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