Challenges and Tensions in Enacting Culturally Responsive Pedagogy – A Case Study in Teaching International Baccalaureate Diploma Visual Arts at an Islamic School in Australia

Abstract

Inclusive education in Australia incorporates education to support a wide range of students’ physical abilities, social conditions and culture-religious constructs. The case study described here focuses on religious inclusivity in the application of pedagogical strategy within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Visual Arts curriculum. Specifically, it aims to analyse the challenges that may arise from enacting culturally-sensitive pedagogy in teaching Visual Arts at an Islamic secondary school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The research includes analysis of available literature that discusses education in Islam, culturally-sensitive pedagogy and inclusive education. It also includes critical practice-based reflection on the pedagogical strategies used, classroom sessions and students’ responses. The case study covered a time period of one week out of a 20-week unit of work of a Year 11 International Baccalaureate Diploma Visual Arts programme delivered to a class of Muslim students of diverse ethnic backgrounds. The two main challenges that arose are firstly, the need for the teacher to address the Islamic notion of adab (etiquette) in preventing wrong-doing while delivering content deemed prohibited by Islam; and secondly, the accessibility of information from the internet that may contradict the Islamic ethos of the school. The case study suggests that with a responsive attitude towards pedagogical strategy and a respectful approach to the cultural needs of the student demographic, it is possible to mitigate the tensions of delivering content that may be deemed culturally inappropriate in an Islamic school setting without compromising the demands of a rigorous curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Visual Arts programme.

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