BEDU106 - IFE

BEDU106
Achieving Standards while Fostering Equity and Social Justice

MQF Level: 6

ECTS Value: 3 ECTS

Self Study Hours: 36

Contact Hours: 15

Assessment Hours: 24

Overall Objectives and Outcomes

This module enables professionals, who are working within classrooms to promote social justice and equity, in or through education, and to gain deeper and more critical insights into their professional practice and concerns. It aims to encourage participants to develop knowledge about, and insights into, the ways they can bring about change within their practice to reach all students.

This module shall provide participants with various topics that can support them to achieve standards while fostering equity and social justice including:

Transformative education (reflecting on social justice theories and educational policies to develop own practice)
Equity vs Equality (creating equitable learning opportunities that consider individuals of diverse races, genders, social classes, languages and cultures; critical of inequality and marginalisation)
Equal educational opportunities for all (belief that all can achieve to full potential; provides access to practical curriculum practice for all learners; inclusive classroom environment)
Student-centred learning (critical pedagogy, reflective practice, teachers as students/students as teacher; focuses on content and process)
Critically examining own culture, (reflection about assumptions, values, beliefs)
Outcomes and Assessment (track improvement from where they started; solutions oriented after identifying a problem; assessment for learning)

By the end of this programme, participants should be able to:

Competences

a. Be responsible for providing a student-centred equitable classroom environment for all students;

b. Ensure teaching and learning within the classroom is targeting all students;

c. Monitor the students’ progress and any injustices that can influence learning;

d. Collaborate with other participants to promote social justice and equity through education;

e. Produce a project through a case-study that promotes high quality learning for all.

Knowledge

a. Identify educational policies (like ‘The strategic plan for the prevention of early school leaving, Respect for all Framework, The national curriculum framework for all etc) and their implications for equity and social justice within the classroom;

b. Describe the use of social justice theories (like theories from Paolo Freire, Michael Sandel and Emma Smith) and how these can be applied to a more student-centred pedagogy;

c. Establish some practical strategies and tools to cater for independent learners with unique differences such as project based learning and digital tools;

d. Distinguish the differences between equity and equality within the classroom and practical ways of how to achieve this.

Skills

a. Use own reflections to transform their pedagogies;

b. Plan activities that cater for all students;

c. Apply theories discussed to own professional practice;

d. Demonstrate change through presentations and discussions.

Assessment Methods

This module will be assessed through: Research Proposal.

Suggested Readings

Core Reading List

Curriculum.gov.mt. (2018). A National Curriculum Framework for All. [online] Available at: http://curriculum.gov.mt/en/resources/the-ncf/pages/default.aspx [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Publishing. [online] Available at: http://www.msu.ac.zw/elearning/material/1335344125freire_pedagogy_of_the_oppresed.pdf
Freire, P. (2005). Education for critical consciousness. London: Continuum International Pub. Group. [online] Available at: http://abahlali.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Paulo-Freire-Education-for-Critical-Consciousness-Continuum-Impacts-2005.pdf
Ministry for Education and Employment, Malta (2014). A strategic plan for the prevention of early school leaving. [online] Floriana: Ministry for Education and Employment. Available at: https://lifelonglearning.gov.mt/dbfile.aspx?id=47 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2017].
Oecd.org. (2018). Equity and Quality in Education. [online] Available at: https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].

Supplementary Reading List

Albemarle County Public Schools. “Cultural Community Ambassadors.” Retrieved from http://www2.k12albemarle.org/dept/instruction/comengage/eqdiv/Pages/Cultural-Community-Ambassadors.aspx Cartledge, G. and L. Kourea.
Cartledge, G. and Kourea, L. (2008). Culturally Responsive Classrooms for Culturally Diverse Students with and At Risk for Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 74(3).
gov.mt. (2018). Education for All. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.mt/en/resources/Pages/Education-for-All.aspx
Krasnoff, B. (2006). Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching All Students Equitably. US: Education Northwest.
Krasnoff, B. (2016) Educational Equality: What does it mean? How do we know when we reach it? Center for Public Education, January 2016, p. 1. http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/educationalequity
Montgomery County Public Schools, (2010). Equitable Classroom Practices 2010. Montgomery County Public Schools, 2010.Retrieved from http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/development/resources/ecp/ECP%20-%2008-13-10.pdf

org. (2018). A Resource for Equitable Classroom Practices 2010. [online] Available at: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/development/resources/ecp/ECP%20-%2008-13-10.pdf [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].
org. (2018). Social Justice Book List 2018 [online] Available at: http://www.nnstoy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NNSTOY-Social-Justice-Book-List-1.pdf [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].
Nuri Robins, K. Lindsey, D.B., Terrell, R.D., Lindsay, R.B. (2007). Cultural Proficiency: Tools for Secondary School Administrators. Principal Leadership, 8(1).
Richards, H.V. Brown, A.F. and Forde, T. (2006) Addressing Diversity in Schools: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.” Denver: National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems. Retrieved from: http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Diversity_Brief.pdf Page 4 Nuri-Robbins, K.
Waggoner French, L.J. (2005) ‘A Study on How Multi-Cultural Awareness Training Changes the Cultural Sensitivity of Teachers’. Master’s Thesis. R, University of North Carolina Wilmington. (p.6.) Retrieved from: http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncw/listing.aspx?id=1568