Progress to Date
Under the guidance of Dr Parada, the project has successfully narrowed from a large-scale gender inquiry to a more focused investigation into the development of girls’ confidence and their career ambitions.
Obtaining ethics clearance took longer than expected, which delayed aspects of the project. However, the research was also strengthened by the ethics process because it helped to focus the research and the methods being employed.
Positive outcomes are already evident and include:
- Based on anecdotal teacher observations, female students have been actively engaged and enjoyed a range of new activities introduced as part of the project.
- Support from the external community has been a particular highlight and it appears that members of both the internal and external school community value the project.
- The project has already shown promise that it will be able to create constructive change in teaching practices and have a positive impact on teacher engagement in learning and professional learning.
- It has also been beneficial for the research team to question their assumptions (e.g. by looking for patterns that fit a pre-conception), and then as a group develop future plans and directions.
Where to Next?
The next steps of the project involve:
- conducting focus groups and workshops with parents
- preparing specific interventions for classroom practice (scheduled for February 2023)
- developing and implementing the new Health, Wellbeing and Relationships teaching and learning unit, based on results from the research
- analysing and evaluating data gathered and outcomes obtained.
In the long term, it is hoped that the project will encourage teachers to be willing to examine themselves and their contributions towards student achievement, or as John Hattie would say, “Know thy impact”.
About Minarah College
Minarah College is a Kindergarten to Year 12 Islamic co-educational school. It was established by the Muslim League of NSW Inc in January 2002. Minarah College was founded for students to acquire knowledge and education of Islamic Ethical Values through a wide range of learning experiences, in a supportive, caring and intellectually stimulating environment. The school motto is that students will seek increased knowledge through faith and prayer.
