Forging inclusive practice in ethnically-segregated school systems: lessons from one multiethnic,bilingual education classroom in Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

This paper offers a perspective on bilingual education (BE) as inclusive education. Ethnolinguistically-separated schools and classrooms in Sri Lanka resulted from an enduring, mother tongue instruction policy which abetted a deeply ethnically-divided nation. More recently, Sri Lanka has experimented with a BE programme in pursuit of enriching the perceived value of the local mother tongues as well as building students’ knowledge of English as a global language. This article presents analysis of the inclusive practice of two Sri Lankan BE teachers in their attempts to advance social cohesion through bilingual education. We demonstrate the logic of practice focussing on four features of the teachers’ work: promoting interethnic relations through regular change of seating arrangements; equal delegation of responsibilities and absence of favouritism; cooperative group work in ethnically heterogeneous groups; and, promoting heteroglossic language practices or translanguaging. The positive, inclusive consequences of these practices are corroborated by focus group data gathered from students in the school. We argue that teachers have a significant role in changing the logic of practice in the classroom, and that the implicit rules teachers encode in their pedagogy can reorient exclusionary, ethnocentric identity positioning towards more inclusive, supraethnic identities.     

Social capital,affect balance and personal well-being among teachers in Israel and Palestine

Informed by a perspective centred on psychological health and well-being, the present research investigated whether teachers’ overall well-being was influenced by their affect balance, as well as the extent to which both affect and well-being are influenced by social capital, in conflict-ridden areas such as the occupied Palestinian Territories (Gaza Strip and West Bank). The study involved three cohorts of Palestinian teachers working in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, respectively (N = 153). Dynamics of social exclusion, religious difference, educational disparity, poor educational standards and a lack of opportunity are factors affecting Palestinian teachers in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The results supported the hypothesis that emotional balance directly influences teachers’ well-being. Teachers with higher levels of positive affect reported greater personal well-being than those with higher levels of negative affect. Social capital also positively influenced teachers’ personal well-being, both directly, and indirectly by fostering positive emotions. These results suggest that availability of community resources plays a key role in promoting teachers’ well-being.     

The Value of Examination Success in Sri Lanka 1971‐1996: the effects of ethnicity,political patronage and youth insurgency

In the original Diploma Disease thesis Sri Lanka is presented as a ‘later developing country’. This article explores the validity of the original Sri Lankan case within the more general thesis, changes in the symptoms of the ‘diploma disease’ over the past 20 years and economic and political developments which may have influenced the course of the disease. Despite economic liberalisation and an expansion of the education system, the value attached to educational certificates appears to have increased. Two explanations may be found within the educational system itself. Access to the apex of the system, the university, remains restricted and maintains the pressure of competition in the upper reaches of the secondary school. At the base of system, the Year 5 scholarship exam channels students into schools differentiated by quality. Although access to Year 11 is free and open to all, access to the top grade schools is restricted and highly competitive. A third explanation moves beyond both the education and economic system to the political crisis in Sri Lanka—manifested by the growth of ethnic tension in the late 1970s, the institutionalisation of political criteria for job allocation in the 1980s and the insurgency of Sinhala youth in the 1980s. All three aspects of the political crisis have contributed to a reaffirmation of educational qualifications as the legitimate criterion of access to jobs and resources.     

Advances in the Theory and Practice of Rational-Emotive Behavioral Consultation

This article provides an overview of the current theory and practice of rational-emotive behavioral consultation (REBC). Its purpose is to highlight for psychological and educational consultants the crucial role of consultee extreme, negative emotional reactions to adverse events in the consultation process. It is proposed that unless these emotional reactions are addressed in consultation, the effectiveness of consultation may be minimized. This article discusses the nature of irrational beliefs of consultees and reviews research that supports their relation with consultee emotionality. A variety of REBC techniques that consultants can use to encourage consultees to reduce their extreme emotions are presented. Consultants can teach consultees to identify and dispute irrational beliefs that are hypothesized to underlie extreme levels of anger, anxiety, and self-downing. A review of available research that examines the effects of REBC techniques including their use in staff development and parent education is presented.     

