Mansa College of Education

Items

• Jumping out of the Fishbowl. Swimming to the Sea: Scholars’ Reflexive Agency in Shaping Global Opening Research System
  This essay argues that scholars have the agency to reshape the research cultures of the global research system they are in. However, their agency cannot independently generate, just like the constraining fishbowl and its single-type water that the fish live in, the dynamics of scholars to jump out of the fishbowl and swim to an open ocean of knowledge not only demand their criticality and reflexivity of perceiving what their water is like but also should be guaranteed by an enabling structure aligning with the values of an ecological global opening science system. Firstly, to explain the dynamics of agency, the essay discusses the interdependent relationality between researcher-agency interaction and multipolarised structural and cultural changes in global sciences. Then, the study explains three stages for the scholars to act their agency in participating in global science by comparing and contrasting the analogies of ‘fish jump to another fishbowl’ and ‘fish jump into the ocean’ to call for the scholars’ agential imaginary of the global opening science system. The study shows the implications of critically recognising the university scholars’ reflexive agency as the autonomous foundation of the global science system, and envisions the supportive multi-level structure and ecological research cultures for empowering pluralistic knowledge as global common goods.
• Early childhood education in India: A possible investment in better outcomes? A quantitative analysis using Young Lives India
  This paper explores the relationship between early childhood education and academic outcomes for children in India by estimating the ability of preschool participation at age 5 to predict results on major cognitive assessments at age 12. Initially looking at differences in means, it moves on to utilise regression analysis first in an uncontrolled model, and then in a model which controls for both gender and maternal education, as these have been deemed important inputs for academic attainment in the wider literature on human capital development. The sample used for this research is constructed from Young Lives (India), which from 2002 to 2017 surveyed two cohorts of children across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with a pro-poor sampling strategy. Surprisingly, the results of the analysis find that participation in early childhood education had a negligible effect on test scores, even when controlling for gender and maternal education. Meanwhile, maternal education emerged as a strong predictor of test results. These findings contradict much of the existing evidence that demonstrates associations between early childhood education and cognitive development, and, in turn, improved economic outcomes. Accordingly, it raises questions about the generalisability of the existing evidence and the quality of India’s ECE offering. The premise, method and findings of this paper are divided into nine sections, including an introduction, an explanation of Human Capital as the paper’s conceptual framework, a literature review, an overview of the context of ECE in India, a section on the paper’s data and variables, a methods section, an overview of the results, a discussion, and conclusions.
• Marginalisation and the Voices of Gypsy/Traveller Girls
• A Review of Gender Representation in Primary School Textbooks in India
  The curriculum is regulated by the sociocultural aspects, political ideologies, values and morals of the ecosystem it is created in. When the ecosystem is a South Asian country like India, especially post-colonisation, the hyper focus on nation building led to clearly differentiated gender roles to protect the moral and cultural integrity of the state. The purpose of this review is to critically explore the existing literature to understand how gender is represented in primary school textbooks in India. The review highlights the temporal and historical evolution of gender-based curriculum reforms in India while illuminating patterns in the literature through themes such as visibility, portrayal and intersectionalities of gender. This review is restricted to the last 25 years, following the National Education Policy of 1986. Subsequent to this policy introduction, textbook analysis became more commonplace. Additionally, the review addresses the potential impact caused by such textbooks and recommendations made by various Indian researchers are also highlighted in this review.
• A pilot study of autistic and non-autistic adults’ systemizing in a learning task using observational measures of attention, misunderstanding, and reasoning
  This pilot study compared autistic (N = 15) and non-autistic (N = 19) adults in a systemizing (physics reasoning) task using observational measures of attention, reasoning, and communication. Autistic adults mentioned more non-salient details (autistic; M = 4.43, non-autistic; M = 0.89) and had a greater ratio of attention to non-social versus social stimuli (autistic; M = 5.70, non-autistic; M = 3.27). Misunderstandings were more frequent (autistic; M = 2.07, non-autistic; M = 0.47) and longer (autistic; M = 64.63 seconds, non-autistic; M = 5.89 seconds) for autistic adults. However, the form of reasoning employed in the task was similar for both groups. The results suggest that the autistic adults experienced the task differently and had more difficulties. Implications for inclusive educational environments are discussed. This pilot study is presented to encourage a larger scale study using these novel methods.
