Section archive - Multiculturalism & Diversity

The article explores the problem of the education and retention of world English speaking student teachers due to the diversity of multiculturalism in Australia. The study explored issues concerning world English student teachers from minority (Asian Pacific) immigrant background and found that the student teachers experienced a pedagogical gap between their teacher education and being 'Australian teachers,' between the hopes and happening in their teacher education programs; their practicum; the complexities of student behaviour management; the English language difficulties of their teacher educators, and most importantly the marginalisation of their language and thus their knowledge of education.

Ignore, intervene, interject, interact, interrupt and intercept are the 6 alternative I's used by experienced teachers as strategies, when lesson implementation becomes difficult. The strategies can be taught or made more explicit by cooperating teachers. The article includes a summary of research about cooperating teachers and their feedback practices, as well as a description of behaviors that have proven to be ineffective in response to difficult situations.