Journalism training in Sri Lanka: meeting the needs of working journalists

The ethnic conflict that has enveloped Sri Lanka since the 1980s has been deeply damaging to Sri Lankan journalism, whose traditions of impartiality and professionalism have been seriously undermined. The BBC World Service Trust has attempted to address these issues through a European‐funded training programme aimed at a broad range of media practitioners in Sri Lanka. This article seeks to assess how successful this programme has been and what lessons can be drawn by training organisations elsewhere who are seeking to implement similar projects.     

Global Consultation Processes: Lessons Learned from Refugee Teacher Consultation Research in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The process of global consultation has received little attention despite its potential for promoting international mutual understanding with marginalized communities. This article details theory, entry, implementation, and evaluation processes for global consultation research, including lessons learned from our refugee teacher intervention. The first half of the article addresses the entry process, culture-specific strengths, and challenges that can be faced in global consultation, including our experience with a lack of formal regulatory oversight of refugee education. The second half of the article details feedback collected from consultants, peer trainers, and peer trainees indicating which training content was most valuable; how some Burmese refugee teachers strive for a more student-centered, “free” classroom for their refugee students; and, finally, the toll that intense refugee teacher consultation took on the consultants.     

Developing Consultation Partnerships

This article concerns why and how we are continuing to develop consultation in the educational psychology service and in Surrey. Recently, we have focused on helping others understand and use consultation as a way of promoting a more effective and consistent approach with schools. The article outlines our professional understanding of consultation, provides details of consultation workshops, the outcomes of the training and encourages reflection on some important issues in sharing consultation skills.     

Consultation: Developing a comprehensive approach to service delivery

This article brings together some of the thinking that seems important in illuminating key aspects of a consultation approach to the work of an educational psychology service. It begins by considering some current forces that influence the pattern of service, and the value of locating these forces historically. Definitions, assumptions and underlying psychological models for a comprehensive consultation approach to educational psychology service are considered, and an outline is offered of how it is carried out, how it works and its outcomes. Common pitfalls regarding consultation and the implications for change in a service context are described.     

Engaging with animal-assisted interventions (AAIs): exploring the experiences of young people with ASD/ADHD diagnoses

Animal-assisted Interventions (AAIs) have been used as therapeutic interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being, often for young people with mental health and educational difficulties. This qualitative study explored how three students (male and female), aged 12–15 and with ASD and/or ADHD diagnoses experienced AAI at an alternative education provision. Semi-structured interviews with each participant were conducted and analysed using constructivist thematic analysis. Three themes and four sub-themes were identified. The themes were: (1) Self-esteem, with sub-themes motivation and reward, and self-awareness, (2) Emotional benefits with strategy building, and support and (3) Identification. Participants valued AAI as a positive intervention which aided their psychological well-being. Findings emphasise the effectiveness of AAIs for young people with neurodevelopmental disorders in both a therapeutic and an educational context.     

The Changing Role of Teachers of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Consultation as an Increasing Part of the Job

ABSTRACT

The majority of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students are educated at least part of the day in general education classrooms taught by teachers who may not have any experience working with this population. DHH students make up a unique, heterogeneous group with a wide range of communication modalities, technology utilization, early intervention experiences, and educational placements. In addition to providing direct service to support these students, teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (ToDHH) collaborate and consult with classroom teachers and school staff on classroom accommodations and modifications. However, recent research shows that ToDHH often feel unprepared to engage in the consultative aspect of their role. Since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed 43 years ago, the field of deaf education has increasingly called for research on consultation models to apply to their unique population and to teach in their teacher preparation programs. This article identifies the characteristics of DHH learners and synthesizes current research on consultation in the field of deaf education. Three consultation models are examined to determine their level of fit within the field of deaf education. The author ends with a call for future research that can best be met through an interdisciplinary research approach between the field of deaf education and the fields of educational and psychological consultation.     

