- Faculty of Education
19 Ancora Imparo Way
Monash University
Clayton VIC 3800 - +61 3 9905 5396
Raqib Chowdhury
Monash University, Faculty of Education, Faculty Member
- Monash University, Education, Faculty Memberadd
- Dr Raqib Chowdhury taught English literature at the University of Dhaka (Bangladesh) from 1997 to 2004 as Lecturer an... moreDr Raqib Chowdhury taught English literature at the University of Dhaka (Bangladesh) from 1997 to 2004 as Lecturer and Assistant Professor, and then joined the Monash Faculty of Education upon completing his PhD here in 2008.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in English, a Master's degree in English Literature and a Master's degree in Education (TESOL) and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In his doctoral thesis he investigated how vested interest groups - such as universities and governments - construct and understand the term 'international' to establish the so-called 'needs' of international students in Australia and how such understanding is promoted for largely implicit commercial and hegemonic reasons. He is author of Desiring TESOL and International Education: Market Abuse and Exploitation (Multilingual Matters, 2014) and has published widely in the areas of TESOL and ELT, culture and pedagogy, English teacher education, international education, social justice and identity. Raqib has been invited as Keynote Speaker and Visiting Scholar at several international conferences and universities and he delivers seminars and workshops overseas for graduate research students on a regular basis.
His recent edited books are Engaging in Educational Research: Revisiting Policy and Practice in Bangladesh (Springer, 2018), Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education (Monash University Publishing, 2019), and Transformation and Empowerment through Education: Reconstructing Teaching and Learning (Routledge, 2019). His latest book is The Privatisation of Higher Education in Postcolonial Bangladesh: The Politics of Intervention and Control (Routledge, 2021).
Raqib received two Monash University Vice-Chancellor's Social Inclusion Awards in 2010 (Winner) and 2011 (Commendation), as well as the Dean's Award for Programs That Enhance Learning in 2012. In 2003 he won the Dean's Award for Outstanding Research Publication in the Faculty of Arts, Dhaka University, where he was teaching at the time.
In 2023, Raqib received the Monash Education Dean’s Excellence Award for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the President’s Commemorative Medal from Vietnam National University, the Rector’s Distinguished Scholar Award from the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam and was nominated as Monash Graduate Association Supervisor of the Year.
Raqib has supervised 16 PhD students to completion and is currently supervising seven. He is involved in a number of international collaborative projects involving Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and China on the themes of higher education reform, teacher training and professional development, and research capacity building.
Raqib is recognised as an Indonesian Expert with the Monash Herb Feith Indonesian Engagement Centre.edit
Engaging with Australasia: Comparative Research on ELT and English Teacher Education is a lively collection of the latest collaborative intercultural research into English language teaching (ELT) and English teacher education in Asia,... more
Engaging with Australasia: Comparative Research on ELT and English Teacher Education is a lively collection of the latest collaborative intercultural research into English language teaching (ELT) and English teacher education in Asia, South-East Asia and Australia. It emerges from a partnership between University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), in Vietnam National University (VNU), and the Faculty of Education, Monash University, in Australia. The authors are predominantly doctoral students and teacher educator researchers from Vietnam and Australia, who deploy a range of methodologies and technologies to enable them to collaboratively investigate aspects of English education policy, curriculum, practices, or identities in a range of Asian, South-East Asian and Australian contexts.
My chapter in this book.
https://www.academia.edu/38445446/Identy_equity_and_social_justic_-_Lilly_-_Raqib_Final.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/38445446/Identy_equity_and_social_justic_-_Lilly_-_Raqib_Final.pdf
This book addresses the complexities of and challenges in the privatisation of higher education and the intricate politics behind it in the context of postcolonial Bangladesh. While presenting a chronology of the evolution of higher... more
This book addresses the complexities of and challenges in the privatisation of higher education and the intricate politics behind it in the context of postcolonial Bangladesh. While presenting a chronology of the evolution of higher education as the broad canvas, it focuses on a number of key aspects of the privatisation of higher education in Bangladesh from postcolonial perspectives. These include financial modes of higher education, quality assurance and its governance and administration, higher education curriculum and pedagogies, as well as the notion of and debate surrounding private higher education as a ‘private’ or ‘public’ good. The book explores these issues in relation to the desire for developing a distinctly ‘Bangladeshi form’ of privatisation model and its practices in higher education. Against this backdrop, the book also critically examines the roles local and global forces have been playing in shaping such a Bangladeshi form of privatisation of higher education. The critical discussion adds complexity to the discourses of ‘globalisation from above’ and situates the often idiosyncratic ways in which higher education reform has shaped in this part of the world.
Research Interests:
Transformation and Empowerment through Education challenges the normalisation of Western discourses as the optimal choice for empowering education. The book aims to reconstruct our relationship with education and employs contemporary... more
Transformation and Empowerment through Education challenges the normalisation of Western discourses as the optimal choice for empowering education. The book aims to reconstruct our relationship with education and employs contemporary theories in order to understand some of the most persistent phenomena in contemporary education and its role in our lives. Written by professionals with experience of a wide range of academic and institutional conventions and traditions, and from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, this book effectively presents a global perspective on educational practices, both inside and outside the classroom. The range of topics covered includes equity, access, inclusivity, social justice, leadership and the internationalisation of teaching. This book, based on empirical studies using key methodologies, is ideal for academics and postgraduate researchers interested in critical pedagogy, educational studies and educational linguistics, as well as educators and policymakers around the world.
Research Interests:
This book reflects the paradigm shift now manifesting in Bangladesh’s education system by highlighting recent empirical research. It shares essential insights by presenting research conducted on diverse aspects of current day education in... more
This book reflects the paradigm shift now manifesting in Bangladesh’s education system by highlighting recent empirical research. It shares essential insights by presenting research conducted on diverse aspects of current day education in Bangladesh, including policy and governance, equity, access and participation, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment, and education programs and projects run by NGOs. Further, it offers a platform for these unique studies to be showcased and disseminated to scholars and researchers from developing and developed countries alike, and represents a unique reference resource for the education research community in Bangladesh, Asia and all over the world.
Research Interests: South-East Asia, Bangladesh, Educational reform, Bangladesh Studies, Primary Education System in Bangladesh, and 8 moreBangladeshi Education, Bangladesh ELT, Politicization of Education in Bangladesh, ELT in Bangladesh, Secondary English Education in Bangladesh, Higher education in Bangladesh, Education Policy Bangladesh, and education reform bangladesh
Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of... more
Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives that inform notions of social justice across Asia Pacific educational environments. While frequently featuring as a key concept in both policy and practice, social justice is understood differently by educators and policy makers in different contexts and regions. Case studies of equality and justice, fairness and equity, within educational institutions of the Asia Pacific, inform and innovatively contribute to wider contemporary scholarly and public debates. This book facilitates a more nuanced understanding of the cultural dimensions of social justice and allows future researchers to apply new frameworks of understanding that are becoming of increasing relevance to educational practices.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This book addresses how Western universities have constructed themselves as global providers of education, and are driven to be globally competitive. It examines how the term ‘international’ has been exploited by the market in the form of... more
This book addresses how Western universities have constructed themselves as global providers of education, and are driven to be globally competitive. It examines how the term ‘international’ has been exploited by the market in the form of government educational policies and agencies, host institutions, academia and the mass media. The book explores matters relating to the role of the English language in international education in general and the field of TESOL in particular. It demonstrates how English and TESOL have exercised their symbolic power, coupled with the desire for international education, to create convenient identities for international TESOL students. It also discusses the complexity surrounding and informing these students’ painful yet sophisticated appropriation of and resistance to the convenient labels they are subjected to.
