E NGAGING TEACHERS WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES. Joyce Miller.
Post on 13-Dec-2015
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BEGINNINGS
Education Bradford’s Community Cohesion Strategy
School’s bid to become a Specialist Humanities College; school wants to improve its relationship with its communities
REDCo project : Religion in Education. A contribution to dialogue or a factor of conflict in transforming societies of European Countries
THE PROJECT
CPD for teachers in a humanities faculty in a mixed comprehensive school
Took place over a whole year – many delays
Eleven teachers: ten white and one Pakistani-heritage
THE SCHOOL
927 pupils: 134 white and 793 BME, mainly Pakistani heritage
75% have English as an additional language Serves two areas in 20% most deprived
nationally 56% have special needs
2008 – 45% A*-C grades at GCSE 72% gained A*-C in RS.
PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY
Robert Jackson’s Interpretive Approach. Three key concepts:
Representation Interpretationreflexivity
Ethnographic methodology:
Participant observationSemi-structured interviews
CPD PROGRAMME
Twilight sessions:
Exploring school demographics
Exploring key concepts: identity/ community/ ‘skilled cultural navigators’
Semi-structured interviews with sixth form students
Preparation for visits
VISITS
Off site for whole day x 3: Preparation at resource centre – questions and
issues for the day Visit to place of worship and conversation with
faith community representative Visit to community centre and conversation with
community representative Interview with Muslim woman, employed as faith
tutor at resource centre Plenary at resource centre - what to report back
to rest of faculty
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What is the impact of the deployment of the interpretive approach in the CPD of the humanities faculty teachers’: Understanding of the school’s religious and
cultural communities Professional practice Personal edification?
Does the interpretive approach provide a sound basis for improving teachers’ understanding of and relationship with their religious and cultural communities?
DATA
Four teachers kept ‘reflective diaries’ Five teachers interviewed – recorded and
transcribed Nine teachers filled in concluding summary
forms Eleven teachers gave background
information and opinions on religion and education
Six students gave background information Flipcharts and plenary notes Field notes
KEY THEMES TO EMERGE
Identity - British/Pakistani?
Religion and culture – interpretation of the Qur’an
Diversity within diversity -
Divisions between communities
The place of women
IDENTITY
View that young Muslims are ‘lost’ and ‘confused’
‘Back home’ – British or Pakistani? ‘British Muslim’
Q: ‘Aren’t we just trying to westernise these students?’
A: ‘Yes, but how are they going to survive in the world of work if we don’t?’
RELIGION AND CULTURE
Key issue for teachers was how to differentiate between the religion and culture
Teachers wanted to give primacy to religion
Q: ‘Wearing the hijab: is it cultural or religious?’
A: ‘Yes’ and ‘no’. Q: ‘How can we make sense of the Qur’an?’ A: ‘It isn’t black and white and I take comfort
from that.’
DIVERSITY WITHIN DIVERSITY
Staff had varying degrees of knowledge Pupils did not. Divisions v the umma
‘The Asian community is more diverse than I had realised.’
‘Identity is a very complex issue for Muslims.’ ‘No group in society is quite as united as they
would like to make out.’
DIVISIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES
Fine line between diversity and division Anti-Semitism The Holocaust 9/11
‘The UK is the best place for Muslims to live’ ‘ – a message some of our students could be
given.’
THE PLACE OF WOMEN
Issues raised included: Marriage to relatives from the sub-continent Lack of English Illiteracy Lack of choice
‘Compulsion is not part of Islam.’ ‘Men will have to change.’
REPRESENTATION
Met a variety of people from a range of groups - broad and balanced view of communities
Agree that stereotyping was avoided Increased understanding of diversity and
complexity
Who can act as a representative? How does the individual relate to the group
and to the tradition as a whole ?
INTERPRETATION
None seemed to have increased understanding of the ‘grammar’ of religions and communities
About a third said that they could empathise with people they met
Need to explore religion and culture further
Negative perceptions of communities expressed by informants and teachers: Time warp Pakistan has ‘moved on’
REFLEXIVITY
Personal edification – no positive evidence Shared experience:
Universals – fears/aspiration Young people Communities
Professional development: Increased awareness and ‘increased openness’ Changing practice – e.g. visits/Islamic Relief Increased confidence in dealing with
controversial issues Improved Humanities specialist status bid
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITIES
Increased experience and understanding of local communities
Teachers became more ‘skilled cultural navigators’
Teachers enjoyed the CPD and all said that they had benefited and that all teachers in the school should have the same opportunities
FUTURE PRACTICE
More time in a shorter time-scale
Teachers to keep diaries/photographic records
Only focus on one religion, not three
Challenge perceptions: ‘Parallel lives’ ‘Sleepwalking into segregation’ Ethnicity /religion as key to ‘problems’
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