Dr Joseph Agbenyega - Researcher Profile

Joseph Agbenyega

Address

Faculty of Education
Building A, Penninsula Campus

Biography

An inclusive approach

Dr Joseph Agbenyega rejects the idea that knowledge is something possessed only by adults, who pass it on to children. It should be a two-way exchange, he says, and he put theory into practice in a recent project. With the aid of co-researchers aged between three and five years old, Joseph looked at ways of making children participants in the structure of their learning environment.

 

Joseph’s research encompasses a range of interests, from the particular needs of children with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds, to the implications inherent in the ways teachers translate theory into practice. 

But through all runs the theme of inclusivity. 

It was reflected in Joseph’s desire that the children in his study should contribute to discussions about what made their school either welcoming or unwelcoming. With this in mind, he gave them digital cameras and asked them to take photos of aspects of the school they did – or did not – like. 

In an acknowledgement of rights and social justice, the research was done with the children rather than about them. Joseph describes it as “celebrating their cultural knowledge”. 

 “Sometimes we assume that what we are doing for children is the right thing but meanwhile, maybe the way we structure the environment is not conducive to  their learning,” he says. ”My research moves away from the researcher as the knowledge provider to the researcher as a data sharer with children.” 

Teachers observed the young researchers in action, and the children helped interpret the final collection of photographs.

“The voices of the children became paramount and this led to restructuring of this particular school environment because the children did not like some of the things,” Joseph says. 

Another central theme of his research is improving students’ capacity to learn, with particular emphasis on the way such factors as teaching methods, classroom structure or school policy can either help or hinder the process.

Those with physical or mental disabilities often confront barriers to learning, but so too do some children from different backgrounds who may simply be unused to the Australian curriculum or way of teaching.

“My research focuses on eliminating or minimising these barriers so that children with additional needs or disability, as well as those without, can fully participate in one educational setting,” Joseph says. “My research is trying to move teaching from a technical exercise to a transformational activity.”

He has been involved in evaluating the national Early Years Learning Framework from the inclusivity point of view, but his interest goes beyond education itself. He hopes his inclusive approach could prove beneficial to consideration of the problems confronting indigenous Australians. 

“We try to think for indigenous people, and that is why it is difficult for them to transform,” he says. “It is a new form of colonisation. So my next line of action is: how do I use this to help indigenous people improve their own lives without imposing external demands on them? Because imposition of external demands doesn’t work.” 

Research & Supervision Interests

    Research interests focus on the improvement of inclusive practices in early childhood and middle years, social inclusion, child development and safety, and teacher professional inquiry. Current research:

    • Cross-cultural knowing of child development and inclusion
    • Inclusive Early Childhood Education Project: Accessibility and inclusivity for disadvantaged families
    • Education in Networking Communities Improves Learning and Social Opportunity [ENCILSO]
    • Previous research projects: Children of parents with AIDS in schools and punishments in Ghanaian schools and its effects on inclusion
    • Early childhood teacher development and policy

Qualifications

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2005
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS)
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2002
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION
Institution: University of Education, Winneba
Year awarded: 2000
DIPLOMA IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION & SPECIAL EDU
Institution: University of Cape Coast, University College of Education of Wineeba, Ghana
Year awarded: 1999
TEACHERS CERT (EVIQ BACHELOR) IN ENG.,MATHS,& EDU
Institution: Accra Training College, Accra, Ghana
Year awarded: 1990

Publications

Books

Agbenyega, J., Fleer, M. (eds), 2010, International Research in Early Childhood Education (IRECE) Journal, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia.

Power, K.M., Agbenyega, J.S. (eds), 2010, Journal of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education - Special Mathematics Issue, Monash University, Faculty of Education, Australia.

Book Chapters

Deppeler, J.M., Moss, J., Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, The ethical dilemmas of working the visual and digital across space, in Researching Education: Visually - Digitally -Spatially, eds Julainne Moss, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, Netherlands, pp. 209-227.

Journal Articles

Chen, F., Agbenyega, J.S., 2012, Chinese parents' perspectives on home-kindergarten partnership: A narrative research, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood [P], vol 37, issue 2, Early Childhood Australia Inc., Australia, pp. 95-105.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2012, How we view our theoretical competency: Early childhood pre-service teachers' self-evaluation of a professional placement experience, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood [P], vol 37, issue 2, Early Childhood Australia Inc., Australia, pp. 141-147.

Salifu, I., Agbenyega, J.S., 2012, Impact of discipline issues on school effectiveness: The views of some Ghanian principals, MIER Journal of Educational Studies, Trends and Practices [E], vol 2, issue 1, Model Institute of Education & Research, India, pp. 50-65.

