Journal 1.1

Teachers are at times faced with questions that prompt them to establish an understanding of their faith. The answers that the teachers usually give depend on their own cultural understandings as far as their beliefs and values are concerned. A competent teacher will not only give an answer based on his or her own belief, but will also integrate it with a research-based theory (Matthews, 2014). To develop a Christian mind that will avoid giving superficial answers, the teacher should have grounding of the various cultural perspectives that people do have. Before answering, the teacher should ask himself questions such as ‘what might have led to the situation’ or ‘what is trying to be achieved’ (Liston, 1996). It is based on the fact that schools have students coming from different cultures with different perspectives on faith.

Journal 1.2

Teachers rarely try to figure out what the true purpose and meaning of schooling is. Most people will view the purpose of schooling based on their cultural backgrounds or understanding (Matthews, 2014). Being an Asian, education and schooling in general plays a very vital role in establishing one’s character in the society. Education has been held in such high esteem since its inception, and it has been viewed as one of the most guaranteed way of succeeding in life. All of the subjects introduced in the curriculum are keenly considered if they will serve the purpose that it is intended to serve. In retrospect, my cultural background has made me realize that education is not a matter of just gaining understanding of one’s cultural background and factual knowledge, but also molding one’s character into such that is acceptable by the society.

Journal 1.3

The approach that has been given to education looking as students as participants is that it was not an entitlement, not just until recently (Matthews, 2014). The students whose parents can be able to afford education or were interested in their children learning were the only ones who had the luxury of going to school. The others whose parents could not afford it were subjected to receiving low-quality education. The students are, however, expected to achieve nothing but excellence. They sit for the same examinations and eventually compete for the same jobs available.

The teachers, on the other hand, are given the task of instilling education and knowledge into the students regardless of the conditions that they work in. The parents and the teachers are expected to work together in bringing up the children into respectable individuals in the society. However, the blame is mostly directed towards the teachers if the students do not become successful in their quest for education(Liston, 1996). The teachers are expected to guide the students through the entire curriculum.

The purpose of education according to Gradgrind is very different from how other people view education. He was only interested in a profitable enterprise and aimed at ramming facts into the brains of the students. He viewed the purpose of schools should be distanced from cultural backgrounds and other fancies and should only deal with facts which have been documented in the curriculum (Barkley, 2010).

Nowadays, the view of education is completely different from how Gradgrind looked at it. Emphasis is being put on thinking over just learning facts. Sometimes, I think that the ideology of thinking has been pushed so far from facts, especially in science and mathematics. However, we should not look at education the way Gradgrind.

 

Journal 1.4

Several changes have taken place in the Australian education system in the 19^th century. It has developed to what is nowadays referred to as normalized schooling. Some of the changes include the abolishment of punishing students because they have failed to learn facts by heart(Liston, 1996). It has been argued to be an inappropriate method as far as education is concerned. The education system has, in fact, adapted other subjects that tend to nurture the students’ creative capabilities. Another characteristic that can be identified in the modern education is the appreciation of the students’ rights. Students are no longer subjected to one curriculum since they come from different cultural backgrounds. The students also have the right not to be interrupted by other students while learning. The third and final characteristic is the increasing involvement of parents into the matters of their children’s education. Well, they might not have a very professional view regarding the progress of their children’s academic affairs but they are expected to work together with the teachers to achieve much more wholesome objective (Matthews, 2014).

In Australia, the three public purposes of education include community development, social justice and student’s love for learning. These are purposes that were introduced by the government. One private purpose of education includes sorting for employment and the economy.

Journal 1.5

The teaching profession is slowly becoming very complex. This is because the requirements and the workload for the teachers have been increasing. Their work in class greatly influences their private life (Matthews, 2014). As they deal with students from different ethnic backgrounds and separate ideological views, he or she becomes accustomed to dealing with different kind of people in his private life. If the teacher has certain negative beliefs about certain kind of people from the onset, he will find it very difficult when dealing with such students and having to go through the process of accepting them.

Journal 2.1

A vocational curriculum is that which prepares students for various crafts, trade or different professional levels. One characteristic of a vocational program is that it is grouped into teaching procedural knowledge. The students are first introduced to the basics, and they progress into more complex issues regarding their specialty. Another characteristic is that a vocational curriculum is specific in nature. The participants aim of specializing in one field, hence its specificity. Thirdly, a vocational curriculum is can be in the pre-secondary, secondary or at the tertiary level of education. It depends with the governments’ directive and objective that is intended to be achieved from education.

Purposes of schooling can be looked at from different perspectives. These purposes can conflict in the long run. For example, one of the public purposes of schooling is community development. The government having put this objective in place will work towards achieving it. However, the students might not have the desire or motivation for developing their community or maybe might not even have a love for learning. Hence, without some purposes being achieved, other purposes might as well crumble (Nieto, 2009).

