Students' lived experiences of a unit on international capabilities in the learning languages classroom : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education, Institute of Education, Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

"In 2014, the New Zealand Ministry of Education presented a Summary Report of the research conducted by the NZCER on the potential measurement of a New Zealand student’s International Capabilities in their two final years of secondary schooling. As with most educational reform proposals (Alghamdi, 2014; Claxton, Chambers, Powell & Lucas, 2013), the need for an International Capabilities Framework, was justified from a national economic standpoint, with the argument that it would enhance New Zealand’s productivity on a global scale. The concept of International Capabilities is not new to educational reform, however, consensus on a concrete definition of what constitutes this term is wide and varied, using abstract terms that are hard to quantify and measure in the classroom (Hunter, 2006; Lambert, 1996; Reimers, 2013; Swiss Consulting Group, 2002; Shields; 2012). These definitions are often constructed by policy makers with an economic objective, and while the aim of the educational reform is described as facilitating a positive outcome for the student in terms of academic and personal development, the student experience of these reforms is often sorely lacking (Sands, Lydia, Laura & Alison, 2007). As long as student perspectives are left out of educational reforms, these efforts will be “based on an incomplete picture of life in classrooms and schools, as well as how that life could be improved” (Cook-Sather, 2002, p.3). In the context of the International Capabilities Framework (NZCER, 2014) in New Zealand, whilst student, teacher and business focus groups were consulted initially on how an internationally capable student could present themselves, there has not been an opportunity for students to experience the Framework, with its concrete criteria based around the New Zealand Curriculum’s Key Competencies of Thinking; Language Symbol & Text; Managing Self; Relating to Others; Participating and Contributing, and to give their feedback on this experience. As student voice has not been collected, it is impossible for policy makers to know if in fact the educational reform they are proposing is effective and relevant. Likewise, without student voice on the experiences of International Capabilities in the classroom, teachers can neither gain a complete picture of the needs of the students nor the strategies that best support student learning and eventual academic success (Alghamdi, 2014). The purpose of this thesis is to examine students’ lived experiences of a unit on international capabilities in a Learning Languages classroom in NZ. The study aimed to gather the lived experience of a group of Year 12 and 13 students who were learning French. The choice of the Learning Languages curriculum as the area in which to collect student voice is appropriate, as the literature acknowledges that learning a second or foreign language is one of the most effective ways for students to develop cross-cultural communicative competence and an awareness of other cultures and worldviews (Fantini, 2001; NZCER, 2014; The Royal Society of New Zealand, 2013). Having experienced the International Capabilities Framework in the process of a unit of work in the French classroom, the students were able to act as “expert witnesses” (Alghamdi, 2014) in identifying effective instructional practices to help teachers adapt their practice and context to the Framework. Likewise, the collection of student voice will help bridge the gaps in the reform proposed, with particular reference to the debate on how students should be measured for their International Capabilities in the future"--Introduction