Immigrant Student Teachers as Co-researchers

Kari Spernes

Abstract


This study is based on a project in which immigrant student teachers were involved as co-researchers in a teacher educator’s research project. The aim of the study is to highlight the students’ experiences of, and their opinions about, participating in a lecturer’s research project. The informants are six immigrant students in a teacher education (TE) program. Three of the students previously had been involved in the author’s research project before they enrolled in this study. Another three had not been involved, but they had followed the project through their classmates’ participation. Through qualitative interviews, the students reflected on the value of participating in a research project. The study indicates that immigrant students may acquire valuable knowledge through participation in teacher education research and that immigrant student teachers’ experiential knowledge may contribute to increased knowledge in the field of intercultural education

Keywords


co-researcher, experiential knowledge, immigrant student teacher, intercultural education, teacher education

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bahou, L. 2011. Rethinking the challenges and possibilities of students’ voice and agency. Educate, 1 (1): 2–14.

Bland, D., and B. Atweh. (2007). Students as researchers: Engaging students’ voices in PAR. Educational Action Research 15 (3): 337–449.

Bologna Declaration. 1999. Towards the European Higher European area. Conference of ministers responsible for higher education in 29 European countries (June), Bologna, Italy.

Bruner, J. S. 1996. The culture of education. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

Catarci, M. 2014. Intercultural education in the European context: Key remarks from a comparative study. Intercultural Education 25 (2): 95–104.

Cook-Sather, A. 2002. Authorizing students’ perspectives: Toward trust, dialogue, and change in education. Educational Researcher 31 (4): 3–14.

Curtis, W., A. Goodson, J. McDonnell, S. Shields, and R.Wyness. 2012. Learning together and expanding horizons: Reflections on a student - lecturer collaborative enquiry. Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences 4 (3): 1–11.

Eriksen, T. H. 2006. Trygghet [Safety]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Fielding, M. 2004. Transformative approaches to student voice: Theoretical underpinnings, recalcitrant realities. British Educational Research Journal, 30 (2): 295–311.

Fielding, M. 2011. Patterns of partnership: Students’ voice, intergenerational learning and democratic fellowship. Professional Learning and Development in School and Higher Education, 7 (1): 61–75.

Jackson, P. W. 1990. Life in classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Kuusisaari, H. 2014. Teachers at the zone of proximal development–Collaboration promoting or hindering the development process. Teaching and Teacher Education, 43: 46–57.

Maylor, U. 2009. “They do not relate to black people like usâ€: Black teachers as role models for black pupils. Journal of Education Policy, 24 (1): 1–21.

Meld. St. 18. 2012–2013. 2013. Lange linjer - kunnskap gir muligheter [Long-term perspectives – knowledge provides opportunity] Oslo: Departementenes servicesenter.

Messiou, K. 2014. Working with students as co-researchers in schools: A matter of inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18 (6): 601–613.

Ministry of Education and Research. 2012. Nasjonale retningslinjer for barnehagelaererutdanning [National guidelines for nursery education]. Oslo: Departementenes servicesenter.

Naidoo, L. 2015. Educating refugee-background students in Australian schools and universities. Intercultural Education, 26 (3): 210–217.

Pagani, C. 2014. Diversity and social cohesion. Intercultural Education, 25 (4): 300–311.

Päivikki J., and P. Nissilä. 2015. Identifying Themes for Research based

Development of Pedagogy and Guidance in Higher Education, Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 59 (1): 24–41.

Portera, A. 2008. Intercultural Education in Europe: Epistemological and Semantic Aspects. Intercultural Education, 19 (6): 481–491

Repstad, P. 1998. Mellom naerhet og distanse: Kvalitativ metode i samfunnsfag [Between closeness and distance: qualitative methods in social sciences]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Rigelman, N. M., and B. Ruben. 2012. Creating foundations for collaboration in schools: Utilizing professional learning communities to support teacher candidate. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28 (12): 979–989.

Smit, B. H. 2013. Young people as co-researchers: Enabling student participation in educational practice. Professional Development in Education, 39 (4): 550–573.

Smit, B. H., L. Plomp, and P. Ponte. 2010. Pupils and teacher as co-researchers: Conditions for equal voices. Paper presented at the “Symposium consulting young people: Why student voice matters†(chair: Professor Susan Groundwater-Smith) at the AARE Conference, Melbourne Australia.

Spernes, K. 2014a. Skolens betydning for den lave andelen av ungdom med innvandrerbakgrunn i lærerutdanningen. [The school's impact on the low percentage of young people with immigrant backgrounds in teacher training]. Tidsskrift for ungdomsforskning, 14 (2): 3–27.

Spernes, K. 2014b. En anerkjennende skole? - Elever med innvandrerbakgrunn og deres skoleerfaringer. [Recognition in school? - Immigrant students and their school experiences.] In: G. Afdal, Å. Røthing and E. Schjetne (Ed.). Empirisk etikk i pedagogiske praksiser, artikulasjon, forstyrrelse, ekspansjon. [Empirical ethics in educational practice]. Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

Stake, R. E. 2006. Multiple case study analysis. New York: Guilford Press.

UNCRC, 1989. Convention on the rights of the child (General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989). New York: The UN’s refugee agency.

Vähäsantanen, K. 2015. Professional agency in the stream of change: Understanding educational change and teachers professional identities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 47: 1–12.

Vygotsky, L. S. 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological Processes. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Westbury, I., S. E. Hansén, P. Kansanen, and O. Björkvist. 2005. Teacher education for researchâ€based practice in expanded roles: Finland’s experience. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 49 (5): 475–485.

Wilkins, C., and R. Lall. 2011. “You’ve got to be tough and I’m tryingâ€: Black and minority ethnic student teachers’ experiences of initial teacher education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 14 (3): 365–386.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493