Created on: 09 Jul 2024 | Last modified: 10 Jul 2024
This is a write up of an Action Research Grant project undertaken by Suzy Aldous, during the 2022-23 period, on decolonising the Secondary English curriculum.
PDF - Decolonising the English Curriculum for Increased Pupil Awareness of Social Justice
This Action Research Project was conducted with an S2 Secondary English class during the 2022-23 Global Pandemic recovery period. It arose from a need to decolonise the curriculum in line with the school’s Gold Rights Respecting School status, national guidance on anti-racism in education and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The research was conducted to gauge the methods that would be effective for teaching the novel ‘Boy Everywhere,’ with a view to enabling learners to have conversations about social justice. The author used a pragmatic mixed methods approach to research, with an emphasis on pupils as co-researchers. Results showed pupils became more aware of social justice issues through hearing stories, talking and writing activities. The key research conclusion was the primary importance of real-life contexts for social justice. The project outcomes highlighted the implications of the classroom as a microcosm of a just society and learners as social justice activists. In turn, this democratisation of the classroom presents one possible blueprint for effective Learning for Sustainability Global Citizenship education.
Secondary English teachers seeking to decolonise the curriculum will be able to examine data on methodology and pedagogy to encourage conversations about social justice. Classroom practitioners seeking to democratise their learning space and increase pupil voice will be able to look at the benefits of co-research with learners through action research.