Abstract
The purpose of this study was to advance understanding on how early career teachers imagined themselves to be culturally responsive and how their beliefs and ideologies about teaching a diverse range of learners were challenged and refined during their early years of teaching. This qualitative, exploratory study was conducted in a large, secondary school in eastern Australia that has a highly diverse population of students. Findings indicate that, while these early career teachers lacked preparation for working with diverse learners, building relationships on multiple levels (with students, with fellow beginning teachers, and with senior staff which includes ongoing support and mentoring from colleagues) is essential for the development of early career teachers as culturally responsive practitioners. Findings are discussed in relation to Garmon’s (2005) six key factors for teaching diverse groups of students: openness, self-awareness, commitment to social justice, having intercultural experiences, have support group experiences, and recognising individual growth. These findings have implications for schooling systems in how they can better transition early career teachers to classrooms and for higher education teacher preparation programs in Australia and many other countries with a growing number migrant and refugee students coming into the school system.
Highlights
The diversity of the Australian population has broadened considerably over the past decade
According to the most recent census data (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017), approximately one third of people currently living in Australia were born overseas and approximately 21% of the Australian population speak a language other than English at home
In relation to Garmon’s (2005) six key factors contributing to the development of culturally responsive teachers, all participants expressed an openness and a positive self-awareness in relation to teaching diverse learners and how their various, prior experiences helped to shape and influence their approaches to teaching diverse groups of learners
Summary
The diversity of the Australian population has broadened considerably over the past decade. Over one half of this immigrant population reside in the state of Queensland, the context for this study. Along with this changing demographic, school classrooms have experienced a similar shift with a large increase in diversity in their student populations. There is evidence that some teachers have received little or inadequate training to work with diverse learners or may perceive that they do not have the capabilities to do so (Kaikkonen, 2010; Kraska & Boyle, 2014; Rose, 2010). It is important to understand early career teachers’ perspectives as they are at the beginning stages of their career, they are positioning themselves in their profession as culturally responsive practictioners
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