<p> Religion and spirituality have been found to contribute to the well-being of American university students. Although practiced by a small minority, Islam is the fastest growing faith in the United States, indicating a growing campus presence. The purpose of this study was to identify campus experiences that influenced the identity perception of traditional age Muslim American women. The conceptual framework included theories of identity negotiation, intergroup contact, and religious identity as well as campus climate structures developed to improve diversity. This phenomenological study took place at 2 public 4-year universities in California and included interviews with 6 participants. Interview protocol was framed by 4 research questions and focused on classroom and campus experiences that affected the choice to wear or refrain from wearing the hijab, campus satisfaction, and how student services might support a positive religious climate. Data were analyzed through continuous comparison of codes developed from organization of significant student statements into units of meaning, context, and synthesis of significance of events experienced. Themes that emerged were harassment, stereotyping based on media portrayals, and student and faculty ignorance of Islam. The participants expressed a deep personal and spiritual identification with their faith and requested campus spaces for this expression. This study may contribute to positive social change through the initiation of education and training programs for campus policymakers, student affairs personnel, faculty, and staff regarding the unique needs of religious minority groups, including Muslim American women.</p>

<p> This qualitative case study examined the everyday life activities of 16 young people living in NiNi status in Mexico City. The term NiNi comes from the Spanish words Ni estudia, Ni trabaja [neither study, nor work]. The purpose of the study was to better understand their everyday life experience, their meaning-making and learning processes, and their impediments to their development. The conceptual framework is grounded in the perspective of performance of the CHAT tradition that examines the processes that are constitutive of who these individuals are and who they are becoming (Holzman, 2009). The researcher analyzed the everyday life activities of 16 individuals in NiNi status and 12 working adults to conduct a historical comparison.</p><p> The study identified five main findings associated to the research questions. First, young people in NiNI status perform a variety of activities, mainly non-remunerated, such as household chores, taking care of children, performing arts and sports, and temporary work in low-level and informal jobs. Second, meaning-making processes reveal that they feel trapped in "a system of not progressing". They live in a continuous paradox of not having resources to do what they want to do. The negative labels that society puts on them makes them feel inferior and excluded. Third, young people learn by creative imitation when they create zones of proximal development in collaboration with their networks. Fourth, the lack of opportunities at school and work creates a movement away from institutions that reinforces the informality in the Mexican labor market. Fifth, the main impediment to their learning and development is their isolation that does not allow them to learn from more expert people's key skills to foster their economic independence and future integration as productive members of society.</p><p> A major contribution of this study is to bring the perspectives of these young people to balance the negative views that society has about people living in NiNi status. Their voices reveal the need for greater opportunities and support to "level the playing field" and to overcome cultural and historical limitations faced by these young people. The current worldview wrongly positions the "problem" at the individual level and not at the group or societal level. </p>

<p> The White-Black achievement gap still persists, leaving Black children far behind their White peers. Research shows that children who struggle during their early childhood years are more likely to be at risk for academic failure in their elementary and high school years. Educators and social scientists continue to grapple with creating schools that improve Black educational achievement. </p><p> This study is grounded in the premise that racial perception is intrinsically linked to school success. Racial preferences are explored through participant selection in the forced choice questionnaire. Racial perceptions are examined in this study by how children take in racial stimuli and their reactions in response to these stimuli.</p><p> Two themes emerged from the participant responses: physical attributes (or visual cues) and behavioral attributes. Generally, participants perceived the physical traits of the Black doll positively. In the past, the studies of racial perception indicated that Black children were rejecting the visual images (dolls, pictures, etc.) that indicated internalization of negative physical (visual) perceptions of Black images. Unlike these former studies, the participants in this study show positive perceptions of physical characteristics of Black images. The participants ascribed negative behavioral characteristics to the Black doll, especially those related to school. The fact that Black children are ascribing negative behavioral traits to the doll they most identify with should not be overlooked. The consistent assignment of negative behaviors to the Black doll by Black children is problematic because the children identify with the group which they believes regularly behaves undesirably. This presents a conflict in how Black children are developing their racial perceptions and the perceptions of school success that may incorporate into their developing racial identity structures.</p><p> This study has raised several issues for further research and also suggests a need for intervention during the early childhood years. The disconnect between the students identifying positively with physical characteristics of Blacks but assigning negative behavioral traits to Blacks is too great to ignore. Given that racial perceptions are tied to school success, interventions that develop positive racial identity outcomes are necessary in schools.</p>