Research Interests: Higher Education, International Education, TESOL, Education Policy, Commodification, and 6 moreCommodification of Education, Australian Higher Education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Educational Commodification, Australian International education, and australian higher education policy
This book houses contemporary theoretical and empirical studies in Asian settings and interfaces to explore the complexities of the policies, practices and outcomes of English Language education within these shifting environments. Each... more
This book houses contemporary theoretical and empirical studies in Asian settings and interfaces to explore the complexities of the policies, practices and outcomes of English Language education within these shifting environments. Each chapter in a unique way challenges, unpacks and critiques existing misconceptions and pre-conceived assumptions of the use, learning and teaching of English in today’s postmodern, globalised era. While some contributors have brought such issues to the forefront through a critical consideration of histories and policies, others have explored how English is enacted in the classroom and across a range of educational settings. Together the chapters highlight the current discrepancies and inconsistencies in different areas of interest in the field of ELT, and to provide carefully considered suggestions on how to address these issues.
The pervasive binary that has divided ‘non-research’ school teachers from their university counterparts in relation to their relative position towards research, has consolidated the idea that research is the territory of university... more
The pervasive binary that has divided ‘non-research’ school teachers from their university counterparts in relation to their relative position towards research, has consolidated the idea that research is the territory of university academics only. Partly to blame for this scenario is the school culture that insists and normalises that teachers ‘just’ teach and are not capable of research.
Teachers themselves on the other hand often complain of having little time or energy left for research because of heavy workload as well as a lack of extrinsic rewards for research-based activities. Why should teachers do research when they are already overwhelmed with the daily tasks of teaching and other school commitments?
Yet school teachers are indeed not just capable of doing research but are already involved in the same intellectual engagement as researchers - such as participating in everyday practices of reflective inquiry on their teaching performance and classroom interaction. These activities however are not acknowledged as research, often because the engagement is ‘casual’, undocumented and not subjected to the critical scrutiny of other teachers.
The intellectual pursuit of learning about new theories and approaches of teaching and learning, keeping abreast of current research through reading journals and conducting action research on a regular basis are no longer activities confined to the publish-or-perish dictum of university academics. In a world of an increasing awareness of equity, access and social justice, research becomes our responsibility in our pursuit to achieve the best outcomes for all. As researchers it is also crucial to disseminate our work to a wider audience and to see it as an integral part of our own ongoing professional development.
This paper looks into the importance of research to improve teaching and how it facilitates teachers into forming collaborative partnerships with their peers in integrating research into their everyday practices. It highlights why and how research needs to be the foundation upon which our everyday pedagogical practices should be built upon and informed by, because it is only through research that we can live up to the promises we have espoused as teachers.
Teachers themselves on the other hand often complain of having little time or energy left for research because of heavy workload as well as a lack of extrinsic rewards for research-based activities. Why should teachers do research when they are already overwhelmed with the daily tasks of teaching and other school commitments?
Yet school teachers are indeed not just capable of doing research but are already involved in the same intellectual engagement as researchers - such as participating in everyday practices of reflective inquiry on their teaching performance and classroom interaction. These activities however are not acknowledged as research, often because the engagement is ‘casual’, undocumented and not subjected to the critical scrutiny of other teachers.
The intellectual pursuit of learning about new theories and approaches of teaching and learning, keeping abreast of current research through reading journals and conducting action research on a regular basis are no longer activities confined to the publish-or-perish dictum of university academics. In a world of an increasing awareness of equity, access and social justice, research becomes our responsibility in our pursuit to achieve the best outcomes for all. As researchers it is also crucial to disseminate our work to a wider audience and to see it as an integral part of our own ongoing professional development.
This paper looks into the importance of research to improve teaching and how it facilitates teachers into forming collaborative partnerships with their peers in integrating research into their everyday practices. It highlights why and how research needs to be the foundation upon which our everyday pedagogical practices should be built upon and informed by, because it is only through research that we can live up to the promises we have espoused as teachers.
Research Interests:
Often to be ‘critical’ is seen as pejorative - as synonymous to finding fault, and in the academic context this is also often seen as a sign of disrespect, even arrogance - hence best avoided. Yet studies and research at the graduate... more
Often to be ‘critical’ is seen as pejorative - as synonymous to finding fault, and in the academic context this is also often seen as a sign of disrespect, even arrogance - hence best avoided. Yet studies and research at the graduate level and beyond are quintessentially founded upon our understanding and practice of criticality and critical thinking. This presentation unpacks the philosophical foundations upon which criticality in the social sciences is based, and offers insights into some questions - how can we be critical without being judgemental? How can a critical outlook enhance our understanding of theories? How can we best reflect our critical stance in our writing?
In addressing such complexities, the presentation will also discuss how, as much as our personal biases can have a detrimental effect on our research, when used judiciously, they can also be a fruitful and unique resource in understanding social phenomena. We look at ways in which we can develop a critical disposition as learner and educators, one that makes our engagement with learning and research not only more meaningful, but one that opens up unique avenues that lead to higher order thinking and innovation. Given the continuing preference for and predominance of quantitative research in developing countries, this presentation will also highlight how qualitative research can yield outcomes that resonate more with the major preoccupations of contemporary educational research such as empowerment, equity and the need for social justice.
In addressing such complexities, the presentation will also discuss how, as much as our personal biases can have a detrimental effect on our research, when used judiciously, they can also be a fruitful and unique resource in understanding social phenomena. We look at ways in which we can develop a critical disposition as learner and educators, one that makes our engagement with learning and research not only more meaningful, but one that opens up unique avenues that lead to higher order thinking and innovation. Given the continuing preference for and predominance of quantitative research in developing countries, this presentation will also highlight how qualitative research can yield outcomes that resonate more with the major preoccupations of contemporary educational research such as empowerment, equity and the need for social justice.
Research Interests:
Within the pressures of a crowded curriculum and in an increasingly diversified classroom, one of our major challenges is to satisfactorily respond to the learning needs of every student in a fair and equitable manner. This becomes even... more
Within the pressures of a crowded curriculum and in an increasingly diversified classroom, one of our major challenges is to satisfactorily respond to the learning needs of every student in a fair and equitable manner. This becomes even more complex in the EFL context of a country as culturally and linguistically diverse as Indonesia.
This presentation problematises the dangers of homogenising and thus oversimplifying the needs of our students as ‘typical’ EFL learners. Despite its wide practice, the idea of one-size-fits-all instruction has been criticised as not just ineffective but socially unjust and inequitable. As educators, today we need to be aware of the social justice agenda of our profession, adopting a more responsive approach with differentiated instruction – one that allows teachers to accommodate and build on students' diverse learning needs by acknowledging and respecting their individual differences.
