Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)

With the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, the attention of research has focused on the marginalization and vulnerability of these children including their access to school. A lot of the discussion in this field has focused on the inability of Syrian refugee children to enroll in mainstream publ...

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Main Author: Chatila, Samira N. (author)
Format: masterThesis
Published: 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/12296
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2020.156
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
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author Chatila, Samira N.
author_facet Chatila, Samira N.
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Chatila, Samira N.
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019
2019-04
2020-11-03T04:48:29Z
2020-11-03T04:48:29Z
2020-11-03
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10725/12296
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2020.156
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University -- Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Marginality, Social -- Lebanon
People with social disabilities -- Education -- Lebanon
Second language acquisition -- Social aspects
Language policy -- Lebanon -- History
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Thesis
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
description With the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, the attention of research has focused on the marginalization and vulnerability of these children including their access to school. A lot of the discussion in this field has focused on the inability of Syrian refugee children to enroll in mainstream public Lebanese schools due to the language challenge, in particular learning mathematics and sciences in English and French. This has resulted in segregating Syrian children in afternoon school shifts. However, this discourse overlooks the effect of the colonial practices on the Lebanese educational system and how it has marginalized a large sector of the vulnerable Lebanese children attending public schools since Lebanon’s independence in 1943. The study investigates the interplay between the colonial history of Lebanon, today’s educational policies and practices, and school outcomes of children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. It shifts the debate from the discourse of refugees being the problem to the inherited structural inequalities of the Lebanese educational system. The study follows a mixed method design with qualitative and quantitative components. It comprises a survey with students in addition to interviews with Lebanese and Syrian children, school principals, teachers, and parents. Classroom observations were also conducted. Mentors and trainers from the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education were also interviewed. Research findings revealed that foreign language was experienced as a barrier to learning and a source of marginalization by both Syrian and Lebanese students. The thesis raises questions concerning the language policy in Lebanon. It also questions the call to segregate and “dumb” down the curriculum for Syrian refugees in afternoon shift. Finally, it highlights the quality of teaching foreign languages in public schools and its effect on the attainment of children from disadvantaged socio-economic background.
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format masterThesis
id LAURepo_95e20a2c8b1db3b269cc75ba6d9f04df
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str LAURepo
network_name_str Lebanese American University repository
oai_identifier_str oai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/12296
publishDate 2019
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
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spelling Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)Chatila, Samira N.Lebanese American University -- DissertationsDissertations, AcademicMarginality, Social -- LebanonPeople with social disabilities -- Education -- LebanonSecond language acquisition -- Social aspectsLanguage policy -- Lebanon -- HistoryWith the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, the attention of research has focused on the marginalization and vulnerability of these children including their access to school. A lot of the discussion in this field has focused on the inability of Syrian refugee children to enroll in mainstream public Lebanese schools due to the language challenge, in particular learning mathematics and sciences in English and French. This has resulted in segregating Syrian children in afternoon school shifts. However, this discourse overlooks the effect of the colonial practices on the Lebanese educational system and how it has marginalized a large sector of the vulnerable Lebanese children attending public schools since Lebanon’s independence in 1943. The study investigates the interplay between the colonial history of Lebanon, today’s educational policies and practices, and school outcomes of children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. It shifts the debate from the discourse of refugees being the problem to the inherited structural inequalities of the Lebanese educational system. The study follows a mixed method design with qualitative and quantitative components. It comprises a survey with students in addition to interviews with Lebanese and Syrian children, school principals, teachers, and parents. Classroom observations were also conducted. Mentors and trainers from the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education were also interviewed. Research findings revealed that foreign language was experienced as a barrier to learning and a source of marginalization by both Syrian and Lebanese students. The thesis raises questions concerning the language policy in Lebanon. It also questions the call to segregate and “dumb” down the curriculum for Syrian refugees in afternoon shift. Finally, it highlights the quality of teaching foreign languages in public schools and its effect on the attainment of children from disadvantaged socio-economic background.N/A1 hard copy: xiii, 75 leaves; ill.; 30 cm. available at RNL.Bibliography: leaves 59-71.Lebanese American University2020-11-03T04:48:29Z2020-11-03T04:48:29Z20192020-11-032019-04Thesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesishttp://hdl.handle.net/10725/12296https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2020.156http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.phpeninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/122962021-03-19T10:47:41Z
spellingShingle Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
Chatila, Samira N.
Lebanese American University -- Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Marginality, Social -- Lebanon
People with social disabilities -- Education -- Lebanon
Second language acquisition -- Social aspects
Language policy -- Lebanon -- History
status_str publishedVersion
title Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
title_full Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
title_fullStr Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
title_full_unstemmed Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
title_short Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
title_sort Language as a tool for marginalization of disadvantaged students in Lebanon. (c2019)
topic Lebanese American University -- Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Marginality, Social -- Lebanon
People with social disabilities -- Education -- Lebanon
Second language acquisition -- Social aspects
Language policy -- Lebanon -- History
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/12296
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2020.156
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php