<p> The U.S. population is rapidly diversifying, with the expectation that culturally diverse groups&mdash;including students&mdash;will outnumber European Americans by the year 2050. In contrast, public school teachers are expected to remain largely middle class, female, and Caucasian. Most multicultural education research has focused on cultural diversity in urban education settings. However, a gap in the literature has existed regarding student diversity and teachers' culturally responsive teaching in predominantly rural areas. In this study, Appalachian elementary school teachers shared their perspectives and experiences on effective multicultural teaching. An important gap has been bridged by using a 3-part theoretical framework, based on critical reflection, scaffolding, and perspective taking, related to the main research questions regarding (a) the qualities and experiences that in-service public school teachers possess that allow them to effectively teach students from a variety of backgrounds, and (b) what in-service teachers suggest for improving teacher preparation to meet the challenges of cultural diversity in schools. A qualitative, phenomenological approach anchored in a constructivist paradigm was used to gather voice data via a digital voice recorder from 8 participants. Semi structured, open-ended interviews were conducted to collect the data, followed by transcription and analysis. Data analysis resulted in the discovery of 5 themes related to the research questions and revealed mapping onto the conceptual framework. Social change implications can result in improved teacher education programs in rural areas and can enhance collaboration with professional development schools to improve pre-service teacher preparation for teaching diverse students.</p>

<p> Nationwide, teacher attrition is a steady and costly phenomenon. Teachers have left the field of education or have left urban schools for better teaching assignments. Although many studies delineated some factors for teacher attrition, namely urban teacher attrition, little has been done to reverse the cycle of teachers leaving prior to realizing their full potential as an educator. A gap in knowledge exists because researchers have not addressed if administrators of teacher preparation programs have included sufficient experiences and supports in the program to prepare teachers for the urban classroom. The implications for urban teacher attrition are far reaching. Urban attrition can force urban students to have an unsteady influx of beginning teachers with limited experience and skills who leave the schools after a few years. To assist with closing the achievement gap and making sure urban students are ready for the competitive job market, urban students need teachers with increased experience and skills. Teachers enter the teaching profession academically prepared but unprepared for the challenges and demands of the urban classroom. The findings from this phenomenological study produced five themes and one subtheme that teachers believe are important preparation experiences to for urban teacher preparation and reducing attrition. The themes were (a) comprehensive preparation, (b) subtheme support, (c) classroom management, (d) field experience, (e) necessary skills, and (f) multicultural preparation. The recommendations invite future studies that can include input from educational leaders, policy makers, and stakeholders to take a proactive role in reducing urban teacher attrition. </p>

<p> This study explored undergraduate teacher candidates' multicultural identity development. Forty-three participants were in two sections of the course Introduction to Education. The research questions investigated the ways in which candidates examine their cultural awareness, knowledge of diverse learners, and effective practices for 21st century classrooms. Participants in Group 1 experienced face-to-face instruction on issues of diversity. Group 2 engaged in a blended format with an educational online social networking site that extended class discussions on issues of diversity. </p><p> Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyze data. The findings revealed that instruction on multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills in a one semester course had an effect on participants. Both groups demonstrated increased cultural self-awareness, appreciation of cultural differences, and knowledge of diverse cultures. There is evidence to suggest that the use of an online social network made a significant difference in the changes in Group 2 participants who evidenced greater changes in attitudes and beliefs in both the quantitative and qualitative data and analyses. </p><p> Understanding how candidates learn about and develop cultural competence extends research literature on educator preparation for diverse classrooms. The implications for teacher educators suggest a focus on the identity transformation process of teacher candidates and reexamination of the ways candidates are prepared for the multicultural realities of schools and society.</p>

<p> This study examines a cultural pedagogy relating to race, culture, and improving student achievement, as well as the extent to which teachers' critical and reflective practices influence how they deliver classroom instructions. When teachers' practices are critical and reflective they can re-assess their current teaching practices while attempting to improve their teaching pedagogy (Morton, 2009; Hatzipanagos &amp; Lygo-Baker, 2006). This study seeks to determine the relationship between student achievement and teachers' use of a cultural pedagogy. Research for this study considers three styles of pedagogy: culturally responsive pedagogy, culturally relevant pedagogy, and critical pedagogy. This study is intended to contribute to the body of research that focuses on student achievement in school districts with a predominantly African American student population. Information gained from this study should be of interest to most education administrators, practitioners, and counselors. </p>

