Journal of Culture and Values in Education (JCVE)
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“I Thought It [University] was the Only Way to Go:” Competent Agents in Pursuit of Possible Paths beyond University Walls
Full text linkThis qualitative study documents the experiences of youths in Montréal during both their university and post-university phases, specifically focusing on individuals whose parents originate from the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, or Latin America. Through semi-structured interviews with six youths who interrupted their university studies, our investigation employs the theory of structuration and the concept of intergenerational temporality. The findings illuminate the challenges these individuals face in deciphering the intricacies of the academic landscape and highlight their struggle to establish a genuine sense of belonging within the university environment. Furthermore, our analysis sheds light on the discernible impact of parental expectations, which contribute to prolonging their educational journey. Notably, following the interruption of their university studies, our examination accentuates the agency displayed by these youths beyond the confines of the university. Their choices to either reenroll in a college or technical program or directly enter the job market underscore their agency. In conclusion, we underscore the imperative need to deconstruct the prevailing university model, advocating for a paradigm shift that prioritizes adapting the educational system to the diverse needs of students. This approach, rooted in principles of equity and social justice, emphasizes the significance of reconfiguring the educational landscape to better serve the student body
Using Duoethnography to Connect the Disability Justice Principles to Education Research about Disabled Populations on Campus
Full text linkThe terms disability inclusion, disability rights, and disability justice are often used somewhat interchangeably, but have distinct meanings within academe more broadly and academic research contexts. The purpose of this investigation was to explore these concepts in relation to our research and present the way in which we (as education researchers) grappled with what a critical, disability justice-informed research methodology involves. We used a qualitative, duoethnographic research approach as it is both a reflection of social justice and a method to advance it (Sawyer & Norris, 2013). We engaged in virtual, asynchronous and synchronous dialogues in writing and audio formats to reflect, critique, question, and eventually, generate new ideas and ways of moving forward. In the paper, we first consider how the Disability Justice Principles from Sins Invalid (2019) could be connected to our current research practices using two questions about ethical considerations as well as research methodologies and frameworks. We then theorize how education researchers can intentionally incorporate activism throughout each stage of the research process. A Disability Justice-informed education research framework is proposed for use with research about disabled populations in higher education. This framework addresses the relationship between stages of the research process, disability inclusion, and disability justice, which was the ongoing debate throughout our dialogues
Data-Driven Insights into Non-Purchasing Behaviours through Latent Dirichlet Allocation: Analysing Study Material Acquisition Among University Students
Full text linkThe advent of technology has shifted higher education students’ educational resource acquisition from traditional printed textbooks to digital formats. This shift is underscored by recent scholarship. The current study extended the discourse on student educational resource acquisition, beyond digital preference. It offers a nuanced view of strategies encompassing digital resources and traditional methods such as library and peer borrowing. The aim of this study was to investigate non-purchasing behaviours of university students in acquiring study material. An online survey link was sent through email to all registered students in the university, out of which a total of 1500 participated – this sample included all students from the four schools. The survey sought to answer the following questions: How do you access books? Besides buying, what other strategies have you employed to access books? Data were analysed using Dirichlet allocation for topic modelling to extract the topics from participants' qualitative responses. The study’s findings reveal a complex interplay of socio-economic factors that influence student behaviour. Digital downloads emerged as a prominent strategy, indicating a reliance on online resources. However, borrowing from libraries and peers was significant, which highlights the role of social learning communities. This study contributes to the understanding of how the cost of textbooks impacts academic choices and success, emphasising the social justice implications of textbook affordability. The rise of alternative media suggests a need to reimagine educational resources. It potentially reflects a generational shift in media consumption. This study’s insights advocate for educational institutions and policymakers to reassess resource provisioning to align with the evolving landscape of higher education students’ academic resource acquisition. This will ensure equitable access to educational material
Sexual Orientation Hiccups Surrounding Traditional Male Circumcision (Ulwaluko) in the South African Context: Implications for Social Work
Full text linkIncontrovertibly, ulwaluko (traditional male circumcision) remains one of the essential rituals in developing an individual’s growth and construction of social identity, yet one of the ancient and patriarchal cultures. While some studies have been done on the experiences of homophobia by the LGBTQIA undergoing ulwaluko, there is a dearth of research on how social work professionals can intervene in curbing the homophobic and patriarchal undertones surrounding the traditions. Underpinned by Anti-Oppressive Practice as a theory, this paper argues that ulwaluko becomes problematic because it promotes heterosexualist practices which negate realities and experiences of self-identifying amaXhosa gay men. Through reviewing available literature, this paper argues that although human rights are universal, constructionists believe that social norms and values have an impact on how those rights are implemented, the paper further defined sexuality within the context of amaXhosa and also argues that social workers are not well trained with cultural competency
Outreach as Research Activism: Using STEM Outreach as a bridge to Social Change
Full text linkThe STEM Explorers outreach project, headed by a Faculty of Education at a University in Ontario, Canada, brings free, hands-on, and in-community science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach events to children and their families from groups under-represented in STEM education and careers. The project provides pre-service teachers with experience facilitating inclusive approaches to STEM education and also creates a context to explore their conceptions of activism. The purpose of this phenomenographic research is to describe the experiences of these aspiring teachers to better understand the ways that outreach initiatives can impact their role as STEM education activists. Findings suggest that a positive STEM educator identity, a program of integrated and student-centered STEM learning, and possessing an activist sense of purpose, contribute to the degree to which pre-service teachers regard themselves as STEM education activists. 
