In Engaging Schooling, the authors use case studies to engagingly demonstrate how schools can use pedagogical change to enable students from low SES backgrounds to benefit academically and socially from their schooling.
The book, which builds on Exemplary Teachers of Students in Poverty from the same research team, deals with key issues around the reshaping of schooling and teaching, focusing on structures for mentoring and research practice among teachers. It significantly advances international literature that highlights the role of pedagogy for engagement in the educational success of students from low SES backgrounds.
Moving beyond the individual classroom to focus on whole-school change, the book provides a clearer picture of processes which schools might undergo to engage students in low SES contexts, including teacher research, mentoring practices, instructional leadership and classroom discourses. The book will be of interest to all students, teachers and professional researchers in the field of teacher education.
Table of Contents:
Section 1
Introduction and Section 1
1. From Tuesday on …
2. Messengers and messages: Teacher-researchers and the Fair Go Program student engagement framework
3. The action research
Section 2
Introduction to Section 2
4. Opening up pedagogical and physical spaces for learning: Dan – Brooke – Joanna – Christina
5. Opening up pedagogical and physical spaces for learning: Kim – Monica – Wazhma – Emmie
6. Opening up pedagogical and physical spaces for learning: Sarah – Brad – Melinda
7. Case study - whole school project: Flatland Public School
8. Case study - whole school project: Grassland Public School
9. Case study - whole school project: Hillside High School
Conclusion to Section 2
Section 3
Introduction to Section 3
10. Building dialogic spaces through inclusive conversations
11. From ‘strategies’ to ‘big ideas’ and ‘dispositions’
12. ‘I look forward to going to school, yep, every single day’: what students say about their classrooms
13. Implications and what next?
Appendix 1: Classroom planning guide
Appendix 2: Observation and reflection guide
Appendix 3: Record of mentoring meetings
Appendix 4 : Grassland PS - Extract from Coach’s log for one month/one teacher
About the Author :
Wayne Sawyer is Professor of Education and Director of Research in the School of Education at Western Sydney University.
Geoff Munns is Adjunct Associate Professor at Western Sydney University.
Katina Zammit is Director of Academic Program (Primary) and Lecturer at Western Sydney University.
Catherine Attard is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Western Sydney University.
Eva Vass is a Lecturer in the School of Education at Western Sydney University.
Caroline Hatton is a Research Assistant and Project Officer at Western Sydney University.
