Comprehensive for who? Neoliberal directives in Australian ‘comprehensive’ sexuality education and the erasure of GLBTIQ identity

At present, Australian sex(uality) education curricula aim to equip students with information which facilitates ‘healthy’ sexual choices as they develop. However, this is not neutral information, but rather socially and culturally regulated discourse which encodes a normative binary of sexuality. The largely US-focused sexuality education literature tends to categorise curricula as belonging to either ‘comprehensive’ or ‘conservative’ factions, consisting of progressive, secular approaches or religious- or abstinence-based programmes, respectively. Neither of these factions, however, appear to be able to cater for the integration of issues relevant to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students nor does this binary conceptualisation represent the reality of Australian sexuality education policy and practice. This paper argues that contemporary sexuality education has a fundamentally neoliberal focus, which aims to assimilate GLBTIQ people into existing normative frameworks (economic and social), rather than challenge them. Such an approach does not foster critical student understandings of oppression, power or morality. The development of critical literacy around sexuality is regarded as essential to meaningfully address the complex needs of GLBTIQ students. The paper explores missing queer discourses within Australian teaching resources. The inclusion of these would benefit GLBTIQ students by bringing previously silenced issues to the fore.     

‘A lot more to learn than where babies come from’: controversy,language and agenda setting in the framing of school-based sexuality education curricula in Australia

Sexuality education in Australian schools continues to struggle in its ability and willingness to address many of the broader social issues associated with sexuality, such as the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students. Studies involving teachers have demonstrated that a reticence on their part to teach GLBTIQ-inclusive sexuality education is driven by a lack of training in handling ‘sensitive’ issues, a fear of backlash and confusion over their obligations under relevant departmental policies. This reticence may, in part at least, stem from a commonly held inference that the inclusion of queer sexualities is inherently ‘controversial’. There appears to be a tendency for curricula and government directives to ‘juggle’ principles of social justice for marginalised sexualities with ‘risk management’ policies, which seek to screen course content for potential ‘controversy’. Much of this controversy has its roots in the language and rhetoric used to describe and discuss issues dealt with in sexuality education curricula. The paper demonstrates, through the process of ‘languaging’, how the language and rhetoric of controversy and sexuality can be exposed so that they may be better addressed through policy and government directives.     

小学生欺负问题的干预研究

Intervention research on school bullying was conducted in a primary school with an action research method. After conducting a five-week intervention program, the occurrence ratio of being bullied on the way to school and back home and the degree to which children were bullied dropped significantly, but the rate of reduction in grade three was greater than that of grade five. Moreover, pupils’ sense of security in school and the teachers’ awareness and problem-solving ability were also improved. __________ Translated from Jiaoyu Yanjiu 教育研究 (Educational Research), 2008, (2): 95–99     

小学生欺负问题的干预研究

采用行动研究法在某小学进行欺负问题的干预研究,通过为期五周的干预,实验班学生上学和放学路上受欺负的比率和在学校情境中受欺负的程度显著下降,三年级的下降幅度大于五年级的;学生在学校里安全感增强;教师的研究意识和解决问题的能力得到增强和提高。     

Introduction to The International Bystander Project

Recent research into bullying in schools has focused upon the social context in which bullying commonly takes place and the roles taken by student bystanders observing the bullying. This article describes a methodology that has been developed, employing a video presentation and a related questionnaire, and applied in a number of countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, England, Israel, Italy and South Africa. This approach was utilized to examine reported bystander behaviour of schoolchildren witnessing bullying at school and to identify factors that may account for positive and negative responses of bystanders in both upper primary and lower secondary levels of schooling.     

Developing a System of Inclusive Education for Pupils with Behavioural Difficulties

Recent research into bullying in schools has focused upon the social context in which bullying commonly takes place and the roles taken by student bystanders observing the bullying. This article describes a methodology that has been developed, employing a video presentation and a related questionnaire, and applied in a number of countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, England, Israel, Italy and South Africa. This approach was utilized to examine reported bystander behaviour of schoolchildren witnessing bullying at school and to identify factors that may account for positive and negative responses of bystanders in both upper primary and lower secondary levels of schooling.     

英国学生欺侮问题的现状及其原因探析

20世纪80年代末,90年代初以来,中小学生的欺侮问题引起了英国政府和社会的高度重视。从本质上讲,欺侮是学生之间发生的一种特殊暴力行为,它包括对身体的欺侮、语言的欺侮和间接的欺侮三类。现在,学生欺侮问题已经遍及英国全境。欺侮事件的发生给被欺侮学生在身体上和精神上造成了极大的伤害。导致学生欺侮问题的诱因错综复杂。其中既有家庭、社会、学校方面的原因,也有学生自身方面的原因。目前,英国正在积极推进欺侮防止教育,同时也在积极采取欺侮干预对策。     

Social representations as mediators of practice in mathematics classrooms with immigrant students

This article suggests that a critical perspective of the notion of social representations can offer useful insights into understanding practices of teaching and learning in mathematics classrooms with immigrant students. Drawing on literature using social representations, previous empirical studies are revisited to examine three specific questions: what are the dominant social representations that permeate the mathematics classroom with immigrant students? What impact do these social representations have on classroom practices? What are the spaces for changing these practices through becoming reflective and critically aware of these representations? These questions are addressed mostly in relation to teachers’ representations, though the article also draws on data from research with students and parents to illustrate the diversity of representations and to argue for a critical and reflective perspective.     

