The design
This project adopted a participatory research approach which involves collaborative design principles and the social validation of all participants (Mata-Codesal, Kloetzer, Maistegi, 2020). Drawing on participatory design-based methods, the project involved a staged design process to develop the multilingual glossary and focused on questions of practice important to participants (The Design-Based Research Collective, 2003). This type of approach ensures useful and productive research embedded within participants’ needs.
The setting
The research was conducted in the Darling Downs South West (DDSW) region of the Queensland Department of Education (DOE). It was designed to address a concern about the participation of recently-arrived refugee families and their children, especially as it relates to school transition and progression.
While the project took place in one region, the research processes and multilingual glossary are relevant to all schools with enrolments of multilingual students.
Participants
Participants included:
- Department of Education policy officers
- School leaders and teachers invited through professional associations
- Migrant and refugee background families: Parents and adult children
- Multicultural Australia
