FET Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Reflection | Peer Review

Part 1: Select An Area Of FET For Reflection

Focusing on inclusion, diversity, equity and equality, select an area of FET for further reflection and review. This can relate to policy or practice (approaches to teaching and learning, policy developments, FET administration, leadership), to the position and participation of specific groups (for example members of the Travelling community, refugees, women or older learners in FET), or to professional development for FET practitioners, including professional identity. Ideally it relates to your own work while offering insights for peers.

Reflections may draw on relevant literature, theoretical frameworks or models, professional conversations with peers and experts, insights from previous work, workshops or conferences, journal entries and notes, and earlier assignments.

Part 2: Peer Reflection And Review

An informal, dialogical, peer-led review of the key insights from your reflections, held at the final face-to-face session of the module. You seek feedback from peers and offer feedback on their selected areas. This part is not marked.

Experts Answer on Above Questions on FET Questions

Learners who have English as an additional language face issues in terms of accessibility of FET teaching and learning. Their participation is largely affected by difficulties in understanding the instructions given by teachers, technical terminology and institutional processors even when learners have strong professional abilities. The inclusion strategy should therefore focus on providing more than equal access to enrollment, learners need, reasonable opportunities to understand and participate in the learning process.

It is not possible to produce equal outcomes even after providing the same support to every learner. From an equity perspective, an assignment brief with complex academic English treats the learner equally but it may disadvantage learners who are still developing English proficiency. It is therefore possible to ensure equitable access to each and every learner by utilising plain language instructions, visual explanation, support with technical terminologies and opportunity to clarify doubts and requirements.
It is also essential for the FET practitioners to avoid seeing refugee and migrant learners through a discriminatory lens. It is important to give emphasis on their professional qualification, multilingual abilities, work experience and cultural knowledge. It is likely that a learner that has worked previously in a specialist role may bring substantial knowledge that is not currently evident in the English language assessment.

The inclusive teaching practice also requires avoiding language difficulties in group activities, as it may lead to social exclusion. The assessment practices should differentiate between the lack of subject knowledge and difficulties in expressing knowledge in English. The confidence of learners along with their participation can be significantly improved through clear communication and respectful relationships.
Thus from a professional development perspective, the FET practitioners require greater awareness of intercultural competence, inclusive assessment and culturally responsive teaching. With peer discussion, it is possible for the practitioners to identify unconscious assumptions such as interpreting limited classroom participation as lack of motivation, when language or unfamiliarity with Irish classroom expectations may be involved.

The entire analysis leads to discussion that the inclusion in FET should move from providing equal access towards creating equitable participation and meaningful outcomes. FET can be made more inclusive for refugee and migrant learners by considering inclusive language, recognition of prior learning, accessible assessment and culturally responsive teaching.

Want Detailed Answers with References?

A critical analysis on how language barriers, educational experiences and unfamiliarity with the Irish education system impact refugee and migrant learners participation in FET revealed that they have significant potential to affect the participation. With our Irish education experts, get a similar kind of assistance with your education assignment by visiting our assignment help Ireland page or explore samples of assignment from National University of Ireland as written by experts.