• Embodied meaning making: A case study investigating the use of gesture in the responses of year 1 children to a wordless picturebook
  This research paper explores how embodied communication modes affect the dialogic meaning making of year 1 children when responding to wordless picturebooks. Through observing the paired interactions of children, it appears that children are able to use gesture to navigate between intra-dialogic and inter-dialogic meaning making. A review of the literature identifies talk as a key strategy for meaning making (Mercer, 1994; Alexander, 2011). However, the theory of multimodality is used to support the claim that attention should be paid to how children use embodied modes, specifically gesture, as part of meaning making. It is suggested that this is of significance to year 1 children as they have recently experienced the Early Years Foundation Stage, which supports the use of multimodal resources and responses. Methodologically, this research paper is rooted in qualitative, naturalistic inquiry. This approach was selected for its ability to allow for ‘thick description’ of complex interactions (Geertz, 1993). The research design involved a small-scale, theory-seeking case study that used unstructured video observations. This resulted in multimodal data. Inductive coding, influenced by constructivist grounded theory, was applied to the gestural content of the data. These codes were then grouped into themes that suggested how children used embodied modes to manage space, identify narrative entities, make connections across those entities and to imagine beyond what is immediately present in a visual text. The latter two themes involve creative ‘possibility thinking’ (Craft, 2000). The prominence of creative ‘possibility thinking’ makes a case for recognising the value of embodied modes as part of meaning making for year 1 children. However, it is recognised that the research presented is preliminary and the field of embodied meaning making in primary schools deserves further research.
• What are the benefits of extended writing in mathematics education?
• Evaluating the impact of technology-supported personalised learning interventions on the mathematics achievements of elementary students in India
  Technology-supported personalised learning (TSPL) refers to the use of technology to personalise a learner’s experience by adjusting the pace and relevance of content based on the learner’s age, capability and prior knowledge (FitzGerald et al., 2018). Although technology has been epitomised in creating personalised and effective learning experiences for students, there are perennial debates on its role in enhancing quality, productivity and learning (Payal Arora, 2019; Zierer, 2019). This review explores the effectiveness of TSPL on the mathematics achievements of elementary students in India. This review argues that while evidence on using TSPL at scale to benefit all learners remains mixed and inconclusive, with continued iterative research, TSPL holds promise in serving learners’ needs irrespective of achievement level or socio-economic background. In doing so, this review outlines an agenda for future research to improve the efficiency, reach, and effectiveness of TSPL. This involves gaining a deeper understanding of whether TSPL works best as either a supplement or substitute in classrooms and the impacts of doing so in different quality schools. Mechanisms around how TSPL interventions can operate via low-tech mechanisms to better serve low-income communities and to advantage students of all learning abilities are also explored.
• Self-Directed and Self-Regulated Learning in Professional Development (SDRL-PD): An Integrated Paradigm
  In the context of a changing economic landscape, perpetual learning is essential for career advancement. This study introduces an integrated framework termed Self-Directed & Regulated Learning in Professional Development (SDRL-PD), which synthesises the principles of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) with those of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). While both constructs address ownership and agency in learning, this framework calls for the complementation of SDL’s emphasis on learners’ exercised control over learning trajectory with SRL’s focus on the management of specific tasks to improve learning outcomes. This paper provides a review of the existing literature relating to SDRL-PD, which includes an examination of the processes and the identification of factors that influence SDL and SRL. It proposes a need for a conceptualisation that ties SDL’s macro-level focus on learning trajectory with SRL’s micro-level focus on learning processes. Three directions for future research were highlighted: a deeper examination of existing SDL and SRL models, the integration of learning constructs relating to PD, and the development of validated measurement tools. Such advancements will foster a greater understanding of SDRL-PD, ultimately promoting more effective professional development practices.
