Kasama College of Education

Items

• Understanding Education and Understanding Yourself as a Refugee Learner Seeking Access to Higher Education in Malaysia: Insights from a Pilot Study
  This article presents findings from a PhD pilot study exploring access to higher education for students in a protracted refugee situation in Malaysia. The study seeks to understand access from the students’ perspective through a consideration of the ways in which they understand education and how, in turn, they construct understandings about themselves. The study uses a socio-cultural approach of learner identity to explore the personal meanings students develop, focussing specifically on concepts of internal and external recognition and their interaction. Three students with refugee backgrounds currently enrolled on higher education programmes were interviewed and data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The analysis involved a model of co-production in which participants were consulted regarding the interpretation of the results prior to publication and had the opportunity to contribute to the meanings that emerge. The results show that education is central to students regaining a sense of self after having their learning trajectories abruptly severed upon seeking asylum. Considering processes of internal and external recognition reveals how a new socio-cultural context influences the understandings students develop about themselves in relation to education. This is manifest through their changing subject choice at the tertiary level and a renewed appreciation for the value of education. It also provides a means to understand how concealing their refugee status influences their relationships with other students on campus. These patterns of interaction are shaped through a dual layer of being perceived-to-be-perceived as they interpret others’ actions to suggest they are being recognised as refugee students despite not having revealed their status.
• Engagement and Burnout in UK University Students: The Role of Proactive Behaviours Strengths Use and Deficits Correction
  Low engagement and high burnout have serious implications for university students’ mental health and wellbeing. Strengths use and deficits correction are two proactive behaviours found to predict engagement and burnout, but these had not been explored in UK university students. This study investigated the role of strengths use and deficits correction in engagement and burnout by using the Strengths Use and Deficits Correction scale (SUDCO; Van Woerkom et al., 2016), a proactive behaviour measure not previously used in a UK student population. A convenience sample of 133 UK university students from all levels of study, undergraduate and postgraduate, completed a self-report questionnaire, either online or in person. The results demonstrated that the SUDCO scale had high internal consistency for UK university students. In addition, this study found that engagement was independently predicted by strengths use and deficits correction behaviours, whereas burnout was independently predicted by strengths use only. The implications of these findings are that strengths use and deficits correction are important predictors of engagement and burnout in university students. As a result, universities should provide opportunities for students to use their strengths and improve their deficits in interventions designed to increase engagement and decrease burnout.
• Editorial: A New Decade of CERJ
• EDITOR’S NOTE
• Communication Strategies as Forms of Mediation: Toward a Sociocultural Approach to Language Learning
• Practical Criticism in English Literature Studies and the Transition to University: Developing Crafty or Creative Readers?
• Framing Childhood Resilience Through Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory: A Discussion Paper
  Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979) conceptualises children’s development as a process of bi-directional and reciprocal relationships between a developing individual and those in surrounding environments, including teachers, parents, mass media and neighbouring communities. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this paper will argue that resilience can be taught during childhood, from the complex social interactions that children have with parents to the interactions they have in school. First, there will be a focus on how resilience emerges from children’s individual personality traits and emotional intelligence. Bi-directional and reciprocal relationships will be addressed by focusing on the effects of parental abandonment on children’s attachment styles, as well as parent-focused interventions. Following this, the role of teachers and school-based interventions (SBIs) will be explored as sources for bolstering resilience among children. Alternative perspectives on resilience pathways, including meaning-oriented approaches and those that recognise the impact of broader influences beyond the microsystem (e.g., culture and media), will also be addressed in this paper. Finally, implications of resilience research for play-based approaches and educational psychologists will be discussed.
• Editorial: Volume 7, CERJ Role and the Responsibility of our Graduate Community
• Literature Review on Issues Surrounding GCSE Textiles Courses in English Secondary Schools
  Textiles is currently the least popular mainstream GCSE option in England, and because I am a Textiles teacher, I conducted a literature review to determine and understand why this may be the case. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number of male pupils’ opting to take a GCSE in Textiles is very low. Indeed, the association between sewing and female domesticity appears to have had a negative impact on male students opting for the subject, as the low male GCSE numbers are also present in Child Development, Dance and Health & Social Care. Additionally, the literature suggests creative subjects in general have been taught in a manner that does not motivate pupils nor allow creativity within the lessons. Furthermore, many pupils in Textiles classes are often given projects that result in stereotypical and unoriginal final outcomes, as teachers favour the reliability of getting all their students to produce the same outcome e.g. an embroidered cushion. Additionally, as a result of these sorts of Textiles projects, pupils struggle to see the point in the designing and planning stages of their products, as they will all be the same. Moreover, uninspiring projects that favour practical skill learning, over designing, planning and problem solving activities, have resulted in schools and the government questioning whether Textiles can be considered an academic subject. Indicatively, Textiles subjects have not been included in the English Baccalaureate qualification, and feasibly, this may have led to certain top UK universities listing Textiles subjects as undesirable academic qualifications to possess.
