This investigation was designed to determine levels of self-concept and creative thinking abilities of Vietnamese refugee kindergarten students. Children in a bilingual program were compared with their counterparts in regular classes in order to determine whether significant differences existed. The groups were controlled for background differences (sex, socioeconomic status, years in the United States, and language proficiency). The research questions were: (1) Does participation in a bilingual program have a positive effect on the self-concept of Asian-American children when background factors are controlled? (2) Is there a positive relationship between self-concept and creative thinking ability? / The sample used consisted of 105 Vietnamese children: 47 in a bilingual program and 58 in regular classes. The following tests were administered: Purdue Self-Concept Scale for Preschool Children and Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement. In addition, an informal language assessment test was used along with a parent questionnaire. Four null hypotheses were tested. The first research question (Hypothesis 1) was analyzed using Multiple Regression Analysis. The second research question (Hypotheses 2, 3, and 4) were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. / All the hypotheses were rejected. It was found that: (1) Participation in a bilingual program had a positive effect on the self-concept of Asian-American kindergarten children (regression coefficient beta = .194). (2) Sex, years in the United States, fathers' occupation, and mothers' education did not affect the self-concept. (3) Fathers' education and language proficiency had a significant effect on self-concept. (4) There was a significant correlation between the self-concept and the subtest fluency of the creative thinking test (r = .23), with originality (r = .18), and imagination (r = .30). / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-02, Section: A, page: 0418. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

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Intercultural communication theory and research have largely been based on the assumption that dealing with cultural differences is the key element in intercultural encounters. This is applied particularly to encounters between people from different societies, either where a participant is visiting another country, or where that participant has recently migrated. Encounters between people who, though culturally different, live permanently together in the same society however, are not necessarily the same as encounters between people from different societies. In the light of this, intercultural communication theory should be reviewed and developed to better conceptualise the nature of intercultural interaction as it occurs within the same (multicultural) society. Such a review requires a framing of intercultural communication episodes within a broader social perspective, a more thorough investigation of the relationship of homogeneity and heterogeneity as it affects intercultural interaction and a greater focus how communication processes help to create culture as well as how they are influenced by culture. An organising model for the multicultural perspective is therefore proposed based on three key elements. First it incorporates a system approach that recognises influences on communication, the interactive process and the outcomes of that process. Second, it incorporates a three-tiered approach that recognises the role played by structural processes in establishing the character of the society, the general patterns of interaction that emerge from these structural processes and the individual application of these processes in communicative episodes. Third, it incorporates a recognition of the interplay of centripetal and centrifugal forces at each of these levels and the range of intercultural possibilities that this raises. The organising model is then used to analyse intercultural interactions across four focuses: meaning, social relations, identity and behaviour / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Australia continues to become culturally diverse. This diversity is being witnessed in Catholic schools. This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods in investigating students’ perceptions of their multicultural classroom environment. By drawing on Catholic school literature, multicultural literature, previous learning environment research and the perceptions of stakeholders, an instrument, known as the Multicultural Classroom Environment Instrument (MCEI), was developed to assess psychosocial dimensions of classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools. These dimensions were: Collaboration, Competition, Teacher Authority, Teacher Support, Congruence, Deference, Teacher Directedness and Gender Equity. The use of the instrument with a sample of 1,460 students in 24 Catholic secondary schools in Queensland revealed some statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of their classroom environment. Differences were revealed according to the country of birth of the student and those of the parents. Investigations examining school type, subject, year level and gender were also undertaken. Single-sex schools were shown to be more concerned with Teacher Authority and Competition compared to coeducational schools. Religion and Study of Religion classes were perceived as very similar, irrespective of school type. There were differences in students’ perception of the classroom environment across different year levels, with year 8 students’ perceptions significantly different to that of years 10 and 12 students. Girls generally perceived their classroom environment more positively than boys, with greater Collaboration, Teacher Support and Gender Equity and less Competition and Teacher Authority. The results of this thesis suggest that differences in students’ perceptions of multicultural classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools do exist. It also suggests that in order to continue to provide quality education, Catholic schools must acknowledge these differences. They must also ensure that curriculum initiatives, staff professional development and training, and other educational and pastoral initiatives are designed to incorporate the differences identified in this thesis. Further investigation into a variety of multicultural classroom environments is recommended.

This qualitative case study of eight veteran Texas Regional Education Service Center Multicultural/Diversity Trainers examined their perceptions of structural barriers and teacher resistance to a voluntary program of Multicultural/Diversity Training (MDT). It also explored how they made sense of their roles in light of their social locations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews of the trainers, observations of MDT sessions, and examination of relevant documents. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three themes associated with structural barriers emerged: contextual factors, lack of administrative support, and the Texas system of accountability, particularly high stakes testing. The contextual factors were differences in regional cultures, the autonomy of the Education Service Centers, and the voluntary nature of MDT. Lack of administrative support for MDT is crucial because teachers often take administrative response to school reform as their cue for action or inaction. In Texas, high stakes testing exerts influence at every educational level, particularly on teachers in relation to curriculum, instruction, student placement and professional development choices. Teacher resistance to MDT occurred in the training sessions and in the classroom setting. During the training sessions teachers resisted MDT because it challenged deeply held beliefs and encouraged self-examination, personal disclosure, and discussions of race/ethnicity and culture. Resistance in the educational setting was manifested in maintenance of a Eurocentric perspective, and in school practices such as negative attitudes toward multicultural education and MDT, placement of students of color in special education and lower tracks, and negative attitudes toward all people of color. Ultimately, trainers suggest that they are enmeshed in a system that seeks to maintain the status quo, and that too many teachers have low expectations for students who are different from themselves and conform to a deficit model when dealing with those students.

Thesis (PhD(Orthopedagogics))--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 115 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-102).

Thesis (Ph.D.). / Written for the Dept. of Integrated Studies in Education. Includes bibliographical references.