• A Preliminary Small-Scale Enquiry into Student Agency in a Master of Fine Arts Programme in Hong Kong: An Ecological Perspective
  As research on student agency in higher education gains popularity, a gap remains in investigating university student agency from an ecological view. In Hong Kong, despite the increasing number of Creative Writing programmes in higher education institutions, there is a lack of recent research from the students’ learning experience. The present study investigates the agency of five graduate student-writers who were enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts programme in Creative Writing in English at a university in Hong Kong during the 2021- 2022 academic year, with data collected one year after their graduation. Adopting an ecological framework, the study poses two research questions: How do student-writers explain their agency, and what forms of agency are emerging? A qualitative research method is used, with data obtained primarily from semi-structured interviews, supplemented by my autoethnographic experience, where I position myself as a creative writer in Hong Kong, as additional evidence. The findings reveal that student-writers become aware of the multilingual nature of their environment and act by means of this environment rather than merely within it. Past experiences play a crucial role in enabling student-writers’ agency, while contextual situations—such as the multilingual environment and materials in Hong Kong—interact with students as they take actions during the learning process. Theoretically, this study demonstrates the applicability of using the ecological perspective in interpreting university students’ agency. Pedagogically, it underscores the importance of a contextualised environment and materials in fostering student agency. Although the study includes only a small group of students, it holds implications for advancing the theorisation of the Creative Writing discipline and research into student agency from an ecological view in university settings. For future research, arts-based research methodologies could be adopted to shape both a critical and creative research.
• Age-related changes in sustained attention for older children from high poverty communities in the USA
  Sustained attention influences academic achievement because maintaining focus on a task for an extended period supports the acquisition of new skills. Investigating the development of sustained attention has been an important topic in educational and psychological research. This study includes secondary analysis of data collected as part of a larger project that provided opportunities for children to learn chess after school. This study analysed data related to sustained attention, which was measured by the Continuous Performance Task across one academic year in a predominantly African American sample. This sample consists of 149 participants (n = 66 females, M age = 9.57 years, SD = 0.89 years) attending schools in high poverty communities in the USA. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine changes in sustained attention in ethnic minority students from high poverty areas using a longitudinal design. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to conduct statistical analysis. The results indicated that participants’ performance on the sustained attention task improved significantly from the beginning to the end of the school year. Although past studies have examined changes in sustained attention in children using this same task, no studies have used a repeated-measures design in ethnic minority samples. These findings demonstrate the possibility that sustained attention improves continuously in children, despite the difficulties associated with growing up in high poverty environments.
• Speaking Through a Dead Bird: Using Art for Emotional and Communicative Accessibility in an A-level Classical Literature Classroom
  This paper explores how the viewing and creating of art improved accessibility for students with emotional and communicative learning needs in an A-Level classical literature classroom. Motivated by my own classroom, a review of the literature reaffirmed concerns that students with special education needs/disabilities (SEND) - in particular autism spectrum condition and anxiety - are at a disadvantage in being able to demonstrate the key skills required by the A-Level Classical Civilisation exam board. The literature review also demonstrated that although art therapy has seen great success in improving accessibility, this success has not yet been integrated as part of a curriculum-based intervention. This small-scale, action research project realised a teaching sequence developed by both participant and researcher, that saw students examine Homer’s Odyssey through active engagement in visual art. Findings suggested that using art as an exploratory mode improved accessibility for students with emotional and communicative learning needs, and henceforth improved their ability to demonstrate their understanding in line with the exam specification. However, the findings also raised further research questions of how educators can allow for emotional differentiation in the classroom. The project champions the inclusion of people with disabilities into the discussion of accessibility, sharing the experience of participants with SEND and myself as an author with disabilities.