Davis, E., Agbenyega, J.S., 2012, Language policy and instructional practice dichotomy: The case of primary schools in Ghana, International Journal of Educational Research [P], vol 53, Elsevier / Pergamon, United Kingdom, pp. 341-347.

Klibthong, S., Agbenyega, J.S., 2012, Learning inclusively in higher education: A problem-based approach, MIER Journal of Educational Studies, Trends and Practices [E], vol 2, issue 1, Model Institute of Education & Research, India, pp. 105-121.

Agbenyega, J.S., Klibthong, S., 2012, Transforming selves for inclusive practice: Experiences of early childhood preservice teachers, Australian Journal of Teacher Education [E], vol 37, issue 5, Social Science Press, Australia, pp. 65-77.

Agbenyega, J., Deku, P., 2011, Building new identities in teacher preparation for inclusive education in Ghana, Current Issues in Education [P], vol 14, issue 1, Arizona State University (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College), United States, pp. 1-36.

Supple, B., Agbenyega, J., 2011, Developing the understanding and practice of inclusion in higher education for international students with disabilities/additional needs: A whole schooling approach, International Journal of Whole Schooling [P], vol 7, issue 2, Whole Schooling Consortium, United States, pp. 93-108.

Agbenyega, J., Klibthong, S., 2011, Early Childhood Inclusion: A postcolonial analysis of pre-service teachers' professional development and pedagogy in Ghana, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood [P], vol 12, issue 4, Symposium Journals, United Kingdom, pp. 403-414.

Agbenyega, J., 2011, Institutional practices in early childhood teachers' construction and management of learning spaces: an encounter for inclusion or exclusion?, International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood [P], vol 9, issue 1, CEIEC, Australia, pp. 62-76.

Agbenyega, J., 2011, Researching children's understanding of safety: an auto-driven visual approach, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood [P], vol 12, issue 2, Symposium Journals, United Kingdom, pp. 163-174.

Agbenyega, J., Peers, C., 2010, Early childhood inclusion: A silver lining in the dark clouds for African immigrant children?, International Journal of Whole Schooling [P], vol 6, issue 2, Whole Schooling Consortium, United States, pp. 46-58.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2009, Enhancing anticipation, coordination and conflict resolution skills in children through 'ampe', Every Child [P], vol 15, issue 2, Early Childhood Australia Inc., ACT, Australia, pp. 22-23.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2009, The Australian Early Development Index, who does it measure: Piaget or Vygotsky's child?, Australian Journal of Early Childhood [P], vol 34, issue 2, Early Childhood Australia, Watson, ACT, pp. 31-37.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Developing the understanding of the influence of school place on student's' identity, pedagogy and learning, visually, International Journal of Whole Schooling, vol 4, issue 2, The whole school press/EBSCO Publishing, Canada, pp. 52-66.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Development of early years policy and practice in Ghana: Can outcomes be improved for marginalised children?, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, vol 9, issue 4, Symposium Journals, UK, pp. 400-404.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Early childhood education in Ghana: The policy hiatus, Journal of Australian research in early childhood education, vol 15, issue 2, Monash University, Melbourne, pp. 25-40.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2007, Examining teachers' concerns and attitudes to inclusive education in Ghana, International Journal of Wholeschooling, vol 3, issue 1, EBSCO Publishing, Canada, pp. 41-56.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2006, Corporal punishment in the schools of Ghana: does inclusive education suffer?, Australian Educational Researcher [P], vol 33, issue 3, The Australian Association for Research, Brisbane Australia, pp. 107-122.

Agbenyega, J.S., Deppeler, J.M., Harvey, D.H., 2005, Developing an instrument to measure teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education for students with disabilities, Journal of Research and Development in Education, vol 5, University of Education, Winneba Ghana, pp. 1-10.

Conference Proceedings

Banu, M., Agbenyega, J., 2011, Early childhood education quality in Melbourne and Bangladesh: A critical post-colonial analysis, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Education, Economy & Society, 20 -23 July, 2011, Analytrics, France, p. 121.

Agbenyega, J., 2011, How does theory look like in practice? Resolving the pedagogical dilemmas of pre-service teachers, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Education, Economy & Society, 20 -23 July, 2011, Analytrics, France, pp. 15-24.

Supple, B., Agbenyega, J., 2011, Inclusion in higher education, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Education, Economy & Society, 20 -23 July, 2011, Analytrics, France, pp. 568-576.

Fridani, L., Agbenyega, J., 2011, School readiness and transition to primary schools: A whole schooling approach, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Education, Economy & Society, 20 -23 July, 2011, Analytrics, France, pp. 221-230.