敬畏与中学生校园欺凌的关系:自我感知大小的中介作用

为了探讨敬畏与校园欺凌的关系以及自我感知大小在其中的作用机制,采用敬畏量表、自我大小感知量表和校园欺凌量表,对成都市、德阳市、泸州市几所中学的940名中学生进行问卷调查.结果发现:(1)校园欺凌行为在性别、学校类型、年级、城乡以及父母文化程度上的差异均有统计学意义;(2)敬畏、自我感知大小、校园欺凌行为两两之间相关显著,生命敬畏、法律敬畏及自我感知大小均能显著负向预测校园欺凌;(3)中学生的自我感知大小在敬畏与校园欺凌之间起部分中介作用.研究结果表明敬畏不仅能直接抑制中学生的校园欺凌行为的发生,还能通过自我感知大小的中介作用间接减少中学生的校园欺凌行为.     

Students＇ Difficulties With Multiple Representations in Introductory Mechanics

Research in physics education indicates that the use of multiple representations in teaching and learning helps students become better problem-solvers. We report on a study to investigate students＇ difficulties in solving mechanics problems presented in multiple representations. We conducted teaching/learning interviews with 20 students in a first-semester calculus-based physics course which covered introductory classical mechanics. Each student was interviewed four times during the semester, each time after they had completed an exam in the course. During these interviews, students were asked to solve a problem they had seen in the exam, followed by problems that differed in the type of representation from the exam problems. Students were provided verbal hints to solve the new problems. We discuss the common difficulties students encountered when attempting to solve problems in different representations and some common themes in students＇ performance.     

校园性别欺凌与学生身心健康的影响机制分析:以性与性别少数学生为例

治理校园欺凌专项政策的相继出台表明国家对校园欺凌问题的日益重视.但目前的相关政策缺乏性别视角,使得校园性别欺凌的受害者无法得到应有的保护.这部分是因为关注青少年学生性与性别身份和身心健康之间作用机制的研究屈指可数,从而缺乏支持政策的相关研究依据.因此,本文以性与性别少数学生这一典型易感群体为例,来讨论校园性别欺凌与校园...     

学校欺负行为干预研究综述

欺负行为是中小学生之间经常发生的一种特殊类型的攻击性行为,它对儿童及青少年的身心健康发展具有很大的伤害性。因此,受到许多国家研究者的广泛关注,并开展了相应的干预研究,也取得了一定的效果。了解国内外学者所做的有关学校欺负行为的干预研究,对我们开展学校欺负行为干预研究,促进学生健康成长有一定的借鉴意义。     

Analysing the quality of Australian universities’ student anti-bullying policies

ABSTRACT

Bullying has been a topic widely researched in schools and the workplace, however, comparatively there is a paucity of research into bullying among university students. This is an oversight, as bullying may also have negative consequences for university students, ranging from anxiety to suicidal ideation. Anti-bullying policies are an important part of bullying prevention and intervention, however, due to Australian Federal legislation, policies for students are not mandatory at universities. To be an effective prevention and intervention strategy, anti-bullying policies and procedures should be informative, supportive, well publicised, and student user friendly. Through analysing the anti-bullying policies and procedures from 39 Australian universities, using a 37-item analysis tool adapted from Purdy and Smith as well as thematic analysis, this study aims to determine if Australian universities are providing students with the information and support they need to be able to report bullying to their university and study in a safe environment. Both strengths and weaknesses were found in 37 individual universities’ student anti-bullying policies and procedures, as well as overall trends displayed by universities Australia-wide. The overall paucity of information and consistency, as well as the poor user-friendliness of many of the documents, highlights the need for changes to be made. Without the reform of student anti-bullying policies and procedures in Australian universities, students will be unsupported and ill-equipped to identify and report bullying. Universities will also run the risk of gaining a bad reputation and not promoting a bully-free culture for students in which to learn and socialise.     

关于儿童欺负行为研究的思考

儿童欺负行为主要发生在校园或者以校园为媒介的社交群体内,是一种常见的校园不良行为,并有可能发展为校园暴力。对欺负行为及其动机进行分析,培养儿童健康人格,采取科学教养方式,加强正面教育是对欺负行为进行有效干预的重要途径。     

青少年网络侵害行为：攻击研究的新主题

网络侵害行为已成为青少年攻击行为的重要方式,已有研究从青少年网络侵害行为内涵、与传统欺负行为的关系、测量方法、心理加工过程、前因变量与后果变量等方面进行了深入研究。未来需要继续深化对网络侵害行为内涵结构认识,编制有效的测量工具,加强实验研究,建构理论机制,探索符合我国实际、行之有效的引导、预防与干预方法。     

‘It’s the parents’: re-presenting parents in school bullying research

Public discourse about school bullying is frequently underscored by debates about the relative roles and responsibilities of parents and schools in preventing bullying. Such debates are often characterised by a sense of recrimination, with blame apportioned according to perceived negligence. In this article, I provide a critique of ways in which parents have been represented in school bullying research, and consider how these representations inform public discourse about parents in relation to bullying. I argue that prevailing representations of parents in terms of responsibility and risk are a product of the dominance of psychological conceptualisations of bullying as individual pathological behaviour which stems from child development problems associated with poor parenting. As I show, this is but one of a number of ways in which bullying has been conceptualised in the research literature and provides a limited view of parents in relation to a complex social and cultural problem. I suggest that post-structural approaches to bullying research provide an important opportunity to broaden our understanding of how parents are positioned in the social and institutional systems of power in which bullying, and responses to it, takes place; and to move beyond current counter-productive discourses of responsibility and blame.