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Pedagogies of Difference: Harnessing Teachers’ Stories of Identity and Belonging

 CALL FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER/EDUCATOR PARTICIPANTS

Are you an early childhood teacher/educator working in a multicultural setting in the greater Melbourne area?

Melbourne Graduate School of Education researchers Dr Sonja Arndt and Dr Clare Bartholomaeus are seeking participants for a research project investigating early childhood teachers’/educators' identity and belonging. The aim of the project is to strengthen intercultural understandings and practices in early childhood education, with a particular focus on teachers’/educators' cultural identity. This includes working with early childhood teachers/educators to draft a framework for culturally relevant practices in ECE.

We are looking for five volunteer participants who are:

  • Early childhood teachers/educators working in multicultural settings in Melbourne
  • From any cultural background
  • Willing to participate in two focus group with a small group of early childhood teachers/educators and an individual interview, all via Zoom, (approximately 4 hours total), and
  • Willing to develop their own cultural story, using methods of their choice (e.g. written narratives, artworks, voice)

The study aims to consider:

  • How do teachers/educators experience their own cultural stories and identities?
  • In what ways do teachers’/educators' cultural stories and identities influence their teaching orientations and practice?
  • In what ways can teachers’/educators' intercultural understandings and pedagogical implementation of the curriculum (VEYLDF) be strengthened through more nuanced engagements with their own cultural identities?

All focus groups and interviews will be conducted via Zoom. These will be audio recorded and transcribed by the researchers. As a participant you will be able to check your transcripts and individual data. Outputs from the research will not include any information which is likely to identify you or any of the other participants. Each participant will be asked to select a pseudonym (another name) to be used in all reporting. While every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality, it cannot be guaranteed as you will be participating in focus groups, participants will be visible to one another and you will know what each person said.

If you would like more information about the study, please contact Dr Sonja Arndt (Responsible Researcher)  sonja.arndt@unimelb.edu.au

Thank you for taking the time to consider our invitation to this project.

> Download this page in PDF Format

> Download Project Overview (Plain Language)

> Download the Consent Form

This research project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of The University of Melbourne (2021-21031-15755-3). If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project, which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you should contact the Manager, Human Research Ethics, Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. Tel: +61 3 8344 2073 or Email: HumanEthics-complaints@unimelb.edu.au. All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence please provide the name of the research team or the name or ethics ID number of the research project.

Date published: 15.7.2021

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