A differentiated approach to teaching allows us to recognise how the composition of our classrooms has changed due to not only technology and socio-economics, but because of the needs of students with various physical and learning disabilities, life experiences, learning preferences, personal interests, as well as varying levels of readiness. To that extent, the provision of differentiation essentially becomes a prerequisite for fairness and equal opportunities to learn, which maximises students’ learning.
This presentation will offer ideas on our core agenda of providing equitable, socially just and fair learning opportunities to all students and allow us to move towards a more dynamic curriculum in which diversity is valued through the adoption of a differentiated instruction approach. The presentation also discusses some of the mechanics of managing a differentiated classroom and the practicalities of ensuring this within the confines of state-regulated curriculum and assessment. In particular, we look at the EFL environment in Indonesia and consider how to adopt a balanced approach between individualised instruction and teaching uniformly in a time of great academic diversity in contemporary classrooms.
This presentation problematises the dangers of homogenising and thus oversimplifying the needs of our students as ‘typical’ EFL learners. Despite its wide practice, the idea of one-size-fits-all instruction has been criticised as not just ineffective but socially unjust and inequitable. As educators, today we need to be aware of the social justice agenda of our profession, adopting a more responsive approach with differentiated instruction – one that allows teachers to accommodate and build on students' diverse learning needs by acknowledging and respecting their individual differences.
A differentiated approach to teaching allows us to recognise how the composition of our classrooms has changed due to not only technology and socio-economics, but because of the needs of students with various physical and learning disabilities, life experiences, learning preferences, personal interests, as well as varying levels of readiness. To that extent, the provision of differentiation essentially becomes a prerequisite for fairness and equal opportunities to learn, which maximises students’ learning.
This presentation will offer ideas on our core agenda of providing equitable, socially just and fair learning opportunities to all students and allow us to move towards a more dynamic curriculum in which diversity is valued through the adoption of a differentiated instruction approach. The presentation also discusses some of the mechanics of managing a differentiated classroom and the practicalities of ensuring this within the confines of state-regulated curriculum and assessment. In particular, we look at the EFL environment in Indonesia and consider how to adopt a balanced approach between individualised instruction and teaching uniformly in a time of great academic diversity in contemporary classrooms.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Worldwide travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly changed the norms of conducting qualitative research. Online interviews, long regarded as a second choice to their offline counterparts, are no longer seen as... more
Worldwide travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly changed the norms of conducting qualitative research. Online interviews, long regarded as a second choice to their offline counterparts, are no longer seen as supplementary since they emerged as the dominant mode of data collection during the pandemic. This study employs an autoethnographic approach to investigate the authors’ experiences of adjusting to alternative methodological approaches. The investigation critically reflects on how the author’s agencies in allocating and gathering instructional, social, and economic resources led to a researcher identity reconfigured by choices in making ethical commitment in data collection. This article also sheds light on how the authors, constrained by limited resources, gained better understanding of ethics in practice through negotiation with participants and obtained rich data by exercising their agencies. The article argues that researchers need to place both online and offline methods on equal footing to facilitate a more ethically sensitive approach to data collection.
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Research Interests:
The recent decades have seen major—and in some cases unprecedented—changes in Bangladesh’s education sector, sometimes in ways distinct from other countries in the region and globally. Given its history of nearly two centuries of British... more
The recent decades have seen major—and in some cases unprecedented—changes in Bangladesh’s education sector, sometimes in ways distinct from other countries in the region and globally. Given its history of nearly two centuries of British colonial rule, as well as a religion- and language-based national identity that eventually saw the country transition from being a province in the British-ruled Subcontinent to an independent country, influences of such political histories can often be felt unmistakably in the way education is understood and enacted in current day Bangladesh. In addressing some of the persistent trends of education, this book presents, as much as it critiques, educational practices across a range of sectors—from primary to higher education, from formal to the informal and the on-demand, and looks into practices in teaching and pedagogy, curriculum planning and assessment, policymaking, administration and leadership. This chapter sets the scene for the studies showcased in this volume, first by giving an overview of education in Bangladesh, and introducing the structure of its education. It then discusses the roles of the various stakeholders in education, highlighting issues and topics that have been picked up by chapter authors as the themes in the book. This chapter is primarily intended for international readers to familiarise them with some of the basics of Bangladesh’s education today and the emerging realities in this context in recent times. In doing so, the chapter presents the most persistent interests of education researchers all of whom have had many years of teaching and research training and experience both nationally and internationally.
Research Interests:
This article reports on a study examining the implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) in Bangladesh in general and at the University of Dhaka in particular. When CLT was first introduced across Europe, the English as a... more
This article reports on a study examining the implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) in Bangladesh in general and at the University of Dhaka in particular. When CLT was first introduced across Europe, the English as a foreign language (EFL) context in which it would inevitably be applied was not considered. Here university EFL teachers discuss the problems and contradictions associated with adopting this western-forged methodology. One paradox faced by the teachers was that of an essentially learner-centred curriculum in a tradition where the centrality of the teacher is the culturally and socially sanctioned basis of teaching. Although in developing countries we cannot afford simply to retreat to traditional teaching methods, the study suggests the need for an educational agenda set within a new post-colonial framework which acknowledges the importance of the adaptation of CLT and recognises the significance of its applicability in Bangladesh.
Research Interests: Psychology, Education, English, Pedagogy, Developing Countries, and 15 moreBangladesh, Curriculum, Language Teaching, Foreign Language, Organization, Elt Methodology, Organisation, Communicative Language Teaching, Communicative Competence, Centrality, Bangladesh ELT, ELT in Bangladesh, Australian education, Communicative Approach, and Globalisation
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PurposeAdult student identities within EAL (English as an Additional Language) classrooms have often been positioned as static, homogenised and exoticised within scholarly literature. Within such positioning, teachers have embraced... more
PurposeAdult student identities within EAL (English as an Additional Language) classrooms have often been positioned as static, homogenised and exoticised within scholarly literature. Within such positioning, teachers have embraced pedagogical practices which classify students by country of origin and represent student identities within binaries of Self and the Other, limiting these students' identity positionings for adoption within the EAL classroom. As a result, students are often rendered voiceless by essentialist discourses on culture and identity in the classroom that serve to replicate and reinforce dominant societal discourses and strengthen existing institutional power structures.Design/methodology/approachBy drawing on a postcolonial theoretical framework comprising theories of race, identity, power, representation, synecdoche and Third Space, this paper interrogates current literature to understand the complex multidimensional and dynamic cultural identities of adult EAL students.FindingsThis paper reveals that adult EAL students are still being oversimplified within the classroom, not just disadvantaging students and institutions, but also hindering multicultural pedagogies.Originality/valueThis paper suggests that teachers require opportunities for critical reflection incorporated within a critical pedagogy in decolonised classrooms that can not only build respectful and equitable awareness of their students' cultural identities and educational and historical backgrounds but provide important implications for effective pedagogical practices.