• Understanding Special School Provision for Children with Severe Learning Difficulties in Relation to Inclusive Education
• An exploratory study on perspectives of Vietnamese experienced teachers and student teachers toward teachers’ code-switching
  There have existed different perspectives on teachers’ use of code-switching (CS) in sec-ond/foreign language (L2) classrooms. While some suggest teachers’ exclusive use of L2 in L2 classrooms, others argue that teachers’ switching to first language (L1) can have val-uable contributions to L2 teaching. Also, little research has examined student teachers’ perspectives on this issue even though student teaching experience plays a significant role in teacher education programmes. This exploratory qualitative study aims to compare the perspectives of student teachers and experienced teachers toward CS use in teaching Eng-lish as a foreign language (EFL) in Vietnam. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with fourteen Vietnamese EFL student teachers and experienced teachers. The findings revealed that all student teachers and experienced teachers had positive attitudes toward CS. In line with previous research, CS was reported to be employed for several different pedagogical functions in L2 classrooms, such as explaining grammar points, clar-ifying difficult concepts, checking students’ comprehension, and dealing with students’ misbehaviours. In addition, apart from the previously reported benefits of CS, such as facilitating students’ comprehension, saving time, motivating students, and accommodating students’ low English proficiency levels, the student teachers in this study also maintained that CS could help them address their anxiety in delivering instructions while the experi-enced teachers believed that CS could help them deal with their lack of confidence about their pronunciation and avoid students’ judgements. Based on the findings, this paper suggests that CS could be considered as an instructional strategy and EFL teacher education programs in Vietnam should consider incorporating training on teachers’ CS use to im-prove their awareness and confidence.
• Interrogating Equity in Education for Sustainable Development
  The discourse of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promises a brighter, more just, and equitable future by ‘leaving no one behind’ and identifies Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a tool for reaching this future. This paper presents a critical analysis of whether Education for Sustainable Development in its current form is fit for this purpose, based on its conceptualizations of equity. Through this paper, I argue that the way ESD is conceptualized today suffers from a ‘design flaw’ as it is embedded in the dominant theory of neo-liberalism. I showcase that neoliberalism promotes a narrow concept of equity that is (i) top-down in nature, (ii) a by-product of economic growth, and (iii) seen merely as distribution of resources. I assert that for ESD to truly deliver on ‘leaving no one behind’ it needs to be re-conceptualized through ideas and theories that broaden the concept of equity: reflexivity and ecojustice. I begin by elaborating on the evolution of ESD and sharing how the concept is conceptualized by key international organizations. I then situate ESD within the neoliberal paradigm before demonstrating how neoliberalism espouses equity. I problematize these conceptualizations of equity, contending that they are restricted in scope and inhibit ESD from being a ‘transformative’ education. Finally, I reconceptualize ESD using two intersectional frameworks that broaden the notion of equity: reflexivity and ecojustice.
• UtopiaS and Reimagining the Reimagining of Higher Education
  Critiques of contemporary UK higher education oscillate between troubling ideological influences and working within the remit of these matters. In response to such circularity, this paper examines the contribution of future-oriented discussions that concern the ‘what could be’ rather than that ‘which is’. This is achieved first through a genealogical analysis of utopian thought and theory that traces from the modern’s problematic and potentially totalitarian preoccupation with the realisation of grand visions to the postmodern and feminist poststructural interest in the abstract utopian “wish” (Jameson, 2005), and second through applying these observations against existing “reimaginings” of higher education. Upon observing the emphasis these reimaginings place on expertly developed blueprints and singular frameworks for change, the final part of this paper develops a means of researching and teaching the future of and within higher education that favours the multiple and the subjective. Although this method, utopiaS, does not promise nor seek the concrete realisation of an objectively better sector, the perspectives that arise from its application will offer further insight into the shortcomings of the contemporary university. By supporting the exchange of ideas, utopiaS may also broaden the hopes and imaginative horizons of researchers, teachers, participants and peers, thereby pushing against the walls of the circle between ideology and utopia
• Books Saving lives? Critiquing the Conceptualisation of Education as Humanitarian Aid
  In recent decades, the world has witnessed an increase in violent and protracted conflicts. Education in Emergencies (EiE) as a field has emerged since the 1990s in response to these rising conflicts and disasters together with the realisation that children living in these situations often spend years without access to schooling. As EiE has grown, it has successfully positioned education as a key aspect of humanitarian aid. This paper focuses upon literature on conflict emergencies, including refugee and displaced populations. Through a review of the historical perspectives and development of EiE, this critical paper unveils that despite the conceptualisation of EiE as aid, it is not apolitical. By analysing the literature by prominent scholars and practitioners in EiE, the paper allows us to bear witness to the success of the rise of EiE which has developed from the power dynamics of the humanitarian aid infrastructure, governed by Western agendas and financing. In addition, the short-term vision and packaged nature of education to create normalcy supported by a rights-based and protection rationale has prevented the international development and aid sector from addressing wider structural issues and inequalities. The technical notions of EiE are revealed to be often detached from realities of communities and fail to empower and create quality learning opportunities. The paper calls for the immediate need to provide quality education to children in conflict and displacement settings but urges EiE to address the tensions and power relations examined between technical solutions, political agendas and security interests that remain at the core of the field’s evolution.
