Controversial issues in the Australian educational context: dimension of politics, policy and practice

Anticipating Controversy: What’s the Problem Represented to Be in Australian Policies for the Selection of Learning Resources?

“…Even though these policies are seeking to be proactive, by framing resource selection as an imminent problem and providing ambiguous criteria or no criteria for evaluating or guiding text selection, they task teachers with the responsibility of anticipating controversy. Research has found that some teachers, particularly those not from minority backgrounds, may be susceptible to overlooking religious, cultural and racial complexities when selecting resources (Jones, 2022;Khan, 2019;McPherson et al, 2022). Yet as policy subjects, they are expected to make assumptions about the worldviews and experiences of others according to their own worldviews and generalisations.…”

“…Shifting socio-political conditions have intensified public discourse around resource selection and controversial issues, providing impetus for research that considers how teachers navigate this policy landscape. Like many nations, public debate in Australia has escalated around issues such as racism, climate change and gender and sexual diversity, which increases the public attention given to related controversies in schools and shapes the discursive positions available to teachers, students and parents (see Mayes & Hartup, 2022; McPherson et al, 2022). Recent debate around trigger warnings and ‘outrage culture’ also influences attitudes towards what is deemed controversial within education systems.…”

“…In an analysis of Victorian curriculum policy guidelines about diversity and inclusion in relation to prescribed senior secondary English text lists, Bliss and Bacalja (2021) conclude vague language did not aid inclusive text selection and not all policy aims were met. McPherson et al’s (2022) case study of a History teacher’s enactment of the Controversial Issues in Schools (New South Wales Department of Education, 2017) policy is also germane. They argue that, by spotlighting teacher misconduct, the policy fails to support teachers to make deliberative judgements within this highly politicised space (McPherson et al, 2022).…”

“…McPherson et al’s (2022) case study of a History teacher’s enactment of the Controversial Issues in Schools (New South Wales Department of Education, 2017) policy is also germane. They argue that, by spotlighting teacher misconduct, the policy fails to support teachers to make deliberative judgements within this highly politicised space (McPherson et al, 2022). Both of these studies extend the warrant for education policy research that does not assume the meaning of policy is ‘taken for granted and/or defined superficially as an attempt to “solve a problem”’ (Ball et al, 2012).…”

“…Even if education departments purport to educationally valorise controversial issues, paradoxically teachers may become less inclined to draw on diverse perspectives and challenging topics due to the heightened sense of risk and anxiety about the social expectations placed on them. This is encapsulated by McPherson et al (2022) who argue that scrutiny of teacher conduct, particularly in the context of amplified media and public discourse, produces ‘a regulatory effect on teachers and school leaders; namely, to ensure schools remain “neutral spaces” where teachers avoid engaging with certain hot-button issues out of a sense of self-preservation and often fear’ (pp. 10–11).…”