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Research Interests:
While contemporary research has showcased numerous studies on the transformative themes of equity, inclusiveness, access, identity and social justice in education contexts, these studies have been predominantly framed, explored and... more
While contemporary research has showcased numerous studies on the transformative themes of equity, inclusiveness, access, identity and social justice in education contexts, these studies have been predominantly framed, explored and understood through ‘Western’ understandings, which have often failed to sufficiently problematise these themes in the settings of developing or underdeveloped countries, such as those in the Asia Pacific region. Indeed, some studies have indicated the insufficiency of Western discourses in understanding how these themes are enacted under conditions markedly different from the developed West. This has necessitated research that recognises the relevance of alternative understandings and one, in part, that makes reference to a wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives available in the literature from the Asia Pacific region – a growing reaction, one could say, to the predominance of Western social theories employed in these studies. Education’s connection to social justice (or, perhaps, the other way round) is inevitable – because of how it produces learners’ social and cultural identities in an increasingly multicultural milieu. Education is a rich setting in which the spatio-temporal dimensions of social justice issues are enacted on a daily basis.
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Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of... more
Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives that inform notions of social justice across Asia Pacific educational environments. While frequently featuring as a key concept in both policy and practice, social justice is understood differently by educators and policy makers in different contexts and regions. Case studies of equality and justice, fairness and equity, within educational institutions of the Asia Pacific, inform and innovatively contribute to wider contemporary scholarly and public debates. This book facilitates a more nuanced understanding of the cultural dimensions of social justice and allows future researchers to apply new frameworks of understanding that are becoming of increasing relevance to educational practices.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The increased politicisation of the question of ‘who is Indigenous’ can be seen as a result of success in the attainment of legal recognition – often through international laws – of Indigenous peoples around the world. Consequently,... more
The increased politicisation of the question of ‘who is Indigenous’ can be seen as a result of success in the attainment of legal recognition – often through international laws – of Indigenous peoples around the world. Consequently, international organisations, host states, non-governmental organisations and researchers have each attempted to develop their own definitional standards of native peoples over the last five decades, although, as Corntassel (2003) points out, this is best answered by Indigenous communities themselves.
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Research Interests:
Although power manifests as a form of social behavior through language, how it contributes to business English lingua franca (BELF) discourses remains underresearched. This article problematizes how perceptions of power dynamics manifest... more
Although power manifests as a form of social behavior through language, how it contributes to business English lingua franca (BELF) discourses remains underresearched. This article problematizes how perceptions of power dynamics manifest through choices of BELF discourses as practiced in the Bangladeshi ready-made garments (RMG) industry. Data for this study were collected from interviews with three levels of business professionals. Findings show that perceived power is embedded in everyday business discourses to both empower and disempower speakers and influence differences in their language use. Specifically, perceived organizational position, business position, linguistic ability, and sociocultural identity impacted language differences.
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1 Education in Bangladesh: Changing contexts and emerging realities -- Section 1 Access, Equity and Quality in Education -- 2 Policy-relevant Education Research: A study of access, quality and equity in Bangladesh -- 3 Analysing... more
1 Education in Bangladesh: Changing contexts and emerging realities -- Section 1 Access, Equity and Quality in Education -- 2 Policy-relevant Education Research: A study of access, quality and equity in Bangladesh -- 3 Analysing Bottlenecks to Equal Participation in Primary Education in Bangladesh: An equity perspective -- 4 Education in Emergencies: Examining an alternative endeavour in Bangladesh -- 5 Students' Sense of Belonging in Urban Junior Secondary Schools in Bangladesh: Grades, academic achievement and school satisfaction -- 6 Social Class Systems in Communicative Language Teaching in Bangladesh -- 7 Secondary School Teachers' Views on Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs in Regular Classrooms -- 8 Teachers as Leaders and Learners: Building teacher leadership in Bangladeshi -- 9 Collaborative Partnerships Within Communities of Practice: The need for school-based action research in Bangladesh -- Section 2 Reformation of Curriculum, Assessment and Tea...
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In recent years, English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea has experienced significant transformation from a grammar-based to a communicative language curriculum. Commencing in 1995, the Korean government began employing native... more
In recent years, English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea has experienced significant transformation from a grammar-based to a communicative language curriculum. Commencing in 1995, the Korean government began employing native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) to support Korean English teachers’ (non-NESTs) implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) in Korean public schools. However, the Korean government has recently reduced funding for employment of NESTs in response to their alleged ineffective professional practices. This study takes a qualitative approach to understand factors that influence NESTs professional practices in Korean primary schools. Semi-structured interviews in English and Korean, respectively, were employed to investigate NESTs’ and non-NESTs’ views on the topic. Findings of this study indicate that there are a range of factors that negatively influence NESTs’ professional practices. This study also investigates the professional development and training needs from the perspective of NESTs and local English teachers regarding young English language learners in South Korean public primary schools.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Sociology, Multi- & Bilingualism & Biliteracy, Immigration, Australia, Bilingual Education, and 12 moreTeaching English As A Foreign Language, Immigrant children, Language Policy, Language Maintenance and Shift, Bilingualism, Codeswitching, Family Language Planning, Language Loss, Family Language Policy, Heritage Language, Family Language Policies, and Family Language Planning (FLP)
Although the effect of teacher and peer feedback on writing improvement in the field of second language teaching has been discussed in scholarly research for several decades, student engagement with both forms of feedback integrated into... more
Although the effect of teacher and peer feedback on writing improvement in the field of second language teaching has been discussed in scholarly research for several decades, student engagement with both forms of feedback integrated into a sequence of discovery, correction and revision remains under-researched. This study investigates the impact of feedback during a teaching sequence to support students' writing development, along with students' engagement in each phase of the teaching design. Drawing on Vygotsky's concept of guided learning, the teaching sequence was developed to prioritise collaborative group work and address students' limited engagement with feedback-correction and revision practices. The sequence was administered to 31 Vietnamese secondary students over eight weeks, from which an exploratory method was adopted. The analysis of data from audio recordings and groups' rewritten texts exhibited varied levels of student engagement. Importantly, the findings demonstrate the potential for integrating forms of feedback into the correcting sequence through groupbased tasks to maximise students' learning.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The pervasive binary that has divided ‘research-incapable’ school teachers from university academics has often led school teachers to believe that research is the prerogative task of so-called ‘experts’ in education – university... more
The pervasive binary that has divided ‘research-incapable’ school teachers from university academics has often led school teachers to believe that research is the prerogative task of so-called ‘experts’ in education – university academics, while their job is merely to translate and implement the results of research. Even if school teachers were to carry out research, the common perception is that it is of questionable validity. Teachers themselves on the other hand often complain of having little time or energy left for research because of heavy workload as well as a lack of extrinsic rewards for research-based activities. Why should teachers do research when they are already overwhelmed with the daily tasks of teaching and teaching-related commitments? This paper, based on a critical analysis of literature on teacher research, as well as a consideration of a number of recent action research projects in Bangladesh, looks at why it is important for teachers and academics to form collaborative partnerships by integrating research into their everyday practices and how this has benefits for both. The two objectives of this paper are each aimed at its two main readers – to familiarise or re-familiarise school teachers with research, in terms of why this is needed and how they can be involved in it within the daily challenges of teaching, and to encourage university teachers, for their own benefit, to build collaborative partnerships with school teachers to build truly meaningful and useful education research. This is possible when everyone can see opportunities for all to benefit from being part of a community of practice and to invest in the trustful symbiotic and complementary roles between school and university teachers.
