136 research outputs found

    “A Happy and Caring School”: Capturing the Voices of Dyslexic and Non-dyslexic Learners about Their Ideal and Actual School Experiences

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    The increase in the number of students with special educational needs (SEN) studying in mainstream schools in Singapore has led to growing development in inclusive education practices. However, there are few studies that have explored these students’ views about their schooling experiences and the barriers and support that they experience. This present study sought to explore the perspectives of dyslexic learners, their parents and educators on their views on an ideal school environment and actual mainstream primary school experiences. It was hoped that by finding discrepancies between the ideal and actual, the study would raise gaps in the provision and promote positive change in students’ mainstream school experience. Six pairs of dyslexic child-parent dyads, seven pairs of non-dyslexic child-parent dyads and 5 educators who have been in the support of dyslexic individuals in mainstream settings were recruited. All learners had either completed primary education or were in their last few months of completing primary school at the time of research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that dyslexic learners had a greater emphasis on their physiological and safety needs to be met. In contrast, non-dyslexic learners placed a greater focus on developing mastery and gaining in-depth knowledge, while considering the physical aesthetic needs of the learning environment. Dyslexic learners sought to have schools that offered a safe and supportive environment where there are no bullies. Their parents sought for provisions that would build their confidence and school engagement. Dyslexic learners who were interviewed generally had a mixed school experience. Regardless of SEN, all dyslexic and non-dyslexic learners faced the cultural pressure to excel academically, and some experienced bullying and peer difficulties. While all learners found a significant adult at school, the overall support offered varied within and across school and was limited. As stressed by all participants (dyslexic and non-dyslexic) groups, joint efforts by parents, teachers, school leaders, the education system and the wider society is needed to improve inclusion and school experience for all learners. Implications for schools and educational psychologist practice, and recommendations for future research are considered

    "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are (and where you are from)." Food, culture and re-membering in New Zealand: A case study approach.

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    This thesis focusses on processes of re-membering and the transmission of culturally patterned food-related practices across generations. Of particular interest is how the preparation, serving and eating of food acts to keep cultural traditions and memories alive. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by social constructionism, with ethnographic and hermeneutic traditions influencing methods used. The domestic space of the home provided a highly relevant research site where everyday food practices were enabled and enacted. Three dual-heritage, multi-generational households took part in a series of emplaced biographical ‘go-along’, ‘eat-along’ and photo-elicitation interviews. These went beyond just conversing and included the use of mapping, participant observation, photo-elicitation and go-along interview techniques, gridding (of photos), and the sharing of meals. The analysis considers each case in turn. The tension between past lives and current lived reality in the Marton household requires both Amy and Paul to construct their identities and sense of self on a daily basis. The shared cultural values of the Barrett household mitigates their differing ethnic heritages and food traditions, contributing towards emotional harmony within the home. The Linton household exemplifies the time scarcity common to many modern-day families. This lack of time directly impacts their everyday food-related practices. This thesis demonstrates that food – and its surrounding practices – acts as a tangible, visceral nexus for abstract concepts such as culture, class, and identity. Food related practices are deeply connected to processes of re-membering, identity construction, a sense of place and social relationships. The case studies in this thesis showcase the fluidity of culture, the hybridic nature of individual and group membership, and the changing nature of familial practices. The key themes of time, tradition, culture and change and further discussed. Essentially, food is interwoven into our everyday practices and embodies who we are and where we are from

    Navigating the Intersections of Migration and Motherhood in Online Communities: Digital Community Mothering and Migrant Maternal Imaginaries

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    This thesis explores the experiences of contemporary migrant mothers in Australia, through the lens of their online communities. Facebook groups created by and for migrant mothers from particular national, ethnic or linguistic communities have proliferated in the last decade. The analysis of these groups acts as a springboard to investigate how migrant mothers in Australia experience and respond to migration and motherhood, centring on four key areas: community-building and leadership; friendship and sociality; the emotions of motherhood and migration; and migrant mothers’ maternal practices, narratives and imaginaries.Literature and concepts from three distinct fields – motherhood studies, migration research and digital sociology – inform the research. Understandings of migration are extended and troubled by highlighting the importance of maternal social connection, not simply in relation to their partners and children or to the labour market, but also between mothers. The investigation of the role of migrant maternal Facebook groups in the everyday lives of migrant mothers also extends scholarship in digital sociology by bringing feminist, matricentric (A. O'Reilly 2016) and intersectional approaches into conversation with key themes relating to belonging, mobility and connection.The thesis involved a scoping exercise which mapped Australian online migrant mother’s groups, an online survey of women ‘mothering away from home’ , and semi-structured interviews with 41 migrant mothers from ten different countries living in Sydney and Melbourne, who were members of migrant mothers’ online groups. Fifteen of the interviewees held an administrator role in their group, and the digital and emotional labour involved in managing the groups became a central theme. The migrant maternal narratives elicited across the study demonstrate the role of the digital in managing the ruptures and connections of migrant motherhood. Mothers, as both consumers and producers of digital information and community, are shown to be working to effect settlement and create belonging for themselves and others.This thesis works to bring mothers out from the shadows of migration and digital social research. In order to achieve the task of making migrant mothers visible, new concepts have been introduced, such as ‘digital community mothering’, ‘relational settlement’, ‘affective settlement’ and ‘migrant maternal imagined communities’. The groups are representations of their collective maternal imaginary, as well as mechanisms for forging ‘real’ connections

    Programme of the 46th ICTM World Conference

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