(2017). Forum: Communication Activism Pedagogy. A Call for an Ethic of Transformation in Communication Activism Education. Communication Education, v66 n3 p369-371. Lawrence Frey and David Palmer present a provocative call for communication education and research that is urgent and opportune in this forum's stimulus essay, "Communication Activism Pedagogy and Research: Communication Education Scholarship to Promote Social Justice." The call is urgent because the global human condition–including climate, war, poverty, hunger, racism, and inequality–is at the breaking point. The call is opportune because, globally, citizens are clearly yearning for workable solutions to significant problems. The ethical praxis of communication activism pedagogy (CAP) directly addresses inequality and injustice by teaching communication theories and practices that can be used to overcome undesirable social conditions. In this response essay, the author states that to enact a social justice pedagogy that is both ethical and applicable, CAP needs to develop "transformational" and "transitional" approaches that apply communication… [Direct]
(2016). An Open Learning through Feminist Writing for Self-Discovery and Intellectual Development. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, v9 n1 p61-71. This paper aims to demonstrate the impact of feminist writing as a new paradigm for education in the 21st Century to provoke awareness of gender inequity issues and to maintain justice and healthy living in society. It discusses the two selected works by prominent feminist authors: Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" and Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club" to reflect different nature of gender problems, and equity issues by providing an overview of feminist movements in the west, inclusive of leading feminist pioneers and their works that impact the works of feminist authors. The investigation of the two novels was based on the conflicts derived from gender stereotypes, illiteracy, mainstream stream male-dominant values, racism and cross-cultural conflicts derived from social prejudices against women that resulted in their oppression, suffering and poverty. Both works provide solutions to empower women through sisterhood, and the bond of illiterate mothers, who become… [PDF]
(2013). Theorizing the Racial and Gendered Educational Experiences of Chicanas and Native American Women at the Ph.D. Level in Higher Education: "Testimonios" of Resistance, Defiance, Survival, and Hope. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. This national case study examines the educational experiences of twenty-one women that self-identified as low-income or working-class Chicanas or Native American women pursuing professoriate degrees in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Forestry, and Education. The case study includes forty-two qualitative "testimonio" interviews that examine how racism, white privilege, and complex power relations affect Chicanas and Native American women at the doctoral level. This case study examines the types, contexts, effects, and responses that the women use to strategically navigate through their doctorates within predominantly white public universities. This case study uses Critical Race Theory (CRT), Chicana Feminism, and a qualitative method of "testimonio" to better understand the educational experiences of Chicanas and Native American women in higher education. CRT allows for an interdisciplinary perspective to examine how racism, white privilege, and complex power… [Direct]
(2018). Counter-Stories in Higher Education: Narratives of Minority Students at Predominantly White Universities. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Robert Morris University. When underrepresented minority (URM) students from high-poverty, high-minority K-12 schools enter college, they often encounter academic, financial, and cultural obstacles in addition to experiencing discriminatory events (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Hurtado & Alvarado, 2015; Yosso, Parker, Solorzano & Lynn, 2004). Using a critical race theory (CRT) framework, this qualitative study examined the obstacles and discriminatory events present in the lives of eight URM students who attended a predominantly white institution (PWI) of higher education, and the resources and relationships utilized to overcome these obstacles and cope with discriminatory events. Findings showed that supportive teachers, dual enrollment courses, and a scholarship program enabled URM students to overcome obstacles upon entering college. Once in college, overcoming cultural differences and discriminatory occurrences was most aided by strong student communities (in the… [Direct]
(2014). Disproportionality Fills in the Gaps: Connections between Achievement, Discipline and Special Education in the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Berkeley Review of Education, v5 n1 p53-87 Jan. The focus on the achievement gap has overshadowed ways in which school systems constrain student achievement through trends of racial disproportionality in areas such as school discipline, special education assignment, and juvenile justice. Using Critical Race Theory, we reframe these racial disparities as issues of institutionalized racism. First, we examine specific education policies and laws that contribute to racialized populations becoming part of the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Second, using a state-level case study in Colorado, we illustrate through critical race spatial analysis the increasing overrepresentation of students of color as they move through the School-to-Prison Pipeline from public schools to the juvenile justice system. Finally, we discuss suggestions for improving racial equity and reducing the flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline…. [PDF]