Research Interests:
The recent decades have seen major—and in some cases unprecedented—changes in Bangladesh’s education sector, sometimes in ways distinct from other countries in the region and globally. Given its history of nearly two centuries of British... more
The recent decades have seen major—and in some cases unprecedented—changes in Bangladesh’s education sector, sometimes in ways distinct from other countries in the region and globally. Given its history of nearly two centuries of British colonial rule, as well as a religion- and language-based national identity that eventually saw the country transition from being a province in the British-ruled Subcontinent to an independent country, influences of such political histories can often be felt unmistakably in the way education is understood and enacted in current day Bangladesh. In addressing some of the persistent trends of education, this book presents, as much as it critiques, educational practices across a range of sectors—from primary to higher education, from formal to the informal and the on-demand, and looks into practices in teaching and pedagogy, curriculum planning and assessment, policymaking, administration and leadership. This chapter sets the scene for the studies showcased in this volume, first by giving an overview of education in Bangladesh, and introducing the structure of its education. It then discusses the roles of the various stakeholders in education, highlighting issues and topics that have been picked up by chapter authors as the themes in the book. This chapter is primarily intended for international readers to familiarise them with some of the basics of Bangladesh’s education today and the emerging realities in this context in recent times. In doing so, the chapter presents the most persistent interests of education researchers all of whom have had many years of teaching and research training and experience both nationally and internationally.
Research Interests:
This paper critically analyses 52 Australian and 68 Pakistani pre-service teachers’ (PST) perceptions of professional standards for teachers enabling the comparison of teacher preparation in the two countries. A multivariate analysis of... more
This paper critically analyses 52 Australian and 68 Pakistani pre-service teachers’ (PST) perceptions of professional standards for teachers enabling the comparison of teacher preparation in the two countries. A multivariate analysis of variance tested the hypothesis that an integrated standards-based teacher preparation program was more effective for professional skills and competencies development than a non-integrated one. While the Australian PSTs undertaking a standards-integrated curriculum reported significantly higher levels of professional preparation in ten areas of professional Standards, their Pakistani counterparts - who were not exposed to such curriculum - reported inadequate preparation. The findings have implications for teacher educators and policy makers involved in the development of pre-service teacher programs.
This article critically explores the understandings about the English academic literacy needs of international graduate students from the perspective of academic teaching staff in a Faculty of Education at a large Australian university.... more
This article critically explores the understandings about the English academic literacy needs of international graduate students from the perspective of academic teaching staff in a Faculty of Education at a large Australian university. Research suggests that international graduate students for whom English is another language, on coming to English speaking countries, acquire English academic literacies as part of a complex set of academic competencies needed for successful graduate study. In this study, 16 academic teaching staff participated in focus groups and revealed their understandings and practices about academic literacies in the context of their experiences of working with international graduate students as teachers and supervisors. Emergent thematic analysis and Bourdieu’s ideas of doxa, field, and habitus were used to examine the data. Findings revealed a range of beliefs about what international graduate students need regarding academic literacies and language support, ...
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In rural Bangladesh, most people speak English with a regional accent which is generally not intelligible to Non-Native Bengali Speakers (NBS). Although NBS understand each other, this type of pronunciation creates problems for many... more
In rural Bangladesh, most people speak English with a regional accent which is generally not intelligible to Non-Native Bengali Speakers (NBS). Although NBS understand each other, this type of pronunciation creates problems for many Bangladeshis, like handicapping students studying abroad, professionals migrating to Anglophone countries, tourists and businessmen, government officials and diplomats, communicating with their foreign counterparts, at home and abroad. This investigation was undertaken with a view to bringing this serious problem to the attention of relevant stakeholders of English education in Bangladesh such as teachers, researchers, course planners and policy makers. One of the key aims was to find out if secondary school teachers would accept English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and intelligible pronunciation and be prepared to learn and teach their students simplified versions of English pronunciation and spoken English, which would be not just easy to learn and teach, ...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Identity (Culture), Race and Ethnicity, and 10 moreBangladesh, Indigenous Peoples, Identity construction and cultural production, Ethnicity, chakma Language, Chakma, Chakma People, Nationalism and identity construction, Chakmas issue in Bangladesh, and Chakma Tribes
Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of... more
Beginning with the conceptualisation that the way we think of social justice will depend on our understanding of who we are, Equity, Identity and Social Justice in Asia Pacific Education recognises and responds to the wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives that inform notions of social justice across Asia Pacific educational environments. While frequently featuring as a key concept in both policy and practice, social justice is understood differently by educators and policy makers in different contexts and regions. Case studies of equality and justice, fairness and equity, within educational institutions of the Asia Pacific, inform and innovatively contribute to wider contemporary scholarly and public debates. This book facilitates a more nuanced understanding of the cultural dimensions of social justice and allows future researchers to apply new frameworks of understanding that are becoming of increasing relevance to educational practices.
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In the current world of business, English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF) is used in both spoken and written communication and underpinned by the paradigm of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). While a number of research studies have... more
In the current world of business, English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF) is used in both spoken and written communication and underpinned by the paradigm of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). While a number of research studies have been conducted exploring the spoken discourse facets of BELF users, relatively little attention has been paid hitherto to explore BELF written discourse facets, particularly, in business e-mail communication. This article examines how the BELF community discursively practices written discourse in their business e-mails. Data have been drawn from a pool of 92 e-mail messages collected from the business personnel engaged in international communications from five ready-made garments business organizations located in Bangladesh. These e-mails were exchanged between nonnative English speakers working as business personnel in the ready-made garments sector in Bangladesh and their counterparts—including both native and nonnative English speakers employed in s...
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, English language, English as a Lingua Franca, E Mail Interactions, Bangladesh, and 9 moreBusiness Communication, E-Mail, ELF, English for Business and Economics, English for Business Communication, English for Business Purposes, English Language, Email use, and English As a Lingua Franca ELF
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ABSTRACT For international students undertaking higher education in English-speaking countries, often social and academic competencies are at odds with the expectations of the classroom discourse communities and the normative behaviours... more
ABSTRACT For international students undertaking higher education in English-speaking countries, often social and academic competencies are at odds with the expectations of the classroom discourse communities and the normative behaviours and practices of these communities. This conceptual paper argues that despite some scholarly studies seeing such international experience as a process of adjustment in a one-way transmissive exchange, international students often activate their agency to recognise the nature of normative behaviours and classroom practices, align themselves to these, and when necessary resist or use affordances to empower themselves and become legitimate members of their classroom communities. International education, thus, shapes international students’ identities through not just their conformity to institutional expectations, but crucially to their responses to the practices, challenges, and opportunities for empowerment, and continuous self-realisation of their current view of their selves and the desired outcome of their selves.
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Written primarily for new or early-career researchers and postgraduate students, this paper problematises some of the foundational concepts any beginning researcher will come across when conducting research for the first time.... more
Written primarily for new or early-career researchers and postgraduate students, this paper problematises some of the foundational concepts any beginning researcher will come across when conducting research for the first time. Understanding the oft-confused, abstract, yet important notions of ontology, epistemology and paradigms can be a daunting obstacle in the experience of a new researcher, yet there are nearly no ways of sidelining these if we were to meaningfully plan, construct and execute our research. Through familiar examples, this article engages in discussing the research approach and design and how these are grounded in the ways a researcher thinks about and understands the world - in other words, how their ontological and epistemological positions determine the methodological choices they make. As well as problematising these concepts, the article also compares the qualitative and quantitative approaches, and critically considers how, in some ways, qualitative studies c...