• How Young Readers Comprehend Multilayered Diegetic Worlds: A Case Study of Cloudland
  Constructing multilayered worlds is a prevalent strategy employed in fiction, especially within the genres of fantasy and fairy tales. Various techniques establish different imaginary worlds, which are either sharply demarcated or subtly intertwined. The tradition of weaving multilayered worlds into stories, along with depicting the journey of young protagonists from mundane realities to enchanting realms, is a cornerstone of children’s literature. This provides a fundamental method for fostering literary proficiency and cognitive growth among young readers. Viewing children’s reading as a voyage through multilayered fantasy worlds and back to everyday reality, readers begin by following the footsteps of protagonists and deciphering the textual and visual components, while drawing upon their real-life experiences and generating cognitive ties between the diegetic story and non-diegetic reality. This study thus examines the visual fantasy in John Burningham’s picturebook, Cloudland (1999/2017), with a particular emphasis on how young readers navigate multilayered diegetic worlds. Drawing primarily on Maria Nikolajeva’s cognitive approaches to children’s literature, this study incorporates an interview with a child in a critical stage of cognitive development. This involves a Drawing as Reflection section to validate the investigator’s hypotheses in the Close Reading section: which elements influence young readers in discerning between fantasy and reality? By analyzing the participant’s drawing and responses, this study demonstrates that real-world anchors and images play a decisive role when young readers engage with multilayered-worlds visual texts and explore the boundaries of different worlds.
• The Journey Continues: Where We Are and Where We Plan To Go
• The Role of Teachers in Adolescents’ Career-Specific Future Orientation
  Despite the importance of teachers and the school context to adolescents’ career development, teachers’ influence on adolescents’ career preparation has received little attention. This study examined the relationship between perceived support from teachers and adolescents’ career motivation and exploration. The sample for this study (N = 801) comprised senior secondary school students in Nigeria (Mean = 15.23 years) and data was analysed using structural equation modelling. Perceived teacher invested support, teacher expectations, and teacher autonomy support were related to intrinsic motivation to choose a career and career exploration. This study is relevant to research and practice in its investigation of the neglected role of teachers in adolescents’ career development and its inclusion of an understudied population in the discourse on adolescents’ future orientation.
• Educational Leadership in Crisis and Conflict: A Case Study on Ukrainian Educational Leadership and Institutional Adaptability
  This research project aims to improve upon our understanding of the role of education during violent conflict through the Victim, Perpetrator, Liberator, and Peacebuilder (VPLP) framework posited by Pherali et al. (2022). This research uses decolonial theory to move beyond the lens of singularity into the lived and multiple realities of education during conflict. Using reflexive qualitative interviews of five Ukrainian educational leaders who conducted community projects following the full-scale hostilities beginning in 2022 (Mandragelya, 2022), it builds upon the VPLP framework from Pherali et al. (2022), to understand how Ukrainian schools adapted to crisis. These interviews revealed how Ukrainian educational leaders shift between all four roles described in the VPLP framework instead of just performing one role. This research explores the importance of leader agency in prioritizing building resilience to adapt to changing circumstances during conflict and move beyond victimisation and perpetration roles to include liberation and peacebuilding education. During conflict, these educational leaders attempted to balance their educational responsibilities with liberation by resisting Russian hegemonic tradition and peacebuilding through community and trust-building projects. These attempts highlight the crucial role of educational leadership utilising their positionality to make critical decisions regarding how schools function and impact their communities during conflict and crisis situations.
