| CODE | EDS3110 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Addressing Diversity in Early Years | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The aim of this study-unit is to enhance early childhood educators’ critical understanding of socio-cultural difference and explore how early childhood educational contexts are loaded with contradictory functions of constructing and deconstructing these differences. The study-unit is not solely aimed to address diversity in a celebratory manner. Although it is recognised that positive symbolisation of social and cultural differences is important, especially in using them as political and educational resources, the study-unit seeks to raise consciousness to educational disparities and give practical ideas as to how local early childhood educational spaces can enhance their cultural responsiveness by becoming culturally and socially hybridised. Early childhood educators’ practical encounters with diversity are understood through philosophies of social justice that attend to the challenges of othering, assimilation, difference, racism and cultural prejudices. The notions of social justice will be discussed in relation to culturally responsive education and to a variety of issues including gender, social class, sexuality, spirituality and religious diversity, ethnic and racial diversity, and family types. These aspects will be explored in different lectures during the course however lecturers will explore them in relation to each other to highlight the multiple positions that children may take in becoming different. Lecturers will explore these themes and issues through lectures, class discussions and group work that refer to situations that challenge educators, children and families and communities in responding to diversity. Study-unit Aims - Sensitize educators to complex and contradictory positions of the educator in addressing diversity in early childhood education settings. - Introduce educators to the academic literature related to notions of diversity couched within a language of social justice. - Help educators develop their sensitivity in more practical terms by exploring situations in early childhood settings through stories of teachers’ challenges to diverse classrooms. - Develop their personal and professional toolkits for responding to diversity in general and the mentioned themes in particular. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Understand the various ways schools and teachers work to reproduce the “other” including an understanding of racial and others forms of prejudices. - Acquire specific knowledges of the approaches that eliminate disparities related to forms of othering related to class, gender, race, ethnicity sexuality religious and family background. - Develop their own philosophies of social justice that are sensitive to diversities as they take shape within the particular local contexts of early education. 2. Skills (including transferable [generic] skills): By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Modify their teaching strategies so that students from different racial, cultural, social class groups will experience equal educational opportunities. - Make critical and creative use of student diversity as educational resources. - Help students develop positive intergroup relations. - Actively contribute to the transformation of school environment and culture. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings General – Diversity - Banks J. A. (2004) Multicultural Education: Historical Development, Dimensions and Practice in Banks JA & Banks Ch A. (eds) ( 2004) Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education, San Francisco, Jossey Bass. (available in reading pack) - Bhikhu Parekh (2006) Rethinking Multiculturalism 2nd edition Palgrave Macmillan. (ordered) - Borg C. & Cardona M. (2008) Lorenzo Milani. L-Edukazzjoni u l-Ġustizzja Soċjali, Malta, Media Centre Print. - Borg C. & Calleya C. (eds.) (2006) Understanding Children and Youth at Risk Malta, Agenda. - Borg C. & Mayo P. (2005) Learning and Social Difference USA, Peter Lang. - Cochran- Smith M. (2004) Walking the Road: Race, Diversity and Social Justice in Teacher Education, Teachers’ College Press, Columbia University, New York. (ordered) - Gay G. ( 2000) Culturally Responsive Teaching Teachers’ College Press, Columbia University, New York. - Griffiths, M. (2003) Action for Social Justice in Education. Maidenhead Philadelphia, OUP. - Ladson Billings G. (2001) Crossing Over to Canaan the Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, San Fransisco, Jossey Bass. - Young I. M. (1990) Justice and the Politics of Difference New Jersey, Princeton University Press. Early Childhood Education and Diversity - Genishi C. & Godwin L. (2007) Diversities in Early Childhood Education: Rethinking and Doing, New York, Routledge. (ordered) - Robinson K. & Jones Diaz (2005) Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education, OUP. (ordered) Anti Racist Education - Kailin J. (2002) Anti Racist Education. USA: Rowman & Littlefled. - Shelly Tochluk (2008) Witnessing Whiteness. USA: Rowman & Littlefield. (ordered) - Connolly Paul( 1998) Racism, Gender Identities and Young Children, London, Routledge. (ordered) Pre-School Children Gender And Sexuality - Blaise (2005) Playing it Staight: Uncovering Gender Discourses in Early Childhood Classroom. Routledge . (ordered) - Casper, V. (2003) Very Young Children in Lesbian and Gay Headed Families: Moving Beyond Acceptance. Zero to Three, 23(3), 18 – 26. - Goldman, J. D. G. & Grimbeek, P. (2008). "Sources of information accessed during pre-service training by Primary school student-teachers at University, in understanding child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting". (submitted) - Goldman, J. D. G. (2005). "Student-teachers’ learning about child sexual abuse strategies for Primary school: An exploratory study of Surface and Deep learning", Sex Education, 5(1), pp. 79-92. - Goldman, J. D. G. (2003). "Sexuality education for children and pre-schoolers in the new millennium". Children Australia, 28(1), pp. 17-23. - Granger C. A. (2007) On (not) representing sex in preschool and kindergarten: a psychoanalytic reflection on orders and hints in Sex Education 7(1), pp. 1 – 15. - Kakavoulis, A. (1998) Early Childhood Sexual Development and Sex Education: A Survey of Attitudes of Nursery School Teachers in European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 6 (2). pp. 55-70. - Lesser, L.K., Burt, T., & Gelnaw, A. (2005) Making Room in the Circle: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Families in Early Childhood Settings. California: Parent Services Project. - Robinson, K. (2002) Making the Invisible Visible: Gay and Lesbian Issues in Early Childhood Education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. 3 (30), 415-434. - Wickens, E. (1993) Penny’s Question: ‘I will have a child in my class with two mums – what do you know about this?’ Young Children, 48(3), pp. 25-28. Children and Religious Diversity - Green, C. & Oldendorf S. (2005) Teaching Religious Diversity through Children's Literature in Childhood Education, 81(4), pp. 209-218. - Haynes, C. C. & Thomas, O. (Eds.) (2001). Finding common ground: A guide to religious liberty in public schools. Nashville, TN: First Amendment Center. - Lessow-Hurley J; (1999) Religious Diversity in the Public Schools in Multicultural Perspectives, Vol. 1. - Merryfield, M. M. (2004). Elementary students in substantive culture learning in Social Education, 68(4), 270-273. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Ind Study, Group Learning and Tutorials | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Louise Chircop |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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