Equity

Abstract

Representation, according to Gallard and colleagues (1998), is the central issue of curriculum and equity. Representation is the public expression of our thoughts so that they can be inspected, scrutinised, criticised and shared with others (Eisner, 1993). The forms of representation used and valued by teachers influence how students come to understand and represent their own thoughts. Classroom organisation, selection of content and activities, student groupings, teacher instructions, body language, reward signals and assessment procedures are all examples of forms of representation. The problem is that in selecting equitable forms of representation teachers can only rely on their own realities (experiences and understandings) to decide what is important to attend to and what is not. Other classroom realities – such as those of the students – are largely inaccessible to the teacher. This inevitable mismatch between the teacher’s reality and the various student realities leads to a set of dilemmas for the teacher in selecting equitable forms of representation.