• Human Rights Education in Osler and Starkey: From Analytic Framework to Object of Analysis
• COVID-19 and the Evolving Classroom: Perspectives from Two Indian Classrooms
  As in other parts of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic in India brought with it an unprecedented change in the fabric and structure of the classroom in Indian schools, with teachers having to shift from in-person teaching to online instruction without prior exposure or training to this new interface of teaching and learning. This study—which was part of a larger paper on the newly introduced Arts-Integrated Learning (AIL) approach to teaching in a section of Indian schools—throws light on the perils and the possibilities of online instruction as experienced by teachers and students in two Indian schools. Drawing on the voices of the participants from semi-structured interviews that were conducted over a duration of two months, the study reveals the challenges posed to teachers and students by voluntary and involuntary disengagement, deeply embedded systemic pressures such as shortage of time, technological shortcomings, and teacher-centric pedagogical styles. The study further revealed the changing role and function of the teacher in the classroom, from a source of knowledge to a facilitative agent in the learning process. Additionally, both teachers and students highlighted the benefits of online instruction, citing time saved as an important factor. Given these perspectives from the two most significant stakeholders in the educational landscape, the study offers practical recommendations that could potentially mitigate the challenges posed by online instruction and reimagine the online interface as a tool that could aid both teachers and students in their interactions.
• Midas Syndrome? Commognition as a Lens for Research on how Stem Sentences Feature in a Primary Mathematics Classroom
  This article outlines how commognition - communication and cognition - (Sfard, 2008) was utilised as a theoretical lens to guide doctoral research. My doctoral research aims to make sense of stem sentences, which are speaking scaffolds used in primary mathematics classrooms in England. I challenge an oversimplified narrative between mathematical thinking and communication, which endorses stem sentences as faultless discursive objects or d-objects – a narrative Dr. Anna Sfard names ‘Midas syndrome’ (Sfard, 2019, p. 98). Contrary to popular opinion, stem sentences are not faultless and how they feature in everyday classroom discourse is not well documented. My significant contribution to knowledge is a critical stance towards an endorsed-by-many practice and an evaluation of the utility of theory to analyse audio-visual data from the primary mathematics classroom. To support my argument, I outline an episode of classroom observation which features commognitive conflict, where stem sentences also feature, and how a class teacher expertly navigates a learner towards a mathematical realisation through visual mediation. The article is structured using guiding principles which exemplify and evaluate the appropriateness of commognition – gathered from Sfard’s seminal work ‘Thinking as communicating: Human development, the growth of discourses, and mathematising’ (2008) and related works – and the impact on my doctoral research when observing communication-in-situ in multilingual primary mathematics classrooms.
• Dialogues of fisherwomen in Amazonian coastal communities - outcomes of a financial literacy education programme
  The richness of resources in the Amazonian coastal region, combined with the need to break free from the constant financial vulnerability, stand at the heart of our fieldwork, conducted as part of the Fish Forever Program for Rare Brazil, an NGO that catalyses behavioural change to achieve enduring conservation results. Our research proposes an analysis of the intended and unintended outcomes of the financial literacy education programme offered during 2020 to the fisherwomen of eight communities in the State of Pará, Brazil. We aimed to understand the enablers and implications of individual and group change arising from that education programme. Drawing from theory of change and emancipatory education theories, we analyse evidence derived from ethnographic journals, interviews, and document analysis. Our initial findings show that the structure of the meetings for the financial literacy education programme enabled the emergence of new social-relational links amongst the women. This, in turn, allowed each woman to discover a new side of their identity, both on an individual and a communal level. Overall, we identify five themes of unintended outcomes: structured dialogue, foundations of dialogue, oracy, transformative emancipation, and self and group identity. We offer an analysis of their causes and implications. Using dialogic approaches to co-develop strategies of financial literacy allowed the women in eight Amazonian coastal communities to manage their fisheries' resources collectively and sustainably as well as see their cultural identity in a new light. We reflect on how this shift in the perception of self and group identities challenges elements of structural and cultural violence in the context of Amazonian fisherwomen. We conclude by proposing the inclusion of a feminist research perspective into the operationalisation of evaluation tools for education programmes aimed at fisherwomen in coastal communities.