团体咨询对大学新生心理健康水平的影响

近年来，大学新生的心理健康问题已经逐渐为许多高校所重视。本研究采用90项症状自评量表对2004级在校392名大学新生进行筛查，通过对其中48名有不同程度心理问题的学生进行团体咨询，探讨大学新生心理状况及团体咨询对大学新生心理健康水平的影响。研究结果表明团体咨询对大学新生的心理健康水平的改善具有一定的近期效应，可以有效解决大学新生的心理问题，在大学生心理健康教育工作中有着广阔的应用前景。     

Adoption of Knowledge Management by the Sri Lankan University librarians in the light of the National Policy on University Education

This paper discusses the concept of knowledge and provides a definition of Knowledge Management. It also gives an insight into the Sri Lankan University context and the background which required the national policy reforms on universities. It also describes the four key areas of the national policy on university education and the knowledge requirements of the policy implementers. In the fourth section, the paper discusses Knowledge Management by the university librarians. The position of the Sri Lankan University librarian within the university, management of knowledge within the university and the skills required by the librarians for Knowledge Management are discussed.     

Meeting the Challenges of the Future: Integrating Public Health and Public Education for Mental Health Promotion

The 2002 Future of School Psychology Conference called for reform of current models of professional school psychology, including a paradigm shift toward a public health model of practice. This article explores the role of school psychologists in efforts to achieve an integrated public health and public education model for delivering comprehensive school-based mental health services. Building on expertise as psychological and educational consultants, school psychooogists can play a unique role in facilitating the necessary systemic reform and capacity building for comprehensive mental health service delivery. This revised role requires redefining school-based consultation to include consultation for capacity building, and rethinking professional preparation to ensure expertise in public health models, inter-agency and interdisciplinary collaboration, participatory action research, and comprehensive service delivery.     

Service family support – a small-scale project of educational psychologists working with parents

Being in a Service family can be a difficult position for children and parents alike due to high levels of mobility, parental separation, and the remaining parent’s stress and emotional well-being. A Service family is defined as a family with one or both parents employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The current project looked at the under-researched area of supporting parents in Service families with an intervention funded by the MOD. Work carried out involved inviting parents of primary aged children to take part in consultation sessions and parent discussion groups, facilitated by educational psychologists (EPs). These looked at the psychological concepts of separation, anxiety, self esteem and friendship as well as positive psychology. Outcomes indicated that parents experienced an increase in confidence and a decrease in concern following the consultation sessions. Parents valued the support of the group and found the sessions practical and informative. This intervention filled a gap in support for Service parents and indicates a role for EPs in terms of further input and research.     

Implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS): Collaboration Between School Psychologists and Administrators to Promote Systems-Level Change

Current educational reform mandates the implementation of school-based models for early identification and intervention, progress monitoring, and data-based assessment of student progress. This article provides an overview of interdisciplinary collaboration for systems-level consultation within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. The roles of school psychologists and school-based administrators are presented in relation to the implementation of MTSS practices within an implementation science model. The training and expertise of each discipline are highlighted related to respective aspects of implementation drivers (i.e., competency, organization, leadership). Functions of principals and school psychologists during team-based, problem-solving MTSS practices are described based on a problem-solving framework consistent with school-based consultation. Future directions for graduate training of school psychologists and principals and directions for consultation research are provided.     

Education for citizenship: the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the educational settlement movement

David Reeder was one of the most important conservers of the traditions of urban history scholarship established during the 1960s at the University of Leicester under the leadership of Professor H. J. Dyos. Among Reeder’s major achievements were the application of the skills and objectives of such scholarship to the history of education, and in turn his reminding of urban historians of the importance of the educational dimension within their studies. Reeder was also a key figure in the international diffusion of teaching and research in urban educational history, and in promoting an interdisciplinary perspective that drew together past and present studies of urban educational policy and related social issues. This tribute article places his work in the context of changing attitudes to the history of urban education from the early 1970s to the early 1990s, and focuses by way of illustration on collaborative work between its writer [BM] and David Reeder in national conferences and in contributions to publications on the subject.     

Education,Functional Limitations,and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in South Korea

This study examined the associations of educational level with functioning and life satisfaction among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea (n = 4,152). The sample was drawn from Wave I of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. To examine educational disparities, separate analyses were run to note predictors in less educated (below the 6th grade) and better educated (above the 6th grade) respondents. Educational disparities were found in major predictors of health and well-being. Older age and lower cognition were strong predictors of functional limitations, while being married, receiving public assistance, and better psychological functioning were associated with greater life satisfaction. The health and well-being of less educated respondents were influenced by demographic factors, while social engagement and psychological functioning were more prominent predictors for better educated respondents. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing cognitive functioning and function among older adults in Korea to promote their health and well-being.