Journal 2.2

On May 1st, 1880, the Public Instruction Act came into force. Apart from introducing significant changes, it also did an extension of the educational provision that had been made under the 1886 Act. One of the changes included the introduction of compulsory education. The state also stopped aiding denominational schools and started taking more interest as far as secondary education is concerned. The 1880 Act also did some modifications and created three types of schools; High, Evening and Superior public schools (Matthews, 2014)

The effects of the Act prompted the government to distance itself from the operations of denominational schools; hence the schools had to find another source of funding. The modifications done to create the three types of schools widened the scope of education provision in Australia.

Journal 2.3

According to Smart, the four worldviews questions include who am I, where am I, what is wrong and how can it be fixed.

The Christian worldview is based on the aforementioned questions. A Christian views him or herself as being created by God and is put on earth to serve specific purposes. He has the realization that he is on earth, also created by God in such perfection, in order to sustain life. The problem a Christian has with the world is that it is riddled with sin. Sin made the relationship between man and God to be interfered with negativity, and the main objective is to restore the relationship. This can be fixed through accepting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who is believed to be the son of God (Singelis, 1997).

Journal 2.4

According to Postman, the similarity of American education to that of Australia are the different views that people have regarding education. There is very little room that is left for one to interpret the purpose of education at a personal level, hence it is dictated through what has been previously decided (Barkley, 2010). Both countries would hold on to previous policies and make very few changes to them. The trends that have coupled the current society make some of these policies to become very ineffective. Another similarity is the idea of deteriorating value of education. Most students go to school having no personal objective, but just to do what is required or expected of them.

Journal 2.5

A modernist views himself as an individual with a great mind and has immense potential. He recognizes that he is on earth that is the residence of the human beings. The problem is that the world is coupled with very many myths and beliefs that are misleading and are not realistic. It can be fixed is through the rational use of science to administer facts (Gay,2010).

It can be argued that postmodernism has been based on three major features. They include the existence of power of reason over ignorance, science supersedes superstition and there is power of order over disorder.

Students have subconsciously adopted the reasoning of modernism given the premise that the education system itself mostly deals with facts that belief. It is a trend that has affected students’ thinking and the way they handle their education. Such has also affected their personalities and the way they view right from wrong (Singelis, 1997).

Journal 3.1

As far as children and young adults come from different cultures, at times they have common interests in some certain upcoming cultures. These cultures are considered to be popular, and most teenagers would like to associate themselves with it. That is the reason ‘Loser Television’ is very popular among the children and young adults (Gay, 2010).

Journal 3.2

Currently, students are very much engrossed in fashion trends and technology. They have gone to the extent of attaching these ideologies to their importance of life, in that, they cannot live without them. The meaning of life to them has surpassed the necessities of shelter, food and clothing (Gay, 2010). They find happiness in fashion and technology and define their lives from such fronts. It has impacted the education setting, in a way, that it has to warm up to the trends that appear relevant to the young generation in order to appeal to them.

Journal 3.3

During their early years and before joining school, children are brought up according to some certain beliefs and cultures. It is usually done in a family setting(Liston, 1996). When they start going to school, they meet other children from different cultures. From the onset, they will always look at the other children’s beliefs and scale it relative to their own beliefs.

Journal 3.3

One of Niebuhr’s models of Christ to culture that I can relate to is the separatist approach. People tend to stay away from matters that are considered worldly (Nieto, 2009). One example is the some of the Christian songs in which the singer declares letting go of ungodly things. Damita sang the popular song known as ‘No looking back’ as a good example of a separatist approach.

Journal 3.4

To some extent, the claim that Christian schools are “hothouses” has some truth in it. The students are expected to abide strictly by the rules as far as Christianity is concerned. They end up with a strong irrational belief in the religion.

The role of Christian schools in the Australian society is to lace the education system with religion and not only bring up individuals who have basic knowledge, but are also morally upright (Singelis, 1997).

Journal 3.5

• Education defines who we are in the end because it helps shape our future religiously and professionally.
• Education generates meaning as it is based on the acceptance and alignment of various beliefs.
• Education brings together the diverse communities in the society through which they learn about each other.
• Education is very important in our current society since it helps remove ignorance and assumptions that have led to a lot of problem in the past (Nieto, 2009).

Journal 4.1

            The most significant change that has taken place in the last twenty years is the introduction of multi-cultural education in schools. The students are able to learn about other cultural backgrounds and are able to appreciate the customs and beliefs of their fellow students. It is an important step since it helps eradicate discrimination that some students subject others to. The subject acts as a unifying factor in the country because it will eventually have a generation that is free of prejudice and discrimination (Matthews, 2014).

References

Matthews, J. (2014). Cultural Perspectives In Teaching. Drummoyne: Wesley Institute

Liston, P.D. (1996). Culture And Teaching (Reflective Teaching And The Social Conditions Of   Schooling Series). London: Routledge

Nieto, S. (2009). Language, Culture and Teaching: Critical Perspectives (Language, Culture   and Teaching Series). London: Routledge

Barkley, G.S. (2010). Quality Teaching In A Culture Of Coaching. Washington: R&L Education   publishers.

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research & Practice (Multicultural   Education Series). New York: Teacher’s College Press

Singelis, M.T. (1997). Teaching About Culture, Ethnicity And Diversity: Exercises And Planned   Activities.Los Angeles: Sage Publishers.