classroom She doesn’t know English yet but she knows French. I did Lingala because it’s her best language.

Multilingual Classrooms Ø ‘Exert educational effort that takes into account and builds on the diversity of languages and literacy practices that children and youth bring to school’ (Garcia, Skutnabb-Kangas and Torres Guzman)

The Face of Teaching? We see that the face of Scotland is changing. We can see a lot of children in primary schools from different countries, from different cultures. I think we have to get all the teachers, especially from other countries, to get involved with these children because they know them well, they know how the system has been working in their country and they give a lot of positive to support for these children to grow up and succeed in this society. (RITe. S Interviewee: Primary Female Teacher, Burundi)

The Scottish Context Teaching Scotland’s Future Education policy should support the creation of a reinvigorated approach to 21 st Century teacher Professionalism. Selection to entry for initial teacher education programmes should be made more rigorous. Clear expectations about necessary prior learning for teacher education courses should be developed. School based placements should be in schools which --- provide an effective professional learning environment. All teachers should see themselves as teacher educators. Curriculum for Excellence Successful Learners with enthusiasm and motivation for learning Confident Individuals able to develop and communicate their own beliefs and view of the world Responsible Citizens able to understand different beliefs and cultures Effective Contributors able to communicate in different ways and in different settings

Scotland's Minority Ethnic Population • • • 1991: 60000 2001: 100000 Total population increase 1. 3% Total ME population increase 62. 3% 2009: 92. 5% pupils White-UK 2009: 1. 5 % teachers from minority ethnic groups. In promoted posts 0. 6%

Pupils in Scottish schools Ø Linguistic diversity Ø 138 languages currently used by learners in Scottish schools in their daily lives Ø The scale of the linguistic diversity in the country goes largely unrecognised in the school system

MEPESS Report A large proportion of participants lived in communities in which various heritage languages were used in daily cultural life. Those who described themselves as 'bilingual' felt that there was no real value given to their bilingualism. On the contrary, they were made to feel 'exotic', asked in front of the whole class to 'say a few words in your language'. It was extremely rare to find a pupil who was being supported in studying their home language for examination. Indeed, many resented the fact that they were required to learn French when they would rather give the time to studying their own home language. This was especially so if, as a result, it meant that they were required to study their language in supplementary classes after school or at weekends.

SO WHAT? Ø When the dominant ethnicity of the teaching workforce is white, it is difficult for cultural difference to be truly recognised, represented and respected in school (Lynch and Lodge, 2002) Ø When the tools of instruction are incompatible with, or worse, marginalise, the student’s cultural experiences, a disconnect with school is likely. (Irvine, 1992) Ø As long as the socioculturally marginalised are identified as ‘the other’ by the dominant group in society, then they will be subjected to cultural imperialism (Cummins, 1996) Ø Conversations of respect between diverse communities are characterized by intellectual reciprocity. They are the ones in which the participants expect to learn from each other, expect to learn non-incidental things, expect to change at least intellectually as a result of the encounter. (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995)

Recognising Linguistic Diversity Bilingual Writing I think it helps my learning to be able to write in both languages because if I'm writing English and Ms. Leoni says you can write Urdu too it helps me think of what the word means because I always think in Urdu. That helps me write better in English. When I came here I didn't know any English so I always spoke in Urdu. Other teachers always said to me "Speak English, speak English" but Ms. Leoni didn't say anything when she heard me speak Urdu and I liked this because if I don't know English, what can I do? It helps me a lot to be able to speak Urdu and English. (Madiha)

What has been done? Case Study: The RITe. S Project Refugees Into Teaching in Scotland Funded by European Refugee Fund (2005 -06) and Scottish Government 2006 continuing Offers support and guidance to refugee teachers in Scotland Based in School of Education, University of Strathclyde. Consortium of colleges, universities, local authorities, third sector agencies including Scottish Refugee Council and General Teaching Council for Scotland Casework based – support, advice, liaison Over 300 refugee teachers in Glasgow

Refugees into Teaching in Scotland (RITe. S) Research � Research funded by West Access Forum � On registering, teachers asked if they will consent to database use and/or further research � Research tools co-constructed with refugee teachers � Demographic analysis of database � Examination of past and present teaching experiences and hopes for the future � In depth semi structured interview with 23 refugee teachers (English or French); observations of teachers in practice in Scotland

Language No. of speakers Albanian 3 Hebrew 1 Persian 1 Shona 13 Arabic 23 Hindi 1 Polish 1 Singhala 1 Beri 1 Italian 4 Portugese 1 Somalian 4 Chichewa 1 Kikongo 2 Punjabi 1 Spanish 1 Croatian 1 Kinyarwanda 1 Pushtu 1 Suahili 5 Dutch 1 Kirundi 2 Romanian 1 Tamil 2 English 83 Kurdish 5 Rugandan 1 Turkish 3 Farsi 3 Lingala 4 Rukiga 1 Ukrainian 2 French 17 Luba 1 Runyankore 1 Urdu 9 Georgian 1 Magyar 1 Russian 6 Xhosa 1 German 2 Ndebele 4 Serbian 2 Yoruba 2 Languages spoken by RITe. S clients, November 2007

