INCLUSIVE PRACTICE IN RELATION TO STUDENTS OF DIVERSE RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MUSLIM STUDENTS:

Transcription

1 INCLUSIVE PRACTICE IN RELATION TO STUDENTS OF DIVERSE RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MUSLIM STUDENTS: SUGGESTED STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC STAFF The strategies proposed in this resource are largely based on findings from my research into Muslim students course experiences at Australian and US universities, and incorporate suggestions made by Muslim staff. It is hoped that some of the strategies may usefully inform more inclusive teaching approaches towards students from other religious and cultural backgrounds. The research project was funded and supported by the University of Sydney. Dr Christine Asmar Senior Lecturer Institute for Teaching & Learning The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia Web:

2 Some factors influencing Muslim students course experience the need to perform daily (especially Friday noon) prayer having access to prayer-related facilities such as a designated prayer space and a place to wash being religiously prohibited from consuming alcohol and/or prok products; for example at students' social functions the availability (or not) of halal/kosher food on campus needing flexible responses to their religious needs on the part of staff; for example, being allowed time off to pray, or to attend religious feasts being valued and respected rather than spotlighted ; for example, being regarded as an expert on everything to do with Islam being stereotyped; for example, Muslim males regarded as potential terrorists, or Muslim females regarded as oppressed wanting to be included in student interactions, but feeling uncomfortable in close proximity with members of the opposite sex (including staff) facing negative attitudes and discrimination on a daily basis, particularly off-campus having access to courses on Arabic and Islamic Studies, taught by qualified people being allowed or encouraged to include Islamic perspectives in discussions and/or written work being strongly committed to their studies and to gaining qualifications, as a means of ultimately contributing to their communities being sustained by their faith in difficult times (Based on findings from surveys of Muslim students in Australian and United States universities)

3 Suggested strategies for teachers, to prevent discrimination and encourage inclusive attitudes towards students from diverse cultural backgrounds (with particular reference to students of Muslim background) Introduce yourself in the first class and disclose some personal details, including aspects of your cultural background, that you are willing to share. Then Get students to introduce themselves to another student not already known to them, find out something about that student s background that they are willing to share, and then get them to introduce that person to the class. If possible, learn students names (and how to pronounce them) and try to make sure students do the same. Negotiate ground rules with students as early in the course as possible, regarding appropriate classroom behaviors such as courtesy, and respect for different opinions. Link these attributes to the University s core values and/or generic attributes. Give students a copy of the ground rules and/or refer to them again if needed. Be ready to re-negotiate later. Be aware of your own potential for bias, and help your students to become aware of theirs. Support students in reflecting on these issues. Model inclusive behavior towards minority students, neither spotlighting them in ways that may be unwelcome, nor overlooking them when they wish to make a contribution. Find out the appropriate ways to refer to certain groups; for example, people who adhere to Islam are Muslim, not Muhammadan or Islamic ; and some Indigenous peoples prefer to be referred to as nation, people or community rather than tribe ( Tribe is not usually appropriate in Australia.) Set up a cross-cultural learning environment where students are initially allowed to self-select into groups where they are comfortable, often with peers of similar backgrounds. Inform students that later they will be placed in groups selected by the teacher. Ensure that those groups all contain students of diverse backgrounds. Be flexible in encouraging students to do assignments on topics of personal interest to them, including aspects of their religion or culture, and make sure all contributions are equally valued.

4 Encourage students to tell you about their cultural and religious sensitivities in relation to classroom or lab activities; for example, Muslim students are often uncomfortable in close one-to-one interactions with a student of the opposite sex; or with exposure to nudity (eg in a drawing class). In consultations with students of the opposite sex, always leave the door open, and allow students to be accompanied by another student if they prefer. Avoid jokes which target any specific group, religion or culture, and actively discourage such references on the part of students. When planning out-of-class social events for students, bear in mind the religious prohibitions affecting some students: - if alcohol is served, make sure alternative beverages are located at a distance; - if meat is served, avoid having only pork or beef; - include vegetarian options. Bring in guest speakers from a range of backgrounds to address topics on which you may not have expertise, but remember to relate such content to course assessment. Be flexible when students request time off from class, or extensions on assignment deadlines, in order to fulfil spiritual and/or community obligations such as prayer; breaking the fast in Ramadan; attending religious feasts; attending funerals. Take students on field trips to places like mosques and synagogues, or to restaurants serving food from diverse cultures. Set research tasks associated with such excursions. Use role play where students research and then act out roles dissimilar to their own cultural backgrounds. Get them to reflect on this experience. Select course material from a range of cultures, societies and religions; for example, in a course on accounting, consider including reference to the Islamic prohibition on charging and receiving interest. Ensure that any cross-cultural learning experiences and opportunities are fully integrated into course learning outcomes, curriculum and assessment (not just an add-on ), and relate them to policies on generic attributes such as the qualities of global citizens. (Based on findings from surveys of Muslim students in Australian and United States universities)

