Case Studies

Primary and Secondary School sites
Across two years, teachers from seven public schools in northern metropolitan Adelaide engaged with the theory and practice of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy through regular workshops in collaboration with a research team from the University of South Australia. These teachers had a shared interest in developing pedagogical responses to diversity in their classrooms.

Using an action research model, the teachers identified a pedagogical challenge in their classrooms, redesigned a unit of work to address that challenge, enacted the redesigned unit, collected relevant data, and reflected on that data.

The action research was conducted across both primary and secondary school sites and across most learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. The teachers’ innovative work is documented in these case studies.

Early Learning sites
Across one year, educators from five early learning sites in northern metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia collaborated with researchers from the University of South Australia to explore parallels between the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Meeting at regular workshops held twice a term, the educators shared their own pedagogical challenges, engaged with relevant literature and heard from guest speakers.

Using an action research model, the educators developed hopeful approaches to address their pedagogical challenges, implemented these approaches in the early learning setting, collected data on the outcomes, and reflected on that data. Their exeriences are documented in these case studies.

[1] Pseudonyms are used for all students mentioned in the case studies. Pseudonyms are also used for teachers and schools, unless they have chosen to be identified.

Primary and Secondary School Case Studies

Case Study

Alistair’s Geography Unit: People, Places, Projections

Teacher: Alistair Ward
School: Roma Mitchell Secondary College
Learning Area: Geography
Year level: 10

Case Study

Jake’s Indigenous Games unit

Teacher: Jake
School: Sheoak Secondary
Learning Area: Health & Physical Education
Year level: 9

Case Study

Josh’s HASS units (Year 1)

Teacher: Joshua Bradbrook
School: Paralowie R-12 School
Learning Area: HASS
Year level: 11

Case Study

Kelly and Skye’s HASS unit

Teachers: Skye Miller and Kelly Blandford
School: Lake Windemere School B-7
Class: HASS
Year: 6/7 (four classes)

Case Study

Kelly’s 2018 units

Teacher: Kelly Blandford
School: Woodville Gardens School
Learning areas: Dance, English
Year: 6/7

Case Study

Naomi’s STEM unit

Teacher’s name: Naomi
School: Paperbark Secondary
Learning area: STEM
Year: 9

Case Study

Responding to history through narrative

Teacher: Sam White
School: Northern Adelaide Senior College
Learning Area: Essential English (EALD focus)
Year level: 12

Case Study

Simone’s Yarning Circle unit

Teacher: Simone
School: Sheoak Secondary
Learning area: Research Project
Year: 11

Case Study

Anna’s Homework and Art units

Teacher: Anna
School: Acacia Primary
Learning Area: Art
Year level: 5-7

Case Study

Janet’s EALD unit

Teacher: Janet Armitage
School: Wattle Secondary
Learning area: English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD)
Year level: 9

Case Study

Josh’s HASS units (Year 2)

Teacher: Joshua Bradbrook
School: Paralowie R-12 School
Learning Area: HASS
Year level: 9

Case Study

Kelly’s Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in action at Woodville Gardens School

Teacher: Kelly Blandford
School: Woodville Gardens School
Learning areas: Dance, English
Year: 6/7

Case Study

Melissa’s Global Civil Rights unit

Teacher: Melissa
School: Wattle Secondary
Learning area: History
Year Level: 10

Case Study

Rachel’s History and Essential English units

Teacher: Rachel Wood
School: Roma Mitchell Secondary College

Case Study

Sharon’s Art unit

Teacher: Sharon
School: Paperbark Secondary
Learning Area: Art
Year: Level: 9

Case Study

Skye’s Cultural Stories

Teacher: Skye Miller
School: Lake Windemere B-7 School
Learning area: Language and Literacy
Year: R-7

Early Learning Case Studies

Case Study

Angela’s Beach Kindy progettazione

Teacher: Angela
Site: Wombat Preschool Centre
Year level: Early learning

Case Study

Chloe and Nikki: Improving language and engagement through embodied artistic learning

Teacher: Chloe and Nikki
Site: Kangaroo Children’s Centre
Year level: Early learning

Case Study

Megan and Lisa: Book-based learning

Teachers: Megan and Lisa
Site: Possum Children’s Centre
Year level: Early learning

Case Study

Anna and Evan: Hearing the voices of all children

Teachers: Anna and Evan
Site: Acacia Early Learning Centre
Year level: Early learning

Case Study

Elly, Susie and Natasha: The runners

Teacher: Elly, Susie and Natasha
Site: Koala Children’s Centre
Year level: Early learning

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