Country of Origin Number of teachers on RITe. S database Zimbabwe 48 Iraq 41 Pakistan 29 Democratic Republic of Congo 17 Cameroon, Iran 9 from each of these countries Nigeria 8 Algeria, Ghana, Somalia, Burundi, Ukraine, Sri Lanka 6 from each of these countries Russia 5 Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea Palestine, Poland, Romania, Algeria 4 from each of these countries 3 from each of these countries South Africa, Kosovo, Uganda, Syria, Afghanistan, 2 from each of these countries Senegal, Congo Brazaville, Lebanon, Malawi, Estonia, Mongolia, Egypt, Togo, Rwanda, Turkey 1 from each of these countries Not specified 16 Total no. of countries 37 Total no. of teachers (May 2009) 262 Countries of origin of RITe. S clients, May 2009

Barriers and Challenges Immigration issues Long route to requalification Disclosure Scotland Police checks Assessment of foreign certificates Obtaining GTCS registration Language difficulties Stress Labelling Childcare needs Scottish education practice Obtaining the right information Support after asylum decision Financial pressure

Multiple Layers of Discrimination Structural: UK Immigration and Asylum Legislation Institutional: Requirements of General Teaching Council for Scotland Cultural: -View of teaching and teachers among profession -Differing pedagogies and practices Personal: Attitudes from individuals – ‘colleagues’; parents, pupils

Discrimination in Practice � You are not approached from your profession(al) point of view. It (the system) doesn’t target your profession. The target is your paper. If you are given leave you will be given the chance to teach. Unless, you are given paper there is no chance for you --- Male, Ethiopia, Secy � The system ---, needs to be a little bit more welcoming to international teachers and show them that they are trusted and they are valued and they know what they are doing. --- The whole system seems to be like (saying) ‘You are not good enough. We are not sure that you can deliver’. Female Uganda Secondary � When you have been told by GTCS that you are not qualified enough to teach in Scotland it destroys confidence and generates anxiety and you want to get there and prove them wrong. It is the same as sending a suspect to jail before a court hearing. I only needed confidence in a new environment, Scottish systems/ways and context. Male, Zimbabwe, Primary

Professional identity I want to get back into the profession I love. I would like to -- do something to keep my mind occupied in the teaching profession. Male, Congo DRC, Secy I am a teacher. I want to remain a teacher. I haven’t done any other thing outside teaching. I don’t see myself doing anything else apart from teaching Male, Congo Brazaville, Secondary They say once a teacher always a teacher. That’s what I love doing. I enjoy it. And I would hope that at one point I will be able to do that but I have faced a lot of challenges and difficulties. Male, South. Africa, Secondary I have made up my mind --- to face this challenge. --- I am ready for going back into teaching and no matter how the challenge is going to be, I am going to face them and I will try my best to stick in the profession that I love and the profession that I devoted (to). Male, Burundi, Secondary

Loss of Professional Identity --- many adults before coming in UK -- are well educated in some other field. They can’t get back in their professions because they don’t know where to start. Many of my fellows from (Africa) lost that motivation and end up in factories to make their living. --- I have seen many(refugee professionals). After five to seven years of long (process of asylum) and with all the costs involved when they come here they end up in factories. When they don’t use it they will lose it. Male, Congo DRC, Secondary

Loss of Professional Identity I am currently working as an administrator in the (local Scottish hospital). --- but it is very difficult when you are a teacher and decide just to drop (it) like that. You always have a feeling that there is something which is missing in you and even if you have another job they do not value you as a teacher. You always feel that you are reduced to a very low level and you don’t fulfil your potential. --- I am not going to carry on like this doing a job, a work that I am not happy to do and where they undervalue me. So, I say, let’s go back to my roots, and that is what I am planning to do. Male, Burundi, Secondary

What is the Impact? Students (and student teachers) whose schooling experiences reflect collaborative relations of power participate confidently in instruction as a result of the fact that their sense of identity is being affirmed and extended in their interactions with educators. (Cummins, 2000)

Cummins’ (2000) Framework for Collaborative Empowerment Micro – Interactions between Educators and Students Reflect Transformative/ Intercultural Orientation Exclusionary/ Assimilationist Orientation Cultural/ Additive Linguistic Incorporation Subtractive Community Participation Collaborative Exclusionary Pedagogy Transformative ‘Banking’ Assessment Advocacy Legitimation Academically and personally Empowered Academically Disabled or Resistant Students

Implications Ø Forced migration for professionals results in loss of professional identity, value and status. Ø Deskilling resulting from access to the professions being denied through structural and institutional barriers renders meaningful ‘integration’ difficult. Ø Challenges don’t end when teaching qualification achieved.

Why is this an Issue for SATEAL? Ø Examine the ‘tools of instruction’ Ø Initiate the conversations of respect Ø Ensure best practice with Curriculum for Excellence in order that bilingual pupils enabled to achieve the four capacities in a way which builds on their linguistic and cultural knowledge Ø Interact with diverse pupils and teachers with a Transformative/ Intercultural Orientation Ø Contribute to Providing an Effective Professional learning Environment for Student teachers and Newly Qualified Teachers to enable Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Where to Now? : Recommendations • Recruitment of teachers who have access to teaching in more than the majority language, English, is essential to ensure that the linguistic capital of pupils in Scotland is built on and given status. • Bilingual skills of such teachers must be recognised. • Figures must be collected regarding teachers’ knowledge and use of the other languages spoken on a daily basis in Scotland. • Efficient and effective systems must be in place to provide immediate support in the event of any racial harassment • Provision of CPD designed to enable bilingual teachers to use their skills to support the growing numbers of bilingual pupils in Scotland.

RITe. S day out at Loch Lomond Changing the Face of Teaching in Scotland