5 Further reading on issues relating to Muslims and students of other religious backgrounds at western universities Ahmad, Fauzia. (2001) Modern Traditions? British Muslim Women and Academic Achievement. Gender and Education 13, 2, Appleton, M. (2005) The political attitudes of Muslims studying at British universities in the post 9/11 world (part I). Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 25, 2, Appleton, M. (2005) The political attitudes of Muslims studying at British universities in the post 9/11 world (part II). Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 25, 3, Asmar, Christine. (2005) Internationalising Students: Reassessing diasporic and local student difference. Studies in Higher Education, 30, 3, Asmar, Christine. (2001) A Community on Campus: Muslim students in Australian universities. In Abdullah Saeed and Shahram Akbarzadeh, S. (Eds) Muslim Communities in Australia. Kensington, NSW: University of New South Wales Press, Asmar, Christine. (2005) Politicising student difference: The Muslim experience. International Perspectives on Higher Education Research, Volume 3: International Relations. Edited by Malcolm Tight. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Ltd, Asmar, Christine, Proude, Elizabeth. and Inge, Lici. (2004) Unwelcome sisters? An analysis of findings from a study of how Muslim women (and Muslim men) experience university. Australian Journal of Education 48,1 (April), Donohoue Clyne, Irene. (1998) Cultural Diversity and the Curriculum: The Muslim experience in Australia. European Journal of Intercultural Studies 9, 3, Donohoue Clyne, Irene. (2001) Finding common ground: Cross cultural research in the Muslim community. Paper presented at AARE conference, Fremantle, Western Australia, December. Dorschner, C. (2004) Embracing Religion.The View. The University of Vermont. Feinberg, W. (2003) Religious education in liberal democratic societies: the question of accountability and autonomy, in McDonough, K. & Feinberg, W (Eds) Education and citizenship in liberal-democratic societies. New York: Oxford University Press. Halstead, J. (2003) Schooling and cultural maintenance for religious minorities in the liberal state, in McDonough, K. & Feinberg, W (Eds) Education and citizenship in liberal-democratic societies. New York, Oxford University Press.

6 Laird, Lance. (2000) Encountering Religious Commitments in the Classroom. Washington Center News (Fall), Nash, Robert J. (2001) Religious Pluralism in the Academy: Opening Dialogue. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. Nebhan, K. (2000) Strategic Representations: Australian Muslims critique of the fundamentalist discourse in Walker, R., Brass, K. & Byron, J. (eds) Anatomies of Violence: An interdisciplinary Investigation, (Sydney, Post graduate Arts Research Centre). Pickerden, Anita. (2002) Muslim women in higher education: new sites of lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education 21, 1 (Jan-Feb), Preece, J. (1999) Families into Higher Education Project: An awareness Raising Action Research Project with Schools and Parents. Higher Education Quarterly, 53, 3, Rizvi, Fazal. (2000) International Education and the Production of Global Imagination, in N. Burbules & C. Torres (Eds) Globalization and Education: Critical Perspectives. (New York, Routledge), Sanjakdar, F. (2001) Educating Muslim Children: A study of the hidden and core curriculum of an Islamic school. Conference paper, AARE Conference, Fremantle, Western Australia, December 2. Schlosser, L., & Sedlacek, W. (2003) Christian privilege and respect for religious diversity: Religious holidays on campus. About Campus, 7, 6, Speck, Bruce. (1997) Respect for Religious Differences: The Case of Muslim Students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 70 (Summer), UCLA. Spirituality in Higher Education: A National Study of College Students Search for Meaning and Purpose. Higher Education Research Institute University of California, Los Angeles