Dean's Keynote Series:June 2022. Professor Sue Walker, Professor of Early Education and Inclusive Education, Southern Cross University

Professor Sue Walker, Professor of Early Education and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University

Date and time: Thursday June 9th, 3:30pm - 5pm

Abstract

Decades of research have consistently shown that the ways in which teachers, schools and educational systems respond to various forms of learner diversity has a direct impact upon educational pathways, experiences and outcomes. Teaching for diversity is an approach to teacher education in which preservice teachers are supported to engage with specialist literature and critical reflection for social justice as opposed to a focus on simply applying tips and tricks in the classroom. Teaching for diversity requires teacher educators to engage with specialist literature that focuses on critical consciousness underpinned by evaluativist ways of knowing. In this presentation, I argue that teaching for diversity is fundamentally reliant on epistemically reflexive teacher educators who seek to address sources of knowledge (critical specialist literature) and ways of knowing (critical reflection) that are evaluativistic in nature.

Biography

Sue Walker is a Professor of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education. She has worked as an educator in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) particularly in prior to school settings. Dr Walker has been conducting research in educational settings including ECEC, school and higher education for over 25 years. Her research foci include epistemic beliefs and teachers’ practice; teaching to diversity in teacher education; early childhood social development; teacher-child relationships; child outcomes in relation to inclusive early childhood education programs; early intervention and the transition to school.

Video recording of this seminar