• "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free": Developing Aesthetic Literacy in Visual Culture Studies
• Infusing hope in L2 writing strategy instruction research
  Second language learning strategy has received great attention for its role in helping learners to actualise language skills and improve performance, including writing. Congruent with Pressley and Harris (2006, pp. 270), growing evidence has demonstrated that “one approach that works better than any other for ensuring learners actually learn strategies” is strategy instruction. Though studies into strategy instruction have reached the ripe age of 40, one proposal has been recently initiated for innovating the design of strategy instructional packages which shall equally consider developing students’ willingness to learn, in addition to improving their language skills. The present paper hereby takes on the “skill plus will” nature of second language learning and teaching and suggests bringing “hope” from Snyder’s Hope Theory – a Positive Psychology construct that helps people push through the rough times, and acts as an indicator of one’s willpower and mental health – into strategy instruction research. The theoretical underpinnings of hope indicate potentials for being intertwined with second learning strategies for a holistic view of “skill and will” development among learners. Moreover, traditional strategy instruction designs can also draw insights from hope intervention to be more useful in empowering learners.
• Evidence that low self-worth could be linked to anger and aggression in children with ASD
• Exploring the Use of Multi-Session, Group-Based Self-Compassion Interventions for University Students: A Systematic Review
  This systematic review explores the extent to which the design, implementation and delivery of multisession, group-based self-compassion interventions targeting university-level students reflects the emerging self-compassion literature and findings to better tailor self-compassion interventions to student experiences. This paper, undertaken to establish literature on self-compassion interventions, conducted a systematic search of four electronic databases, yielding 357 potentially relevant journal articles after duplicates were removed. Following screening of titles and abstracts, 49 studies were identified for review. Of these, eight were selected as meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria following full-text screening. Data were extracted and synthesised narratively. Promising support is found for the use of multi-session, group-based self-compassion interventions leading to enhanced self-reported trait selfcompassion in university-level students across all eight studies. Heterogeneity, however, in intervention design, implementation, and delivery obscured how future multi-session, group-based self-compassion interventions could be tailored to student experiences and individual differences. Whilst there is evidence to suggest that multi-session, group-based self-compassion interventions have benefited university-level students by helping them adapt to university life through increases in self-compassion, future research could explore the roles of other-focused compassion and group dynamics in multi-session, group-based self-compassion interventions.
• A literature review of gender equity in national textbooks across the MENA region and the implications for CEDAW
  In recent decades, girls’ education across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has made notable gains. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) treaty agreement has successfully facilitated the improvement of girls’ access in many countries. However, there is growing concern about the quality of classroom content and how it continues to marginalize females. This review examines ten studies from seven countries across the region and highlights how discriminatory patterns continue to exist in national textbooks. It then looks at how policy and political settlements address gender equity in national curricula and discusses the implications for women and girls in relation to CEDAW.
• Social media for Academics and Early Career Researchers: An Interview with Dr Mark Carrigan
• Understanding Equity Through Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act in India
  This paper is an attempt to understand equity through section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act in India which aims to reserve 25% seats for economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in private schools. The paper is divided into four parts. Firstly, equity is conceptualized using Unterhalter’s (2009) concepts of equity from above, equity from middle and equity from below and Maitzegui-Onate & Santibanez-Gruber’s (2008) concepts of horizontal and vertical equity. I apply these different forms of equity to section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act in India which is an example of ‘equity from above’ and is an equalising measure in the form of ‘vertical equity’. Secondly, Sen’s (1992) capability approach is discussed to explore the inequalities in capabilities of individuals to make effective use of educational resources. Drawing on the works of several scholars who have outlined this approach, I argue that taking individual capabilities into account is essential for achieving equity in education. Thirdly, I discuss Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of different forms of capital to understand structural inequalities and its impact on educational experiences. Due to lack of cultural capital, the educational experiences of children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds vary greatly in comparison to children from economically better sections of the society. I establish links between Unterhalter’s forms of equity, capabilities, forms of capital and functionings in order to depict how equity can be achieved in implementing educational policies. In the final part of the paper, I draw on empirical studies to explore the challenges associated with the implementation of the section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act in India. This paper highlights how RTE 12 (1)(c) succeeds in promoting the availability of resources to the most disadvantaged in the society as well as raises concerns over the inclusive capabilities needed to promote equity of education.
• The Future of Cantonese and Traditional Chinese Among Newly Arrived Hong Kong Immigrant Children in the United Kingdom – A Study on Parents’ Attitudes, Challenges Faced And Support Needed
  Acculturation occurs where culturally different groups of individuals come into contact with each other, leading to cultural changes to either or both groups. For immigrants, home language maintenance is one aspect of acculturation. Studies have shown that home language maintenance is beneficial for immigrant children’s development in various ways. This mixed methods research looked at Hong Kong immigrants in the United Kingdom under the new British National (Overseas) Visa policy. It explored parents’ attitudes towards their children’s learning and maintenance of Cantonese and Traditional Chinese (the home language of local Hongkongers), the obstacles encountered and support needed for supporting their children’s home language development. Age-group-specific differences in findings were investigated. An online survey was used to collect responses from 96 parents regarding 146 children in three age groups: n = 28 in preschool, n = 73 in primary, and n = 45 in secondary. Results showed that almost 90% of respondents viewed Cantonese and Traditional Chinese development as important for their children, with the strongest reason being ethnic identity maintenance as a Hongkonger. More books and community gatherings were found to be needed for creating a contextualised home language environment for the children. Parents with preschool children were found to express significantly higher needs for multilingual development events than those with children in primary. The study suggested support measures and prompted future policies to consider age-group differences in home language learning support needs.