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This paper presents a systematic qualitative review of relevant literature, documents and reports, and critically discusses issues facing international students undertaking work-integrated learning (WIL) activities as part of their higher... more
This paper presents a systematic qualitative review of relevant literature, documents and reports, and critically discusses issues facing international students undertaking work-integrated learning (WIL) activities as part of their higher education in Australia. Initiatives utilised to better support international students on these WIL placements are described. Based on an evaluation of the data reviewed, the discussion highlights two main challenges to international students’ employment experiences: a limited competence in English communication, and a limited understanding of the local working context. In seeking explanations for the above, the authors identified factors such as inadequate student-entry procedures, limited opportunities for socialisation, limited input in cultural protocols, and the lack of soft-skills training. The recommended solutions include more uniformity between government and employer sectors, increased acceptance and support for multicultural diversity, an...
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The aim of this research was to assess teacher educators’ knowledge, perceptions and understanding of the Strengthening Teacher Education in Pakistan (STEP) project which was designed to develop professional standards for teachers in... more
The aim of this research was to assess teacher educators’ knowledge, perceptions and understanding of the Strengthening Teacher Education in Pakistan (STEP) project which was designed to develop professional standards for teachers in Pakistan. Using a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, data were collected from teacher educators (N=12) across various elementary and secondary teacher education programs. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified teachers’ firm belief in the need for change and reform, the relevance of teaching standards to current day Pakistan, support for implementation, and confidence in implementing teaching standards. Overall, participant responses indicated that all teacher educators believed that professional standards were appropriate as a set of guided principles encapsulating a professional body of knowledge, which ideally provided the benchmark and framework to assist preservice teachers in implementing effective teaching pract...
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This exploratory study investigated Vietnamese secondary students’ engagement in a sequence of detecting, correcting, and rewriting tasks, and examined the factors affecting their engagement and/or disengagement in the process. The study... more
This exploratory study investigated Vietnamese secondary students’ engagement in a sequence of detecting, correcting, and rewriting tasks, and examined the factors affecting their engagement and/or disengagement in the process. The study draws on the principles of task-based instruction, involving eight mixed-ability groups (n = 31), and was designed to address student engagement with feedback-correction practices that has rarely been discussed in previous research and has therefore remained largely underexplored, especially in the context of Vietnam. Theoretical concepts of behavioral, cognitive, and social engagement were used to analyze data from audio recordings of students’ interactions and their written responses to open-ended questions. The analysis of data showed that the eight groups engaged behaviorally, socially, and cognitively in the process, although their engagement varied according to the learning tasks, the teacher’s intervention, peer support, English ability, and types of gaps. Findings from the eight-week intervention suggest teachers should consider factors which determine student engagement with feedback-correction practices. By offering students opportunities to act on specific language issues in their writing through detecting and correcting gaps and rewriting the corrected texts, engagement with feedback-correction practices can be useful in fostering accuracy development. This qualitative multiple-case study contributes new insights to the field by operationalizing the sequence of feedback-correction through collaborative learning to deeply understand students’ multidimensional engagement in the process from which implications for L2 writing and further research are discussed.
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Often to be ‘critical’ is seen as pejorative - as synonymous to finding fault, and in the academic context this is also often seen as a sign of disrespect, even arrogance - hence best avoided. Yet studies and research at the graduate... more
Often to be ‘critical’ is seen as pejorative - as synonymous to finding fault, and in the academic context this is also often seen as a sign of disrespect, even arrogance - hence best avoided. Yet studies and research at the graduate level and beyond are quintessentially founded upon our understanding and practice of criticality and critical thinking. This presentation unpacks the philosophical foundations upon which criticality in the social sciences is based, and offers insights into some questions - how can we be critical without being judgemental? How can a critical outlook enhance our understanding of theories? How can we best reflect our critical stance in our writing? In addressing such complexities, the presentation will also discuss how, as much as our personal biases can have a detrimental effect on our research, when used judiciously, they can also be a fruitful and unique resource in understanding social phenomena. We look at ways in which we can develop a critical disposition as learner and educators, one that makes our engagement with learning and research not only more meaningful, but one that opens up unique avenues that lead to higher order thinking and innovation. Given the continuing preference for and predominance of quantitative research in developing countries, this presentation will also highlight how qualitative research can yield outcomes that resonate more with the major preoccupations of contemporary educational research such as empowerment, equity and the need for social justice.
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While contemporary research has showcased numerous studies on the transformative themes of equity, inclusiveness, access, identity and social justice in education contexts, these studies have been predominantly framed, explored and... more
While contemporary research has showcased numerous studies on the transformative themes of equity, inclusiveness, access, identity and social justice in education contexts, these studies have been predominantly framed, explored and understood through ‘Western’ understandings, which have often failed to sufficiently problematise these themes in the settings of developing or underdeveloped countries, such as those in the Asia Pacific region. Indeed, some studies have indicated the insufficiency of Western discourses in understanding how these themes are enacted under conditions markedly different from the developed West. This has necessitated research that recognises the relevance of alternative understandings and one, in part, that makes reference to a wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives available in the literature from the Asia Pacific region – a growing reaction, one could say, to the predominance of Western social theories employed in these studies. Education’s connection to social justice (or, perhaps, the other way round) is inevitable – because of how it produces learners’ social and cultural identities in an increasingly multicultural milieu. Education is a rich setting in which the spatio-temporal dimensions of social justice issues are enacted on a daily basis.
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The increased politicisation of the question of ‘who is Indigenous’ can be seen as a result of success in the attainment of legal recognition – often through international laws – of Indigenous peoples around the world. Consequently,... more
The increased politicisation of the question of ‘who is Indigenous’ can be seen as a result of success in the attainment of legal recognition – often through international laws – of Indigenous peoples around the world. Consequently, international organisations, host states, non-governmental organisations and researchers have each attempted to develop their own definitional standards of native peoples over the last five decades, although, as Corntassel (2003) points out, this is best answered by Indigenous communities themselves.
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In a country of enormous demographic diversity such as Indonesia, an ongoing challenge for teachers can be to respond to the learning needs of every student in fair and socially just manner. In such an environment, teachers often... more
In a country of enormous demographic diversity such as Indonesia, an ongoing challenge for teachers can be to respond to the learning needs of every student in fair and socially just manner. In such an environment, teachers often intuitively resort to a one-size-fits-all approach in managing the pressures of an already crowded curriculum. Such practices, however, are often met with futile outcomes where the educator’s primary motive is to adopt ‘safe’ practices. However, contemporary research has shown how the learning needs of our students greatly vary, not only because of socio-economics and access to technology, but because of significant variations in students’ physical and learning abilities and preferences, their life experiences, personal interests, as well as varying levels of readiness. Because of this, there are immense benefits for the society if our teaching is differentiated. Differentiated instruction in the classroom, where students are provided with equitable rather ...