Enhancing Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Education through Folklore: A Case Study at the Further Education and Training Phase in South Africa
Full text linkThis article critically examines the role of folklore in teaching indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) within the Further Education and Training (FET) phase in South Africa, specifically in Home Languages curricula. Despite the recognised importance of indigenous knowledge systems in enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of education as articulated in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), their integration into formal education remains hypothetical. Utilising a culturally relevant pedagogy framework iteratively and the decolonial theory, this article explores how folklore could serve as an effective medium for implanting the IKS formal education. The findings accentuate the need for policy reforms to prioritise folklore in the FET phase, ensuring that all learners studying Home Languages are exposed to IKS as that is crucial in nurturing the cultural identity and cognitive development among learners
Developing Teachers through School-Based Leadership: A Case Study of One Rural Primary School in South Africa
Full text linkContemporary thinking in scholarship observes that the framework of rural school teaching and leadership calls for customized attention owing to the contextual challenges that rural schools are faced with. This paper aims to examine the use of school-based leadership to develop primary school teachers, in a selected rural context. Supported by the interpretive qualitative paradigm, data was generated through a focus group interview with seven teachers and an individual face-to-face interview with the school principal from one selected rural primary school. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that although the school principal used open and effective leadership strategies to develop teachers to improve teaching and learning conditions, teachers still needed structured professional development programmes to enhance their teaching and improve learner outcomes. In light of the findings, this paper recommends a combination of leadership strategies from the school principal that will enhance teaching and learning while providing structured professional development. The paper advocates for the dual use of school-based leadership by the school principal to improve teaching and learning and teacher professional development
Social Capital, Culture, and Codes in Higher Education: Bourdieusian and Bernsteinian Philosophical Underpinnings in the South Africa Environment
Full text linkSocial capital ignored is an “object of political and ideological struggle” created to stifle working-class students in educational spaces. Furthermore, as societal dynamics are constructed in the student-lecturer relationship, this article seeks to evaluate how deliberative democracy in the online higher education space can inspire care through the ongoing dialogue between student and lecturer. This is framed against the Bourdieusian (social capital) and Bernsteinian (social code) framework because both theorists’ work highlights how the dominant class (represented by lecturers) consciously and unconsciously tends to ignore students’ social and cultural capital and codes. This, in turn, leads to a lack of dialogue and care in student-lecturer relationships in higher education. One of this study’s findings is that higher education is aimed to support more middle-class students. The reason for this is that our findings show that lecturers tend not to know what to do with the social habitus of working-class or disadvantaged students. The aforementioned phenomena were foregrounded through Bourdieusian (social capital) and Bernsteinian (social code) model that is situated in the sociological approach, which is interpretive in nature, to explore whether dialogue and care were shown
The Stories of Us: Queer Tamils and Their Experiences Reclaiming Culture and Heritage in Canada
Full text link“The Stories Of Us” considers the ways that culture, heritage, and rituals come together. This ethnographic study is guided by methodologies of narrative photovoice that speak to the lived experiences of how five 2nd Generation Queer Tamil Canadians living in Toronto/Scarborough reclaim their Tamil culture and heritage as Queer people living in the West. The intersectional marginalization Queer Tamil people face often ostracizes them from both their Tamil community as well as their Queer community. The participants of this study reflected on their identities growing up as well as how they’ve engaged with community at different stages of their Queer journey, speaking to their experiences reclaiming their cultural identity as Queer people. Based on the lived experiences of the participants, this data-based study looks at the creative ways that Queer Tamils take up space and reclaim their cultural heritage as a politically and historically silenced community
Transforming the Canadian Policy Agenda for School-Based Prevention of Youth Homelessness: Research as Activism
Full text linkYouth homelessness (YH) demands transformative changes in research, education, and public policy. Distinct from adult homelessness (AH), poorly addressed YH may lead to AH. Prevailing media narratives and policy communications perpetuate stigma and are unrepresentative of youth’s lived experiences, hindering the educational sector’s capacity to implement supportive measures in youth homelessness prevention. Schools are well poised to provide preventative and mitigative supports to address YH, yet the work intensification of educators has reached a point of fatigue, thus threatening support efficacy. We conceptualize research as activism and propose that policy can be engaged as a matter of social justice and a means to transform society via research and knowledge mobilization (KMb). Our Canadian environmental scan informs several studies in progress, which share goals to: prevent YH; reduce harms from intersectional issues to YH; and ameliorate conditions for resilience pertaining to youth in or at risk of homelessness. We call for a multi-pronged approach to engage stakeholders and the education sector in addressing this high-stakes issue disproportionately affecting underserved youth. Our findings chart the next steps of this research as activism cycle