Search

The vignettes approach has emerged as a popular tool in quantitative and qualitative research. It has proven to be particularly effective in measuring sensitive topics. This paper focuses on the construction and validation process of questionnaire-based vignettes, which were used as an instrument to examine Omani secondary school girls' cultural tolerance pre- and post-implementation of a school-based intervention. A total of 241 girls completed the vignettes-based questionnaires, of whom 116 were in the experimental group and 125 in the control group. This was followed by a semi-structured interview. The interview was conducted before and after the intervention with 16 participants, of whom eight were from the experimental group and eight from the control group. The study shows that vignettes are useful in generating a sophisticated understanding of abstract concepts. Vignettes offer the possibility of investigating tolerance in a context-related situation, eliminating possible misinterpretation of the questionnaire statements. Future research should be directed towards examining the effectiveness of different types of vignettes and the efficacy of vignettes as a research and teaching and learning tool.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK are increasingly engaging in work-based learning. The tripartite relationship between the HEI, the employer and the employee is viewed to be of great significance in work-based learning, not only in the initial stages of procurement of a contract, but also in designing and delivering the programme to meet the employer and employee needs, and those of the HEI, to make the programmes successful. This paper is based on one theme related to a larger EU-funded project on work-based learning leading to qualifications. Based on in-depth interviews at a post-1992 university in the UK with a range of staff including executive, senior management, managerial, teaching and administrative staff, we focus on this theme, to analyse employer engagement from the perspective of the HEI. We recommend strategies to enhance the tripartite relationship for the benefit of those involved and to improve policy and practice in the field. These include a strategic approach to work-based learning and regarding it as an integral part of higher education activity rather than a supplementary pursuit.

A number of factors influence the speech and language development of young children. Delays in the development of speech and language can have repercussions for school attainment and life chances. This paper is based on a survey of 3- to 4-year-old children in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in the UK. It analyses the data collected from 255 children in 26 schools, and discusses the effects of socio-economic status and ethnicity on delayed or advanced language development in young children. Language development in the project was measured using the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales. The study shows mean standard scores for language Production and Comprehension within the low average range, thus demonstrating a challenge confronting nurseries/preschools in the area in preparing children for compulsory schooling. The research has implications for early years education policy and practice.

This paper is based on research that examined intergenerational dynamics amongst British South Asians regarding education and family life. The study investigated the perspectives of grandparents, parents and young people to establish how family attributes and education were perceived by these three groups. The methods used to gather data were focus groups and individual interviews. These were complemented by digital ethnography, which involved using photographs taken by the young people for reflection during interviews. Drawing on Bourdieu, Putnam and Coleman's theses of cultural and social capitals, the paper forwards the concept of educational capital, as the findings suggest a high emphasis on the acquisition of educational capital for upward social mobility amongst all groups. (Contains 1 note.)

This paper examines the impact of a school-based intervention entitled "Our Brothers and Sisters in Humanity" on 10th grade female Omani students' religious tolerance. A questionnaire was administered before and after an intervention to a sample of 241 girls, of whom 116 were in the experimental group and 125 in the control group. A semi-structured interview was conducted before and after the intervention with 16 participants, of whom 8 were from the experimental group and 8 from the control group. Analysis of the quantitative data in the postintervention round reveals that there are statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in favour of the experimental group in religious tolerance. Similarly the experimental group shows greater tolerance when compared to the control group in post-intervention interviews. The study suggests that religion is one of the most salient components of Omani pupils' "identity". The participants use religion to define their relations with, and determine their tolerance of, those who hold different religious beliefs. However, we conclude that education that capitalises on the perceived similarities between religions can be a means to suppress intolerance. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)

Educational researchers, like other academic investigators, are expected to carry out research in an ethical manner. This paper draws on the author's experience of conducting a research study related to social justice, which examines intergenerational dynamics and education amongst British Asian families. It discusses the importance of ethical considerations, and the need for reflexivity, throughout the research project. It highlights the problems of access and the ways in which they are overcome. Significantly the paper notes how researchers, who are ostensibly knowledgeable about the ways of life of the research participants, can still go into the research field with preconceived notions about these groups or individuals. Further, it shows how these researchers can be proved wrong, and can hone their research skills by learning from these experiences.

This article investigates retrospectively and prospectively the educational and career aspirations and experiences of young minority ethnic British citizens. It focuses on one aspect of a larger mixed methods study, that is, qualitative research involving in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 20 young men and women of minority ethnic origins aged 14-24, and at different stages of education, employment and non-employment. It argues that social and cultural capitals play a significant role in enabling young minority ethnic citizens to succeed in education and careers and become valuable members of society. Furthermore, it introduces the notion of "aspirational capital" as a crucial extension of, or substitute for, cultural and social capitals, depending on the familial background of the young people, and contends that it is a strong motivating force in improving the life chances of young minority ethnic British citizens.

This article examines the role of gender and ethnicity in young minority ethnic British citizens' transition to adulthood. As part of a larger study using a mixed methods approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 young men and women aged 14-24 at different stages of education, employment and non-employment. By employing Bourdieu's concept of habitus, the article shows how young people's transition to adulthood is affected by gender and ethnic considerations. It is argued that for some, the interplay of gender and ethnicity with religion is a crucial aspect of their transition which causes them to make choices to live their lives in a certain way, whereas for others it is more subtle and nuanced. Further, researchers and policymakers need to be cognisant of the similarities and differences of gendered experiences within various minority ethnic groups and the similarities between these groups and the majority ethnic group. (Contains 1 note.)

