Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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Author: search.filters.author.Ashton KStart date: 2022

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    Teacher positioning of their practice for linguistically and culturally diverse learners
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2025-06-05) Ashton K; Qi GY
    This article draws on open-response survey data (n = 86) to qualitatively explore New Zealand language teachers’ positioning of their pedagogical practice for linguistically and culturally diverse learners. Positioning can create inequities in learning opportunities, making this an important research concern, particularly as New Zealand teachers are expected to ‘support the needs and abilities of all learners’ (Education Council 2017, 10). Drawing on positioning theory as our analytical framework, we found that teachers generally perceive language classrooms to be ‘safe’ spaces. However, alongside this, they find it challenging to teach students with different levels of target language proficiency, highlighting this as an urgent professional development need. In particular, the presence of background learners, broadly defined as learners with a linguistic and/or cultural background in the language they are learning, is positioned as a significant pedagogical challenge. We argue that this positioning stems from an education system and learning provision which, despite positive rhetoric, erodes diversity. Our study will be of relevance to others navigating these challenges in different contexts.
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    A critical analysis of Indonesia's 2013 national curriculum: Tensions between global and local concerns
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of British Educational Research Association., 2022-09) Puad LMAZ; Ashton K
    This paper critically examines Indonesia's 2013 national curriculum, implemented in 2019. The most significant change is the mandated use of formative assessment, which we argue is an example of policy borrowing, a trend also seen in many other countries globally. We argue that this policy has been adopted due to global and regional pressure on Indonesia to improve its education system. Alongside this, the 2013 curriculum has a strong emphasis on student attitudes, thereby promoting Indonesian national interests. Taking a holistic approach to our analysis, we follow Priestley et al.'s (2012) conceptual framing of sites of curriculum and draw on a wide range of data including policy texts, existing studies, media texts and teacher voice, to illustrate inconsistencies in the way formative assessment has been interpreted through the policy-making process. Our analysis also highlights tensions between formative assessment and the Indonesian education system and cultural context. As we exemplify, curriculum making is a complex process involving many stakeholders; teachers are not mere enactors of policy and should not be viewed as the source of the ‘problem’ when issues occur. Our study will be of interest to others in examining the trend of diffused policy borrowing in non-western settings.