(2016). Origin and Development of Multicultural Education in the USA. Comparative Professional Pedagogy, v6 n2 p49-53 Jun. Modern society is undergoing complex social, economic and political transformations of planetary scope due to globalization processes. One of the peculiarities of a modern globalization wave is an intercultural interaction that, in its turn, has resulted in multicultural education. Multicultural education is quite a new branch of pedagogical theory and practice. Its appearance is considered to be connected with a period of complex social and cultural transformations in the USA during 1960s-1970s. However, J. Banks, an American scholar, proves that multicultural education is closely related to African-American movement of the 19th-20th centuries. Having analyzed the history of origins of multicultural education and stages of its development presented in works by J. Banks and C. Grant we can conclude that the process is associated, predominantly, with migration, and originated as a means of racism prevention. In the course of time the essence of multicultural education was shaped. It… [Direct]
(2014). Educational Inclusion/Exclusion of Turkish Immigrant Youth in Vancouver, Canada: A Critical Analysis. International Journal of Inclusive Education, v18 n7 p655-668. This empirical research analyses an understudied population, Turkish immigrant youths' educational experiences of inclusion/exclusion in Vancouver. My information was gathered from in-depth interviews and participant observation with the first- and second-generation, Muslim and non-religious female and male Turkish immigrant youth from working and middle-class families. The findings of this study indicate that teachers' racism, linguicism and general Islamophobia are the factors of discrimination against Turkish immigrant youth in the education market. The findings suggest that cultural background, immigration status, class and religious affiliation are significant elements in students' relations to the school culture and their educational experiences of inclusion/exclusion in Canadian schools…. [Direct]
(2020). Understanding the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Gifted Education: An Anthology by and about Talented Black Girls and Women in STEM. Contemporary Perspectives on Multicultural Gifted Education. IAP – Information Age Publishing, Inc. This book seeks to understand the complexities of talented and high-performing Black girls and women in STEM across the P-20 trajectory. Analogously, this volume aims to understand the intersections between giftedness, its identification, and racial, gender, and academic discipline identities. The dearth of literature on this subject suggests that Black girls and women have unique experiences in gifted programming, in large part because of factors associated with gifted programs in general. Key factors affecting Black students, and Black girls in particular, are identification and underrepresentation. These factors can be shaped by interlocking systems of racism, classism, gender bias, and other forms of oppression. Teachers in the P-12 educational system are the first identifiers for gifted programming and look for student characteristics, such as natural leadership, inquisitiveness, and students' desire to be in gifted programs. Because many Black girls are stereotyped and teachers… [Direct]
(2018). Teachers' Reported Beliefs and Feelings about Race Talk. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. This three-article dissertation addressed a central question: What do teachers describe as their beliefs and feelings about race and teaching, and how can we build practices in teacher education to support them? Considering vast evidence of racial inequities, research has stressed that teachers need a deeper understanding of race and the ways in which schools and society have contributed to racial inequity and injustice. First, through a systematic review of literature on race and teacher education, emergent themes illustrated (a) shifts toward race in teacher education programs, (b) components of a race-related curriculum, and (c) pedagogical practices that center race. Next, two empirical studies drew on data from the Teachers Race Talk Survey. The first study built on the concept of self-efficacy to examine differences in and predictors of teachers' reported feelings of preparedness to discuss race with students. Hypothesis testing and logistic regression analysis of data from 495… [Direct]
(2019). Social Justice and Its Role in Pre-Service Teacher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University. This critical qualitative research attempts to understand how a group of pre-service teachers were engaging with issues related to Social Justice and the ways they envisioned the role of Social Justice in their future K-12 classrooms. Data was gathered from forty-nine participants, each of whom was in their fourth year of a teacher licensure program. Data was collected over two academic semesters from observations and recordings of participants' class discussions, analysis of their researcher-generated written documents and artifacts, and from individual semi-structured interviews with twenty-six of the participants. The data was analyzed utilizing grounded theory methodology. Findings expose areas where there were gaps in these pre-service teachers' historical knowledge, which impacted their views surrounding contemporary issues related to Social Justice, and their views about the importance of examining issues related to equity and diversity in education. Findings also indicate… [Direct]