This article brings together the findings of two separate studies in Britain and Australia that sought to examine the experiences of teachers of ethnic difference. Drawing on qualitative data, we examine how early-career and mid-career minority ethnic teachers in Britain and Australia, respectively, understand and take up the role of "cultural expert", a position generated through expectations that they will be mentors and role models for ethnic minority students as well as curriculum and pedagogy leaders within schools. The newly qualified British teachers were generally positive about their positioning as cultural experts because the recognition of their knowledge about minority ethnic cultures, traditions and languages enabled them to develop self-esteem and, in turn, led them towards self-actualisation. The experienced Australian teachers, however, perceived their role as "cultural expert" as problematic because the demands and associated increase in workload led to disenchantment and burn-out and reduced opportunities for their career development on a broader level. We conclude by raising issues around teacher education and the recruitment of minority ethnic teachers. (Contains 3 notes.)

This paper examines young British people's conceptualisation of identity and citizenship. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey from 442 young male and female citizens of majority and minority ethnic origins, aged 14-24 years and at different stages of education, employment and non-employment. This was followed up by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 40 participants. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, and by closely examining the two key concepts of identity and citizenship, the paper analyses the ways in which young Britons perceive their multiple identities and citizenship status. The research shows that education and career are the major priorities of these young people. They have clear notions of identity and citizenship and most are comfortable with their own identities and feelings of citizenship. However, some of those who are from a minority ethnic background have doubts about being viewed as British citizens because of racial harassment or stereotyping, particularly in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in the West. The research has implications for pedagogy, education policy, community cohesion and social justice. (Contains 1 figure.)

The education and training of teachers is an issue of national concern. In this paper we analyse the findings of an in-depth investigation, undertaken by means of semi structured interviews, of a group of minority ethnic teacher trainees who withdrew from Initial Teacher Training courses in England, and a smaller group of those who completed these courses. We focus, in particular, on trainees' perception of the manifestation of racism during their training. Though none of the minority ethnic withdrawers perceive racism as the determining factor for their withdrawal, some mention instances of covert and even overt racism, while others note subtle forms of discriminatory obstacles to successful completion of the course, which they are reluctant to label as racism. The paper concludes by pointing to the complexity of categorizing phenomena as racism. It also draws attention, on the one hand, to the vulnerability of those who view themselves as being racially abused, and, on the other, to those who are disinclined to dwell on barriers to success as forms of racism and are more predisposed to regarding them as failures of the system.

This article reports the findings of a research project which examines the reasons why minority ethnic trainees withdraw from teacher training courses. It highlights a number of issues, the most significant of which is that withdrawal is a process and not an event. The most common causes of withdrawal were "personal" and "family" reasons. However, the combination of these two factors with various issues to do with the initial teacher training (ITT) institution and the placement school made it impossible for most trainees to stay on the course. With the exception of perceptions of racism by some minority ethnic trainees, the reasons for withdrawal given by majority ethnic and minority ethnic trainees were by and large the same. The article concludes by suggesting a number of strategies for ITT institutions and placement schools to improve the retention of trainees. It emphasizes the need for better support from ITT institutions, more structured mentoring during school placements, continuous and effective communication between the ITT institutions and placement schools, flexibility in course structure, improved funding, availability of affordable childcare, and the tackling of discrimination. It also stresses that withdrawal is not necessarily final, and these trainees should be encouraged to return to teaching as many enjoyed the course and would make good teachers. (Contains 8 tables.)

Currently in the UK there is much pressure to increase the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers, not only to respond to the continuing shortage, but to develop a teaching force that reflects the diversity in the UK population and provides role models for ethnic minority students. There is, however, little research on how ethnic minority teachers cope with the demands of the profession, especially in their first year. The introduction by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) of an induction period for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in 1999 was an attempt to create a programme of individual support and monitoring to provide NQTs with a bridge from Initial Teacher Training (ITT) to becoming established in their chosen profession. We believe it is now timely and important to examine how ethnic minority beginning teachers experience these new arrangements. In this paper we, therefore, explore the induction experiences of British teachers of Asian and African Caribbean origin in three Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in the North West of England. We conclude that the NQTs are being provided with equal opportunities by their employers and that affirmative action may have been undertaken by a few of these employers during the recruitment and selection process, although some anecdotal evidence is also presented of discrimination. Further, the paper suggests that the majority of the NQTs find their schools and LEAs supportive and the induction process valuable, although it highlights the need for additional support in some individual cases.

Discusses the dynamics of Muslim family life and the role of family values in shaping the present experiences and future aspirations of adolescent British Muslim girls. It argues that these young women are getting ambiguous messages about freedom and that they feel ambivalent about various features of their Asian and British ethnicities. (GR)

Explores the effects of the top-down initiative of the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) on a group of primary trainee teachers in England. Teachers' attitudes toward externally imposed educational change; Attitude of student teachers toward the NNS; Ways in which the NNS has impacted on the trainees' understanding of their task as teachers of mathematics in a primary school.

Explores the dynamics of Muslim family life and the role of family values in shaping the experiences and aspirations of adolescent British Muslim girls. Discussion on the Muslim family structure; Information on the way by which British Muslims socialize their daughters to construct a British Muslim identity; Conclusions.

Examines the career hopes of and career guidance provided to adolescent Muslim girls in Great Britain. British Muslims' ardent desire for upward social mobility through the routes of education and careers; Role of negotiation and persuasion in career choices; Caution against stereotyping of ethnic-minority groups.