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A TESOL Quarterly review of Chowdhury, R., & Ha, P. L. (2014). Desiring TESOL and International Education: Market Abuse and Exploitation. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, by Jennifer Lund, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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I would like to share a review of my co-authored book with Raqib Chowdhury (2014). The review is by by Jennifer Lund from Indiana University Bloomington, and has just been published in TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), March issue, p.264-266.... more
I would like to share a review of my co-authored book with Raqib Chowdhury (2014). The review is by by Jennifer Lund from Indiana University Bloomington, and has just been published in TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), March issue, p.264-266.
Thank you Jennifer Lund for your review of our work!!!!!
This book offers an insightful and critical look at how the teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) industry has become a commodity for universities in this era of globalization. Taking a post-colonial stance, the authors consider the global role of English and, more pointedly, the role of universities with large numbers of international students studying in teacher training programs in countries where English is regarded as the dominant language. The chapters are organized to first problematize international study abroad programs and their connection with globalization, colonialism, and various discourses. Then, the authors introduce their theoretical framework to explain the interplay between power, knowledge, and individual subjectivity, which they claim has the potential to create " desire " to position oneself within the field of TESOL. Subsequent chapters provide concrete ways in which international students in these teacher training programs may choose to appropriate or resist the label of other often assigned to them. The view of the international student as consumer and TESOL course material as product is emphasized. For scholars of poststructuralism and postmodernism, Chapter 2 features relevant ideas of several key theorists, including an explanation of Foucault's concept of archaeology used prominently in this text as an instrument to " extract " and examine fragments of students' .....
Thank you Jennifer Lund for your review of our work!!!!!
This book offers an insightful and critical look at how the teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) industry has become a commodity for universities in this era of globalization. Taking a post-colonial stance, the authors consider the global role of English and, more pointedly, the role of universities with large numbers of international students studying in teacher training programs in countries where English is regarded as the dominant language. The chapters are organized to first problematize international study abroad programs and their connection with globalization, colonialism, and various discourses. Then, the authors introduce their theoretical framework to explain the interplay between power, knowledge, and individual subjectivity, which they claim has the potential to create " desire " to position oneself within the field of TESOL. Subsequent chapters provide concrete ways in which international students in these teacher training programs may choose to appropriate or resist the label of other often assigned to them. The view of the international student as consumer and TESOL course material as product is emphasized. For scholars of poststructuralism and postmodernism, Chapter 2 features relevant ideas of several key theorists, including an explanation of Foucault's concept of archaeology used prominently in this text as an instrument to " extract " and examine fragments of students' .....
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Australian universities have long emphasised the importance of the provision of equitable education as an essential part of the international education experience. An important condition for equitable education is clarity of understanding... more
Australian universities have long emphasised the importance of the provision of equitable education as an essential part of the international education experience. An important condition for equitable education is clarity of understanding of institutional expectations, especially of academic literacies. Using Gee’s (2003) principles for equity through the provision of opportunities to learn, this study investigates Chinese, Indonesian and Vietnamese graduate education students’ and their lecturers’ understandings of and attitudes to English academic literacies. Sociocultural and linguistic dissonances between countries in the Asian region and Australia necessitate a systematic and scholarly investigation into how differences in perceptions and practices of English academic discourses can disadvantage some international graduate students. A mixed method approach was adopted for this study, which involved surveying 100 graduate students and interviewing six students representing the three selected countries. In addition, a discourse analysis of relevant policy and curriculum documents was undertaken to critically explore how institutional expectations are manifested, understood and enacted in the learning and teaching environment. Findings suggest that there is a prevalence of contradictory or inconsistent understandings of academic literacy, resulting in challenges for teaching and learning and for university support services and assessment systems. Recommendations for refining alignments between academic literacy expectations, practices and outputs are offered. In particular, the need to differentiate learning for international graduate students from diverse backgrounds emerges as urgent in promoting equitable education. The results of the study helped design a model that opens new spaces for self-directed learning using English academic literacies.
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In immigrant families parents often put considerable efforts in maintaining the use of heritage language, a task often challenging due to the subtractive monoglossic approaches prevalent in schools and the attendant decline of the child’s... more
In immigrant families parents often put considerable efforts in maintaining the use of heritage language, a task often challenging due to the subtractive monoglossic approaches prevalent in schools and the attendant decline of the child’s use of heritage language. Examining the Family Language Policies (FLP) of seven non-English background immigrant families living in Australia, this paper explores how the adoption of FLP by parents is influenced by a number of factors including language ideologies both inside and outside family domains, parents’ first and second language status, and the nature of domicile. This paper also critically considers FLP in relation to the complexities of heritage language maintenance in Australia - a country that despite being culturally diverse, still offers scarce additive bilingual environments, especially for children and students.
Using a case study this study looks at why and how parents implement Family Language Policies and the complexity of their connection to domicile and identity. The research involved mothers from Russia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia who were living in Melbourne at the time of the study. The data were collected through three rounds of in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with each parent over a period of three months, exploring the rationales, strategies, and behaviours of FLP implementation. In analysing data, cross-case comparisons were made to identify possible correspondence between contextual variables and FLP choice.
It was found that families living outside their home countries would often impose upon their children to speak their heritage language in fear of language loss, although the level of implementation of heritage language use in the family context significantly varied. While some families used the heritage language exclusively, others let English freely intervene the use of heritage language at home.
This study establishes the nature of correlation between their domicile status - whether families were living temporarily or permanently - and the adoption of a particular language ideology. The notion of different FLP choice between families with temporary residence and permanent residence status develops because of the analysis on the future prospects of the heritage language maintenance that the families are confronted with.
Using a case study this study looks at why and how parents implement Family Language Policies and the complexity of their connection to domicile and identity. The research involved mothers from Russia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia who were living in Melbourne at the time of the study. The data were collected through three rounds of in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with each parent over a period of three months, exploring the rationales, strategies, and behaviours of FLP implementation. In analysing data, cross-case comparisons were made to identify possible correspondence between contextual variables and FLP choice.
It was found that families living outside their home countries would often impose upon their children to speak their heritage language in fear of language loss, although the level of implementation of heritage language use in the family context significantly varied. While some families used the heritage language exclusively, others let English freely intervene the use of heritage language at home.
This study establishes the nature of correlation between their domicile status - whether families were living temporarily or permanently - and the adoption of a particular language ideology. The notion of different FLP choice between families with temporary residence and permanent residence status develops because of the analysis on the future prospects of the heritage language maintenance that the families are confronted with.
Research Interests: Multi- & Bilingualism & Biliteracy, Australia, Bilingual Education, Teaching English As A Foreign Language, Immigrant children, and 9 moreBilingual education (Education), Language Maintenance and Shift, Bilingualism, Codeswitching, Family Language Planning, Language Loss, Family Language Policy, Family Language Policies, and Family Language Planning (FLP)
A recently published review essay, co-authored by by Lee-Tat Chow and Peidong Yang, on desire, TESOL, and international education, based on two books from Phan Le-Ha: 1. Desiring TESOL and international education", by Raqib Chowdhury and... more
A recently published review essay, co-authored by by Lee-Tat Chow and Peidong Yang, on desire, TESOL, and international education, based on two books from Phan Le-Ha:
1. Desiring TESOL and international education", by Raqib Chowdhury and Phan Le-Ha , London, Multilingual Matters, 2014, 288 pp., £29.95 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-783-09147-8; and
2. Transnational education crossing ‘Asia’ and ‘the West’, by Phan LeHa, New York, Routledge, 2017, 260 pp., £36.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-13860460-5
The review essay is published in International Studies in Sociology of Education.