(2020). Responses of Arab Teachers of Hebrew in Israel to an Israeli Novel on Jewish-Arab Relations. Journal for Multicultural Education, v14 n1 p1-17. Purpose: This study aims to examine the responses and perceptions of Israeli Arab teachers toward multicultural and educational issues concerning Jewish-Arab relations. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a qualitative research. The study included 44 novice Arab teachers, who teach Hebrew in the Arab sector and are currently studying toward their masters' degree at a teacher education college in northern Israel. The teachers were asked to read the novel "Nadia" by Galila Ron Feder-Amit. Published in 1985, the novel describes the complex integration of Nadia, an Arab village girl, into a Jewish boarding school, and it is narrated in first person. After having read the novel, the teachers were requested to answer the writing task, which addressed the character of the protagonist, the issue of teaching the novel in the Jewish and Arabic educational systems and the anticipated responses of Jewish and Arab students to the novel. Findings: Phenomenological analysis of the… [Direct]
(2014). Racial Diversity in the Schools: A Necessary Evil?. Multicultural Perspectives, v16 n2 p72-78. White teachers see racial diversity in the schools as a "necessary evil." Common beliefs are that (1) Black students are saved by nurturing White teachers and well-behaved White children; and (2) White students learn from "disadvantaged" Black children the dual lesson of empathy and gratitude. A pilot project in the fall of 2010 studied racial diversity education and experiences with racial diversity through six teacher interviews. This study used qualitative methods, informed by case study (Stake, 2000) and grounded theory (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) traditions. Continued research is needed to uncover how to dismantle the structures and ideologies behind racism…. [Direct]
(2019). Handbook of Research on Social Inequality and Education. IGI Global In comparing one public school to another, discussions frequently include talk concerning the socio economics of a school or district, which then leads to talk about the advantages that one socioeconomic setting has over another. Educators tend to agree that low academic achievement frequently associated with a low socioeconomic status is a characteristic difficult to resolve for a population of school children. "The Handbook of Research on Social Inequality and Education" is a critical reference source that provides insights into social influences on school and educational settings. Featuring an array of topics including online learning, social mobility, and teacher preparation, this book is excellent for educational leaders, educational researchers, teachers, academicians, administrators, instructional designers, and teacher preparation programs. Section One of this book entitled The United States, contains the following chapters: (1) African American Students, Racism,… [Direct]
(2011). Responding to \Innocent\ Racism: Educating Teachers in Politically Reflexive and Dialogic Engagement in Local Communities. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, v7 p27-40. This article develops the construct of \innocent racism\ and argues for keeping questions of race central in teacher education. The authors report three cases in which they, teacher educators working within a school/university alliance, identified and addressed racism in their courses. We situate our analyses within antiracist research informed by Critical Race Theory (CRT) where the teacher education students and ourselves struggled to recognize and address racism. Critical episodes are reflectively analyzed to challenge both teacher educators' and teachers' beliefs. We demonstrate how race still matters because of the ways in which it intersects with our practices. Examples of struggles that address emerging positions on race, language, and educational processes inform teacher and faculty learning with important local and global implications…. [PDF]
(2018). Using Data to Guide Difficult Conversations around Structural Racism. Voices in Urban Education, n48 p38-45. Challenging and confronting educational systems and structures, the vast majority of which come from a place of privilege, is uncomfortable but necessary. Education, from early childhood to post-secondary, should challenge and address the racial inequities that inevitably characterize such systems and structures. Yet, we do not always do this explicitly, for a number of reasons. First, this is hard work, and educators must deal with many pressing needs on a day-to-day basis, so difficult conversations about racial inequities are pushed to the sidelines. Second, many educators do not have the training or resources available to collect, access, or analyze their data with a critical lens around racial equity. Third, many educators are White, and therefore have not personally experienced what it means to navigate interactions that are based upon racial biases or systems of structural racism. Without this firsthand knowledge, they may not be aware of the impact on youth outcomes–from… [PDF]