Transcript The EMR Internationalising Education China Project

The EMR Internationalising
Education China Project
Introductions
Aims of session:
To provide an overview of the EMR IECP
•Policy underpinnings
•Rationale
•Project structure
•Findings
•Success factors
•Reflect on your school’s Asia literacy
‘India, China and other
Asian nations are
growing and their
influence on the world is
increasing.
Australians need to
become ‘Asia literate’,
engaging and building
stronger relationships
with Asia…’
Australian Curriculum
•
General Capability – Intercultural Understanding
•
Cross curriculum priority – Asia and Australia’s
engagement with Asia
•
Organising ideas:
• Asia and its diversity
• Achievements and contributions of the peoples of
Asia
• Asia-Australia engagement
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
Victoria as a Learning Community –
The Minister for Education,
the Hon. Martin Dixon, MP
“Internationalising education the context for our work now and
into the future.”
EMR Forward Directions: Educating the
Whole Child
Curriculum with a global perspective
Increased school partnerships at school, network,
regional and international levels
Greater uptake of LOTE (especially Asian)
Increased Asia literacy and cultural awareness
Openness to pedagogies of both the East and the
West
Why Asia?
Global integration
Global citizens
Our neighbourhood
The Asian Century
Social cohesion
Why not?
Asia literacy
Foundational and deep knowledge,
skills and understandings about the
histories, geographies, societies,
cultures, literatures and languages
of the diverse countries that make
up our part of the world
An Asia literate school - guide
EMR Internationalising Education China
Project
• 2010-DEECD/ AEF partnership- study tours to Asia
• 2011-IECP-10 schools 1 principal & 2 teachers
• Collaboration between the EMR and the Suzhou Bureau of
Education = 10 sister school relationships
• 12 day initial visit to China- intercultural education
forum/homestays/ ICT supported inter school communication
Feb 2011
• Return visit - November 2011
EMR Internationalising Education China
Project
• To build leadership skills of the participants and increase
their confidence to teach about Asia and integrate global
perspectives into the curriculum.
• To build school to school relationships with schools in
China that can support future opportunities for student
and teacher exchange and enhanced language learning
at the school.
• To develop or deepen participants’ understanding of the
Chinese education system and increase their knowledge
of contemporary Chinese culture.
Independent evaluation
• Impact evaluated at 4, 7 and 10 months after initial
in-country professional learning experience
• Data collection
– Desk research
– Interviews - Principals, teachers, leadership
– Online surveys – Principal and teacher participants
– Case study interviews – 6 schools
– Most Significant Change technique – EMR, IE,
schools
Five phase model
Key Findings
• Impact against project goals attained and
sustained
• Sustained buy-in from all schools
• Impact on schools’ policy and planning
documents
• New curricula reflecting internationalization as a
priority
• Impact on Mandarin language programs (new &
existing)
• Enhanced leadership capacity
• Increased respect, understanding and learning
from aspects of Chinese education system
Key Findings
• Capacity building evident in participants’
enhanced:
– knowledge - of Chinese society, education
system, pedagogies and language
– skills - leadership, teaching about Asia
– attitudes – appreciation of diversity,
engagement in internationalisation, empathy
for learners of English as 2nd language
• Enhanced collaboration between participating
EMR schools
• Improved relationships between schools and
Asian background school community members
Key Findings
• Significance of return visit
• Sister school relationships established
(MOUs & 12 to 24 month collaboration
plans in place)
• Students and staff in sister schools linking
via technology
• Sister schools a catalyst for broader staff
involvement & engagement with Asia
Key Findings
• A need for further whole school capacity
building to achieve student learning
outcomes in Asia literacy/ global
perspectives
• Too early to detect significant student
outcomes
• Evidence of a much wider ripple effectSpecial Education/ Early Childhood
Education/Monash City Council
• EMR IECP demonstrates “Victoria as a
learning Community”
Most Significant Change-system perspective
• The people involved had “dramatically shifted their
perception and understanding of Chinese culture,
education, and the relationship with Australia. They
wanted to learn more, and achieve more for all of their
students, teachers and communities in relation to this
work” (EMR perspective)
• “Shared commitment to the work at all levels – between
teachers, principals, regional leaders and central office
– and of the importance of commitment from
leadership” (IED perspective)
Success Factors
• Unique model including two in-country
experiences (initial and return visits), cultural
immersion via homestay with Chinese counterparts,
expert input re Chinese education system, shared
professional learning forums- involving principals
& teachers.
• Sustained engagement and collaboration across
boundaries (cross level school teams,
primary/secondary links, cooperation between
Victorian staff and Suzhou counterparts) prompted
powerful learning
Success Factors
• Whole of school - leadership, teachers, students &
community
• Investment and training in technologies to support
sister school relationships and collaborative projects
• Impetus from Chinese National Educational Reform
and Development Plan 2010-2020
Roll out
2011
EMR Pilot Project
2012 Rural Pilot Project
2012 and beyond
Potential for broader rollout of EMR
Model
“This is not an add-on but a very important curriculum
focus and it needs to be treated with respect and time.
It is also a great opportunity to lead such a significant
national and local educational agenda within your own
school, network and region.
Ultimately, the purpose of the project is to prepare our
students to be global citizens who have the knowledge,
skills and understandings to operate confidently and
successfully in an increasingly globalised world.”
Teacher participant
The EMR Internationalising
Education China Project