Published online: 15 April 2019.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09620214.2019.1601583
1. Desiring TESOL and international education", by Raqib Chowdhury and Phan Le-Ha , London, Multilingual Matters, 2014, 288 pp., £29.95 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-783-09147-8; and
2. Transnational education crossing ‘Asia’ and ‘the West’, by Phan LeHa, New York, Routledge, 2017, 260 pp., £36.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-13860460-5
The review essay is published in International Studies in Sociology of Education.
Published online: 15 April 2019.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09620214.2019.1601583
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In recent years, English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea has experienced significant transformation from a grammar-based to a communicative language curriculum. Commencing in 1995, the Korean government began employing native... more
In recent years, English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea has experienced significant transformation from a grammar-based to a communicative language curriculum. Commencing in 1995, the Korean government began employing native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) to support Korean English teachers{\textquoteright} (non-NESTs) implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) inKorean public schools. However, the Korean government has recently reduced funding for employment of NESTs in response to their alleged ineffective professional practices. This study takes a qualitative approach to understand factors that influence NESTs professional practices in Korean primary schools. Semi-structured interviews in English and Korean, respectively, were employed to investigate NESTs{\textquoteright} and non-NESTs{\textquoteright} views on the topic. Findings of this study indicate that there are a range of factors that negatively influence NESTs{\textquoteright} professional practices. This study also investigates the professional development and training needs from the perspective of NESTs and local English teachers regarding young English language learners in South Korean public primary schools.
The aim of this study was to identify potential gaps in Indonesian journalism education in relation to opportunities for graduate employability, through the perspectives of prospective employers, journalism lecturers and students. The... more
The aim of this study was to identify potential gaps in Indonesian journalism education in relation to opportunities for graduate employability, through the perspectives of prospective employers, journalism lecturers and students. The study was undertaken to examine the specific graduate skills deemed most important by Indonesia{\textquoteright}s three leading media outlets. Utilising Donsbach{\textquoteright}s five journalistic competence features as well as Cheetham and Chivers{\textquoteright} four components of journalistic competency, the study adopted a constructivist-interpretive approach through an analysis of interview data from the three groups of participants to evaluate journalism courses vis-{\`a}-vis media companies{\textquoteright} expectations at the State Polytechnic of Malang. These interviews helped render participants{\textquoteright} perspectives on the factors that these major Indonesian media companies considered crucial when employing new journalists. In the context of vocational higher education in Indonesia, several issues were identified, including high unemployment rate, inconsistent policies, insufficient teaching qualifications, and minimal learning support. Specifically, the findings indicate how the contemporary multiplatform nature of the media industry has challenged journalism educators to question whether they should increase the use of digital media technology in the classroom, or continue traditional pedagogical practices that focus on writing and reporting skills.
This research aimed to examine the level of the implementation of authentic assessment by high school English teachers in a rural area of a district in one province in Sumatera island, Indonesia, and to explore their perception regarding... more
This research aimed to examine the level of the implementation of authentic assessment by high school English teachers in a rural area of a district in one province in Sumatera island, Indonesia, and to explore their perception regarding the authentic assessment as well as the challenges they faced during the implementation. This research used a mixed method in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The research samples were 39 high school English teachers in the area under investigation. The research instrument used is a questionnaire comprising 38 closed questions and three open ones, distributed online via Google Forms. The questionnaire was designed using Likert Scale with options ranging from 1-5 (very poor to very good) Data were also collected using semi-structured interviews to enrich data from the Google Form. This study found that the total average score of quantitative data is 4.1, classified as good. That means the implementation of authentic assessment by English teachers is at a good level. Then from the analysis of the qualitative data, it appeared that the majority of teachers have a positive perception of authentic assessment as a tool for monitoring and evaluating student learning outcomes. However, there are still some problems faced by the teachers in implementing this assessment such as the lack of time allotment for the English subject at school, the complexity of the assessment procedures, and burden for the students. This implies that some policies are required to make the authentic assessment work well at school levels so teachers can benefit from the assessment for improving English learning at schools.
Despite a global paradigm shift towards multilingualism and EIL (English as an International Language) in English language education, a stubborn adherence to so-called {\textquoteleft}standardised{\textquoteright} forms of foreign... more
Despite a global paradigm shift towards multilingualism and EIL (English as an International Language) in English language education, a stubborn adherence to so-called {\textquoteleft}standardised{\textquoteright} forms of foreign languages persists in non-English language speaking countries. Language teachers, learners and their parents, as much as policy makers and curriculum designers, insist on the adoption of {\textquoteleft}standard{\textquoteright} varieties of English as normative and unquestioned. These expectations are natural, given language users{\textquoteright} awareness of the cultural capital that these standardised forms of pronunciations can afford to them. This paper discusses how formal education often through the hidden curriculum, reinforces the pressure to conform to standardised pronunciation and how this can negatively implicate language learners{\textquoteright} identities. One may question why a Vietnamese speaker would want to have a distinct {\textquoteleft}American{\textquoteright} or {\textquoteleft}British{\textquoteright} accent when they speak, and what real privileges these bring to them. One may also question why a Vietnamese accent in English, a distinct identity marker, can be deemed to represent less prestigious capital, and whether this may disadvantage them in certain contexts. In discussing the cognitive and cultural benefits of multilingual and culturally responsive instruction, the paper argues that as language educators we need to make our learners aware of their linguistic identities and how intelligible but non-standardised accents of foreign languages can and should be legitimate markers of one{\textquoteright}s identity.
Critically considering the history of educational assessment, this analysis problematizes the way in which certain constructions of assessment have achieved privileged status over others in the past two centuries in Western discourses,... more
Critically considering the history of educational assessment, this analysis problematizes the way in which certain constructions of assessment have achieved privileged status over others in the past two centuries in Western discourses, particularly in the US educational landscape. The analysis adopts the position that a centralized, authoritarian control through various government mechanisms has resulted in the gradually diminishing power of school leaders and teachers, who once had the responsibility of not only designing learners{\textquoteright} assessment tasks, but of presenting or “exhibiting” their outcomes to the public. It traces the {\'e}pist{\'e}m{\`e}s of both thought and practice and the way in which standardized testing has become an end in itself rather than a means of assessment and improvement; an “unquestioned” social-educational norm, capturing state agents{\textquoteright} push for quantitative measures that do not fully appreciate the complexity of teaching and learning. In the name of neoliberal agendas and economics, these calculative power discourses have shaped public understandings of educational “performance, {"} identifying standardized tests as the key tool to control funding entitlement and other incentives. Using the Foucauldian framework of archaeology, the analysis portrays the ideas, assumptions, beliefs, ideologies, and theories which have formed, evolved, and ultimately normalized the ruptures and discontinuities resulting in reductive standardized assessment. In developing an intellectual archaeology of evaluation, the analysis offers the concept of reproductive power as a way to capture the circularity of mechanisms intended to centralize the power for decision-making and administration in the hands of state policy actors. It concludes with commentary on future trends in evaluation and assessment.