College of Education

In this paper I will examine how ideology informs educational research producing diverse outcomes. Scholars have been divided on the issue of what some fields refer to as ‘triangulation’, by engaging in a mixed-method approach in research studies supposedly to increase the validity of research outcomes.  The resistance to such practices comes from the understanding that the philosophical underpinnings of each research paradigm are not only epistemologically but also ontologically diverse, even stand in opposition. In similar vein, the same ideologies have a profound impact on educational theory which underpins much of the curriculum theory and pedagogy today. Starting from the argument that ontology has tended to be subordinated to epistemological concerns (Dall'Alba & Barnacle, 2008), I will exemplify a number of idiosyncratic cases where recent curricular reform has challenged longstanding cultural and social conceptualizations of knowledge, producing dissonance.

Eva Bernat, PhD, is a Lecturer at the School of Education, University of New South Wales, and a Research Fellow at Macquarie University, Sydney.

One common myth in education is that language teachers teach language while subject teachers focus on content areas. This presentation identifies the assumptions that lead to the making of this myth and illustrates how language teaching is part of every class. Building on an understanding of language as a meaning making (semiotic) system, the presentation shows how language relates to various disciplines and how learning a subject requires us to learn the language of that subject. This understanding helps us in both explaining why language teachers are not the sole teachers teaching language, and also in explaining why students who seem to be proficient in a language are unable to use it appropriately in diverse disciplinary contexts. While we focus on the English language in this presentation, many of the issues raised can be extended to the teaching and learning of other languages as well.

In addition to looking at the relationship of language and discipline areas, the talk will also explore the relationship between student background and their language and literacy practices. The language and literacy skills that students bring to school have a significant impact on their performance and success in schools. This is an issue in most countries, but it becomes compounded in contexts where students are educated in a language that is not their home language. In such contexts many children have to both learn and learn in a language that is new to them. This raises a number of new challenges that need to be considered. This presentation will lead a discussion on these issues and outline some strategies that may be considered in addressing them.

Dr. Ahmar Mahboob is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Sydney. He has published on a range of topics including language teaching, teacher education, language policy, educational linguistics, and World Englishes. He is the co-editor of Questioning Linguistics with Naomi Knight (2008), Studies in Applied Linguistics and Language Learning with Caroline Lipovsky (2009), The NNEST Lens: Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL (2010), and Appliable Linguistics (2010) with Naomi Knight. Dr. Mahboob also serves as the Associate Editor of Linguistics and the Human Sciences.