<p> Intercultural competence through study abroad is widely recognized as a preferred teaching approach for the development of globally competent health care practitioners. Colleges and universities are looking for multiple ways to encourage students to study abroad because of the noteworthy effects that these experiential opportunities have on students. Sparse research has been conducted to determine if short-term study abroad trips of less than two weeks are achieving these same outcomes. </p><p> The purpose of this basic interpretative qualitative study was to describe the nature and meanings of a short-term international cultural experience for nursing students, and whether or how their understanding of the role of the professional nurse was changed. A group of baccalaureate nursing students traveled to Tanzania and took part in professional and social opportunities over an 8-day period. All participants were required to complete a nursing course with global objectives prior to the trip and pre-immersion seminars. Data were collected from reflective journals during the study abroad experience, focus group discussions one month after returning home, and personal interviews 6 months later. The results indicated that the participants experienced culture shock, but they also gained in self-awareness, cultural empathy, leadership skills, a desire to learn more, and a new perspective of the role of the professional nurse. Langer's theory of Mindfulness, Bennett's Developmental Model of Sensitivity and Campinha-Bacote's Process of Cultural Competence provided the theoretical framework for this study.</p>

<p>This study is an investigationof the application of dual-medium and parallel-medium models of bilingual schooling as implimented at two historically disadvantaged primary schools in the Western Cape. The author assumes that parallel-medium in practice uses only one language of learning and teaching (LoLT), and thus lead to monolingual classroom practice. The author used qualitative techniques (observations, interviews, and document analyses.), and triangulation method, to understand the application of dual-medium and parallel-medium instruction and the support of principals and teachers in their understandingof the design models. Observations were made in Grade 7 classrooms at selected and document analyses, triangulated with interviews conducted with principals and teachers to expound the effective practice of bilingual education at school and classroom level. Document analyses were made of classroom materials (various literary artefacts) used for the development of language proficiency. in addition, how it contributes to the Grade 7 learnersacademic performanceand language development in dual-medium and parallel-medium classrooms.</p>

This study was designed to investigate preservice teachers' beliefs and attitudes about teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students. The investigation was designed to analyze the effects on this population of acquiring professional knowledge in a teacher education program and gaining experience in a school with a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. The design selected for this investigation was a cross sectional design. Because the study proposed to investigate the effects of preservice teacher education on teachers beliefs and attitudes about teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners, comparing groups was necessary to document the changes in beliefs and attitudes. All elementary education preservice teachers who had completed the multicultural strand of their program of study (third semester) and all preservice teachers who had not completed the multicultural strand of their program of study (first semester) were sampled. In order to create a ground for comparison, all first semester and third semester preservice teachers from early childhood education program, which did not require multicultural preparation, were sampled. Data were collected using three instruments: Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS), analysis of three multicultural vignettes, and an open-ended questionnaire with three questions for each participant and a fourth question for the treatment group (third semester elementary education). Data were collected during Fall 2002 semester. Data obtained from the TMAS were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance to assess the significance of differences between groups. Data obtained from the analysis of three multicultural vignettes and the first and the third questions of the open-ended questionnaire were scored holistically by two outside raters based on the rubric developed by the researcher inductively from a sample of responses. Scores obtained from outside raters were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance to assess the level of mean differences between sampled groups. The second and fourth questions of the open-ended questionnaire were analyzed qualitatively by the researcher and debriefed by a peer. Analysis of the data obtained from the TMAS indicated that there were no significant differences among the groups sampled. Vignette analysis indicated that there were significant differenced between third semester elementary education preservice teachers and first semester elementary and early childhood education preservice teachers. The analysis of the first and the third questions of the open-ended questionnaire resulted in significant difference between third semester elementary education preservice teachers and all other groups. The qualitative data indicated that third semester elementary education preservice teachers relied more on academic coursework and field experience and less on personal experienced than all other groups in defining multicultural education. The analysis of the fourth questions indicated preservice teachers learning in four main areas: cultural awareness, ESOL, teaching and teaching strategies, and child perspective. In light of the existing literature and the overall picture that study depicted, it was concluded that the multicultural preparation that was combined fieldwork and coursework preservice teachers had received impacted their beliefs and attitudes positively. According to the findings of the study, it was recommended that the issues of equality and social justice be more fully integrated into the curriculum. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2003. / October 27, 2003. / Preservice Teacher Education, Multicultural Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Vivian Fueyo, Professor Directing Dissertation; Sande Milton, Outside Committee Member; Charles Wolfgang, Committee Member; John Hansen, Committee Member.