• Alternative Approaches to Behaviour Management in Schools: An Exploration of Senior School Leaders' Experiences, Beliefs and Perceptions of Interventionist Behaviour Management Systems
• Human Mind is Mediated - A Comparative Analysis of Two L2 Studies
• The Nexus of Language and Culture: A Review of Literature on Intercultural Communicative Competence in Foreign Language Education
  The issue of intercultural communication has garnered more attention than ever as the world changes with increasing mobility both physical and virtual. Such change not only transforms how we communicate but also foregrounds cultural differences and the implications of intercultural understanding. Scholarly debate on the nexus of language and culture has ignited considerable research effort to contextualise foreign language education to accommodate such changing landscape. This article reviews both this debate and empirical effort with two aims. First, it aims to explore theoretical debates on the nature of the relationship between language and culture to identify the theoretical underpinnings of educational practice. Second, it reviews relevant empirical research to reveal how the issue of language and culture has been addressed in foreign language classrooms. In the theoretical overview, three highlights in the language-culture nexus debate are summarised, followed by the proposed dual focus on language and culture in foreign language education. Particularly, a model of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is reviewed in detail as the paradigmatic example of addressing both language and culture in foreign language education. In the empirical review, scholarly works inspired by the ICC model are synthesised into three different themes, namely “Developing ICC: The traditional classroom approach”, “Developing ICC: The telecollaboration approach” and “Assessing ICC”. Insights and limitations of previous studies are discussed and future research directions are proposed at the end.
• The Bologna Process as a Policy Transfer Issue
• How to avoid ‘Christmas Tree’ innovations: introducing and sustaining the use of learning platforms in schools
  This paper reports the results of a study investigating teacher stakeholder views of the range of leadership factors that influenced their use during the first two years of a new Virtual Learning Environment (Firefly) in a comprehensive school in London. The research was broadened to include ten schools in total. Implications are identified as well as suggestions for further research. According to much of the research reviewed, maximising the benefits of a VLE is dependent on how teachers perceive innovations in general. However, some evidence was found that leaders do have an impact on the take-up of technology in schools. The determination of the overall school leader to bring transformation and modernity to the school was found to have an effect on the uptake of initiatives that are expensive and risky in the sense that they rely on new skills and knowledge that do not at first seem relevant to some teachers. The process also involves risk because of the pace of technological change. This research aims to bring together the two factors: teacher perception and leadership of change. The aim is to help school leaders ensure successful take-up and sustaining of use so that innovations, that they introduce, are not short-lived. Key questions within the evaluation survey draw on theories of leadership and on findings from the literature review about technology acceptance. The research is summarised in a visual representation of how leaders can leverage their influence, both with the initial introduction and the sustaining of the technology, to avoid the ‘Christmas Tree’ innovation effect: in other words, a purely ornamental technology that quickly goes out of date or fails to serve its primary purpose of improving learning (Bryk, 1992, p. 7).
• Pushing Boundaries, Nurturing Growth
• Stories that Heal: How Storytelling Aided Child Trauma Recovery in The Space Between Before and After
  This article traces the plot of children’s novel, The Space Between Before and After, to examine how storytelling and the use of metaphor enabled the 10-year-old protagonist, Thomas, to heal from the traumatic experience of losing his mother to depression. Before encountering storytelling, Thomas is lost in a narrative of victimhood and lacks hope, imagination, and agency. When his neighbour, Mrs. Sharp, introduces storytelling to him to cope with his anxiety, he begins to process his trauma through metaphor and develops an intimate relationship with the elderly lady. Using Bradley and Mendoza’s (2021) model of storytelling as a framework, I interpret Thomas’s recovery journey as a process in which his feelings were first voiced through metaphor and imagination, which were then able to be processed and bridged to reality as he gained confidence and control. Furthermore, I recognise the importance of Mrs. Sharp as a secure attachment figure throughout, especially when Thomas’s father, Mr. Moran, disapproves of his storytelling, causing tension in the father-son relationship and hardship in Thomas’s healing process. Nevertheless, by the end, Mr. Moran comes to be supportive of the storytelling and asks Thomas to share his story at Helen’s memorial, symbolising community healing. The exchange between father and son after the fact reveals that agency, hope, imagination, and collective healing have come to replace the initial narrative of victimhood and hopelessness. I conclude this article with an analysis of the butterfly motif presented throughout the novel to recapitulate on the power of metaphor for children’s healing from trauma.
• Competing Paradigms for Basic Education: Human Capital and Human Capabilities and What They Mean for the World Bank and UNESCO