New project to challenge systemic injustice in schools

Worldwide there is a noted recognition of systemic inequalities in education which deprive minority groups and indigenous people of quality teaching and learning opportunities.

Within schools, this can be identified in both the curriculum and in the teaching practices which are primarily designed for the majority, leaving minority groups at a disadvantage in terms of educational outcomes.

Teachers can play a significant role in shaping the education outcomes and in mitigating these inequalities through their choices of teaching methodologies, and their personal understanding of the cultural and linguistic diversities which students bring into the classroom. However, it is recognised that many teachers can often be ill-equipped to handle culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms.

This project, funded by a British Council Vietnam UK/VN Season 23 grant, aims to find methods to tackle these inequalities collaboratively alongside local education authorities, teachers, and learners. Between April and October 2023, a series of one-day workshops and a mentoring programme were held to support these groups, and teachers worked alongside one another to discover how best to motivate English language learning, building on the connections to learners’ languages and culture.

By the conclusion of this project, teachers had developed and shared lesson plans with other teachers and had been inspired to utilise new practices and activities within their own classrooms which were culturally relevant to their 300 English language learners.

The project, led by Dr Laura Grassick (University of Leeds) with Professor Judith Hanks (University of Leeds), Professor Hoa Nguyen (University of New South Wales), Dr Lan Anh Tran (Vietnam National University), and Dr Nga Ngo (Tay Bac University), found that the workshops and mentoring programme had cumulated into positive results, with teachers reporting improved awareness of cultural differences and a greater sense of motivation in the classroom for both teachers and learners.

Responses from teachers’ speaking of their experiences during the project:

• Greater awareness of learners’ culture and background

We have time to implement the activities which help [learners] to develop their sense of belonging and love their culture. The students feel that they are respected.

• More positive perception of learners’ potential

I find that my students are so imaginative – before I didn’t think that my students could be like this on their own.

• Using new teaching ideas and approaches to motivate learners

…in the normal work that we teach in class, we mostly just call it like a repetitive process. I always try to finish the lesson within the time frame, but now I can give students a broader understanding of their culture, some things, such as religious beliefs, or maybe their customs.

• Benefits of collaborative learning

…teachers have to work together. I have learned a lot from listening to them and discussing the teaching ideas with them.

The excitement and sense of achievement which was felt by most of the teachers at being able to, through new knowledge and tools, effectively engage learners in learning English was a positive outcome. The teachers found that they were able to gain confidence in utilising culturally responsive strategies and activities into their lessons.