Sengamphone presentation

Welcome to the presentation on female minority students in teacher education

Presentation outline Reasons for choosing topic Research questions Theory perspectives Methodology Analysis Recommendations

Why the topic is chosen Geographical reasons: Landscape TEIs’ location Ethnicity reasons: The variety of ethnicities Local community traditions Opportunity to education

Research questions 1. How can teaching be characterized in the 5+4 study program and what is the involvement of the female students? Is there a hidden curriculum? What frame factors influence teaching? 2. What differences exist between female and male minority teacher students in terms of social origin and school career? 3. What role do different forms of resources play in the selection of the minority women who become 5+4 teacher students? Who becomes selected? 4. How do the selections of female schoolteachers in minority villages influence gender relations?

Literature Review Ethnicity and identity (René Apple & Pieter Muysken): * paternity *patrimony * phenomenology Factors influencing the teaching/learning situation for minority students at the TTC (frame factor theory) Hidden curriculum Symbolic (traditional, cultural, educational, social) capital, economic capital and habitus (Bourdieu)

Methods  observations  Interviews  Questionnaires

Findings 1. Minority students are fewer at 11+1 level than at lower levels 2. Female minority students disappear at 11+1 level 3. Teaching is not adapted to minority students’ culture and language 4. We know too little about minority students’ backgrounds 5. The AUSAID and GTZ support to female minority village teachers 6. To explore female minority students’ thinking about education in relation to other parts of life

Analysis

I. The character of the teaching of minority students at the 5+4 program Teaching in minority classrooms is even more teacher- centered than in majority classrooms Students are often not listening, talking about other things, looking out of the window In one lesson, female students learn passively unlikely male students do One of the two teacher is very ”hard” teaching style: high, angry voice, focusing much on discipline

Frame factors and hidden curriculum In addition to ”normal” frame factors like class size and demanding curricula, two other frame factors seem to be important for the character of teaching/learning: Students as a frame factor: low academic level (Grade 5) and weak in the language of instruction (Lao) Teachers as a frame factor: in this teaching situation, teaching traditions make teachers even more teacher- centered Hidden curriculum: minority students learn that they are not as good students as others; their own language is an obstacle rather than a resource supporting learning, and that their culture has no importance in the learning process

II. Differences between female and male minority students Female minority students disappear at the 11+1 Female majority students are more often from families with high education and are more often Buddhists than male minority students The selection of female minority students is stronger (= it is necessary to come from a family closer to the majority culture)

Majority students Female Male Total 77 23 100 8+3 60 40 100 11+1 75 25 100 Total Minority students Female Male Total 55 45 100 5+4 48 52 100 8+3 15 85 100 11+1 49 51 100 Total

Father does not read Female Male Father reads at least a little 14 26 81 64 Father reads and writes well 52 41 No education up to completed primary Female Male Completed lower secondary or higher 68 70 Information missing 25 18 7 12

Buddhist Female Male Animist 19 11 Other 80 87 Total 1 2 100 100

III. Forms of capital in the selection of female village teachers Interviewed selected future village female teachers come from influential, important families with more symbolic, cultural (including educational) and social capital than others: - chairman - educated persons in the family - contatcs (ex. sister working with GTZ) Some also come from families with a strong economic capital: rubber plantations, etc. To be selected is a new capital (resource) that families with a strong symbolic and economic capital take hold of

IV. Change in gender relations with female minority village teachers? Little data to answer this question Interviewed female teachers say a) that the man has more authority and takes decisions and b) that they will have a new role and more respects as village teachers This points to a possible conflict or at least a change in gender relations in the village

Recommendations The government should give funds to the female minority in rural areas Train teachers from their communities to teach in their own communities Adapt teaching more to the culture and language of minorities Teachers need training in how to teach the minority students at TTS and show more interest in their culture, background and identity (paternity, patrimony,phenomenology) Support also students from families with little symbolic and economic capital The government has to provide to improve in the educational quality of female minority students