Swart, E., Agbenyega, J., 2010, Developing researcher self-reflexivity and agency: a cross-cultural narrative of inclusive education research, Abstracts of the AARE 2010 International Education Research Conference, 29 November - 2 December, 2010, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Australia, pp. 1-2.

O'Sullivan, B., See, D., Zyngier, D., Agbenyega, J., 2010, Enhanced learning through networked communities (E-LINCs), Abstracts and Program of the 17th Conference of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education (ARECE), 19 - 21 January, 2010, Monash University, Australia, p. 30.

Peers, C., Agbenyega, J., 2010, Perceptions of access to early childhood education and care: stories from African refugee parents in Melbourne, Abstracts and Program of the 17th Conference of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education (ARECE), 19 - 21 January, 2010, Monash University, Australia, p. 30.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2010, Using auto-driven research methods to create reflection of inclusive teaching and learning spaces, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Education Research (ICER 2010), 29 September - 1 October, 2010, Education Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, pp. 1-12.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2009, Effective early kindergarten partnerships: agenda for building positive alternative futures for all, National Conference on Early Education, 16 December 2009 - 17 December 2009, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, pp. 1-13.

Agbenyega, J.S., Deppeler, J.M., Moss, J., 2009, Knowing schooling, identity and pedagogy visually, AARE 2008 International Educational Research Conference, 30 November - 4 December 2008, AARE, http://www.aare.edu.au/08pap/code08.htm, pp. 1-12.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2009, Same theory, different day? Revisiting theories of teaching and learning in early childhood education, Proceedings of the 2009 Early Childhood Education Conference: Together we grow - facing the future, 29 - 30 May, 2009, KPV and Gowrie Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 1-7.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Problem based learning (PBL): A theoretical analysis of its contribution to knowledge aquisition and professional development, Institute of Education and Basic Education mini-conference: Enhancing man power development through quality basic education, 17 December - 19 December 2008, University of Cape Coast, University of Cape Coast, pp. 1-19.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2005, Successful inclusive education: What matters is teacher motivation, Scholarship and Community, 7 October - 9 October 2005, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, pp. 1-12.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2004, Inclusive education initiatives in Aprica: A comparative investigation, MERC Conference, 1 October, Monash University, Melbourne, p. 11.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2003, The Power of labeling discourse in the construction of disability in Ghana, Educational Research, Risks and Dilemas, 29/11/2003 to 03/12/2003, AARE, www.are.org.nz/are_info.html, pp. 1-12.

Other

Agbenyega, J., Blaise, M., Fleer, M., Hammer, M., 2010, Evaluation Report: Early Start Kindergarten prepared for Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), Child and Community Research Group, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia, pp. 1-63.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2009, Early childhood learning across cultures, Article in 'Healthy Active Communities: Research stories from Monash Peninsula campus', Monash University, Frankston, Victoria.

Fleer, M., Agbenyega, J.S., Blaise, M., Peers, C., 2008, Assessment practices within the early years: Assumptions, beliefs and practices, SADECS, Western Australia.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Early identification improves learning condition for children, Contemporary issues in early education, vol 9, issue 1, www.wordsltd.com, Oxford, UK, pp. 182-183.

Agbenyega, J.S., 2008, Quality in the early years: Developing the best practice through cultural historical theory and the pedagogy of listening, Seminar paper, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
An exploration of early childhood quality: What does Soka Kindergarten Education have to offer?.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Joint-co), Rivalland, C (Joint).
Program of Study:
(MASTER'S BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Early Childhood Education: A Meaningful Model for Sierra Leone.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Inclusive early childhood education in Thailand: beliefs, knowledges, skills and practices.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Learning with and learning through digital technologies in early childhood settings: a cultural-historical understanding of digital technologies in practice.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Joint-co), Wee, T (Joint).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
School readiness and transition to primary schools: A study of teachers',parents', and education policy makers' perspectives and practices..
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Teacher motivation and professional practice in the Ghana Education Service..
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Joint-co), Bone, J (Joint).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
eLearning in context: teaching practices and conceptions mediated by eLearning within the sociocultural context of a Saudi Arabian university .
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main), Veresov, N (Associate).

Completed Supervision

Student:
Adamopoulos, T.
Program of Study:
The historical development and paradigmatic transformation of early childhood education in Kenya. (PHD) 2011.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Student:
Banu, M.
Program of Study:
Exploring the quality of classroom teaching practices in preschools in Bangladesh. (PHD) 2012.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).
Student:
Christodoulou, K.
Program of Study:
Investigating Student Engagement in Year Nine Classrooms in Victoria, Melbourne. (Masters) 2010.
Supervisors:
Agbenyega, J (Main).