The Western Sydney Rust Belt: Recognizing and Building on Strengths in Preservice Teacher Education

• In Event: International Approaches to Teacher Education Program Reform

Abstract

In this paper, we document the effects of working with challenging demographics such as areas of high poverty and high refugee settlement and the impact on educational attainment in Greater Western Sydney. The disparity in educational attainment with completion of schooling linked to poverty and differences in social economic status, limits social and economic mobility. This paper uses a conceptual and spacial understanding (Soja, 1996) to focus on programs such as the National Exceptional Teachers for Disadvantaged Schools (NETDS) and Refugee Action Support (RAS) programs that support and improve pre-service teacher learning in a teacher education program that attempts to disrupt the effects of poverty and refugee resettlement on educational outcomes to make a difference in the lives of students.

Authors

• Loshini Naidoo, University of Western Sydney

• Jacqueline Ann D'warte, University of Western Sydney Australia