Program 2

Identities, Equity and Pedagogies for Social Change
Lead By: Dr Karina Davis

The 'Identities, Equity and Pedagogies for Social Change' research program involves research projects that investigate the practices and processes of children's and adult's identity construction and reconstruction in educational settings. Projects are undertaken at local, state, national and international levels.

A key aim of the program is extend understandings of the intersections between educational settings, their equity effects now and in the future on the identities of teachers, children and parents. It has a specific focus on advancing theories of identity construction in relation to gender, 'race', class and sexuality. This work is combined with a suite of projects that investigate the practices and processes of creating pedagogical change in educational settings. They aims extend understandings of the possibilities, challenges and dilemmas produced by working for progressive social change within educational settings for children.

Whilst the CEIEC uses mixed-methods, field-based projects to build an approach and to advance its scholarship in this program of research it has a key focus on action-research projects that produce change in and through the research process and on projects that centre young children's voice as active research participants. The program draws on a diverse theoretical base including theories from within the new sociology of childhood, futures studies, cultural studies and critical, poststructuralist, postcolonial and critical race theories of change and of education.

Projects within this program include:

Current Projects

• Learning and growing respectfully together: children, carer and country
• Joint Learning Initiative on Children and Ethnic Diversity (JLICED)
• Building culturally relevant children's services delivery for remote Indigenous learners in the Kimberley
• Building Effective Partnerships Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Early Childhood Communities

Completed Projects

• Preschool children constructing cultural and 'racial' diversity
• Preschool equity and social diversity project
• Teachers' constructions of cultural and 'racial diversity' in early childhood settings
• RESPECT: Researching Equitable Staff Parent Relations in Early Childhood Today
• Parent involvement in early childhood services
• Sustaining pedagogical innovation and critical reflection in early childhood services
• Science and Equity in Early Childhood Services: Swanston Street Science Project
• Rethinking social justice and inclusion in children's services
• Student engagement: starting with the child
• Growing quality indicators for children’s services in Indigenous communities
  

Publications

Additional publications linked to program 2

Postgraduate projects linked to Program 2
Alexander, Kate. An Exploration Of Gender-Neutral Picture Book
Characters With Young Children. Masters by Research. Completed 2007.

Barnes, Sally. Transforming the Early Childhood Curriculum. Doctor of Philosophy. Ongoing.

Cruz, Merlyne. Cultural diversity and world views. Doctor of Philosophy. Ongoing.

Davis, Karina. Reconceptualising early childhood curriculum about indigenous Australians. Doctor of Philosophy. Completed 2004.

Kumchaiskul, Sumalee. Classrooms as contested spaces between teachers and students. Doctor of Philosophy. Ongoing.

Lopez, Susan. Indigenous Perspectives in the Early Childhood Curriculum. Doctor of Philosophy. Ongoing.

McKay, Brown Lisa. Improving student welfare through holistic culture change. Doctor of Philosophy. Ongoing.

Ortlipp, Michelle. Tertiary Supervisors Perceptions of Assessment in the Early Childhood Practicum. Doctor of Philosophy. Completed 2005.

Taylor, Louise. Reflective Practice As a Process of Change. Doctor of Philosophy. Completed 2008.

Knowledge transfer activities linked to Program 2
Conferences and Seminars
Event grant, Victorian Multicultural Commission (Heather Lawrence, Merlyne Cruz and Glenda Mac Naughton).

Multi-media
BECE Orientation Website Faculty IT Grant (Jane Page, Christine Ure and Glenda MacNaughton).

Infusing cultural diversity perspectives into the BECE orientation website. Faculty of Education, CD grant. (Project team – Jane Page).

INSPIRE (Inspiring New Strategies Practices & Institutions for Rethinking Education), on-line teaching and learning resource. Faculty of Education IT grant. (Project team – Glenda Mac Naughton, Jane Page, Merlyne Cruz, Gillian Williams and Heather Lawrence).

Other
Innovation in Early Childhood Curriculum. Training program for Chinese Welfare Institute (CWI), Shanghai, China. The CEIEC has run this program 3 times for the CWI. It draws on research from within this research program.