Our Purpose
Rationale
Inclusive education ensures students with disabilities or learning difficulties are not excluded from valuable instruction. Inclusive education allows gifted students to be challenged and extended in exciting ways. Most importantly, recent research reveals that when inclusive practises are incorporated into educational settings, all students benefit and gain greater access to learning opportunities.
Barker College, and the educational sector as a whole, has a responsibility and opportunity to develop capacity and confidence amongst diverse learners in and beyond the classroom. Technology, including the rapidly becoming ubiquitous field of Artificial Intelligence, enhances teachers’ ability to provide bespoke instruction. Embracing this technology, holding fast to the human connection and discernment, will support inclusivity in learning communities, for the benefit of all.
Research Questions
Potential projects may explore questions such as:
- What are the principles behind assessment practices that are genuinely inclusive, meaningful and rigorous?
- How do classroom teachers provide differentiated instruction to all leaners?
- How can school-wide learning support initiatives best enhance learning in and beyond the classroom?
Selected Projects & Writings
- Home languages and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) project
- Refugee education project
- My Two Blankets: considering the importance of using home languages in today’s classroom in support of student learning and wellbeing (2020) – Timothy Scott
- The untended garden: Reflections on designing and implementing a teaching and learning framework within a coeducational, international school context (2019) – Timothy Scott
- Rader, D 2015, Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding: Engaging young hearts and minds. Routledge: London and New York.
- Lo Bianco, J. and Aronin, L., (2020), Dominant Language Constellations: A Perspective on Present-day Multilingualism. Dordrecht, NL: Springer
- Nisbett, Richard (2003). The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why. New York, NY: Free Press
Journal Launch - Learning in Practice: The Barker Institute Journal (2023)
This week we are proud to launch the 2023 edition of the Barker Institute Journal, Learning in Practice. The full journal and individual articles are now available online on the Barker Institute website .
- Dr Timothy Scott, Dr Matthew Hill
- 23 February 2024
Fostering and supporting refugee education – the first part of the story.
Engaging in school-based educational research is not merely about observing positive impacts on teaching and learning; it's about actively contributing to transformative changes.
- Dr Timothy Scott
- 22 February 2024
International Human Rights Under Pressure - What can Barker do?
Patricia Garcia AO, international human rights advocate and Partnership Development Manager at the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), opened the final Barker Institute event for 2023.
- Dr Timothy Scott, with Bianca and Lachlan (Social Justice Captains)
- 10 November 2023
Publication of the 6th Edition of Learning in Practice: The Barker Institute Journal
Publishing the close-to-practice research that takes place within the Barker community is an important part of the Barker Institute’s role within the school. We are keen to share what has been learnt by experts in education, be those expert classroom practitioners, pastoral care and wellbeing leaders, or school leaders. Learning in Practice is a published conversation in which reflections on practice take place, and professional learning and development benefit.
- Dr Timothy Scott, Dr Matthew Hill
- 20 February 2023
AARE Conference 2022 – Transforming the Future of Education: The Role of Research
The Barker Institute was represented at the Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) Conference in Adelaide last week including a presentation on the first four years of the Barker Journey. I had the opportunity to attend sessions on all four days of the conference on topics related to our Research Agenda before our own presentation on the final day.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 05 December 2022
When you see your educational research put to good use
Understanding transition period in student cultural development
- 20 October 2022
The Geography of Thought - Book review
Understanding the evolution of philosophies through the worldviews of geographical regions
- 27 February 2022
Research for Learning Community – Research Forum
A brief introduction to the Barker Research for Learning Community
- 01 June 2021