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…’

www.australiancurriculum.edu.au

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

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

Our neighbourhood

The Asian Century

Global citizens

Why not?

Social cohesion

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 effect-Special 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

“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