Digital Commons Network^™

Shades Of Us: The Need For Culturally Pluralistic Educational Tools And Practices In Asl-English Interpreter Education, Pamela Collins

International Journal of Interpreter Education

The aim of this paper is to detail one professor’s use of storied experience as a strategy to engage and stimulate interpreting students. It also maps out a proposed dream project intended to move students past the confines of interpreting classrooms and toward an exploration of community that spans time.

Fostering A Sense Of Belonging In Urban Extension For Internal And External Stakeholders, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector, Linda M. Seals

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

In urban areas, the communities are as diverse as the issues, and different educational and engagement strategies must be deployed to support urban Extension clientele. Urban communities must connect with and feel a sense of “belonging” with Extension–this connection can strengthen Extension’s presence and value proposition to urban constituents. This study found that although Extension was engaged in efforts to support belonging, its efforts were hampered by a lack of collaboration and commitment to supporting a system-wide effort to change the culture. Intentionality, emotional intelligence, and dialogue were presented as strategies to foster a sense of belonging for Extension personnel …

“Starting From Square One”: Results From The Racial Climate Survey Of Writing Center Professional Gatherings, Rachel Azima, Kelsey Hixson-Bowles, Neil Simpkins

The Writing Center Journal

Though the conversation about race and racism in individual writing centers has developed in the last 30 years (Coenen et al., 2019; Condon, 2007; Dees et al., 2007; Denny, 2010; Faison, 2018; García, 2017; Greenfield, 2019; Greenfield & Rowan, 2011; Grimm, 1999; Kern, 2019; Lockett, 2019), scholars rarely discuss the racial climate of writing center professional spaces. This article reports on the findings from the Racial Climate Survey of Writing Center Professional Gatherings. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in spring 2019, when participants were asked about their experiences and perceptions of the racial climate of international, national, regional, and …

Diversity As An Influence On Talent Management And Competitive Advantage: The Absence Of Female African American Executive Leadership In The Insurance Industry, Lateisha Tamarra Rainey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to examine the extent of which the significance of diversity has on the representation of African American females in top-executive leadership positions. Furthermore, to comprehend why African American females are unfairly represented and disparaged in C-suite level positions. The purpose of this research was to study the influence that diversity may have on the insurance industry’s talent management and competitive advantage. To what degree do biases whether conscious or unconscious affect promotional opportunities, recruitment, selection, and hiring practices of African American females pursuing elevation to higher level positions within the insurance …

The Racial And Ethnic Diversity Of The Family Physician Workforce In Non-Metropolitan And Metropolitan Counties, Lars E. Peterson, Zachary J. Morgan

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Overview of Key Findings

• The family physician workforce is becoming more racially diverse; however, non-metropolitan family physicians are not.
• Using data from over 24,000 family physicians who either registered to continue their American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification or completed the graduate survey from 2017 to 2019, we found that early career family physicians are more diverse than later career physicians (66.9% vs. 72.8% White; 58.3% vs. 44.0% female) but, in both groups, the percentage of White non-metropolitan family physicians was even higher (82.7% to 90.5%).
• Minority non-metropolitan family physicians, particularly Black and Native American/Alaska Native physicians, are more …

Diversity As A Condition Of Cultures: Querying Assumptions Of Mainstream And Minorities In Education Policy And Curriculum, Sue Saltmarsh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Highlights

• Discussions of diversity in relation to children’s education are often characterized by binaries of same/different, mainstream/margins, inclusion/exclusion, self/Other.

• Curriculum remains a contested site in educational debate, with differing views about curriculum as reinforcing social norms, beliefs, and values, as addressing the learning and social needs of learners from a variety of backgrounds and worldviews, or as a hybrid of these.

• Policy and curriculum designed or intended to address diversity tend to rest on assumptions of majority or dominant cultures as homogenous and distinct from the cultures of minority Other/s.

• Inequality is often multidimensional, intersecting with, …

Shared Language Builds A Foundation For Health Equity, Deborah Stamps, Ebony Caldwell, Ajda Ince

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Achieving Health Equity requires developing a shared language that allows people to understand diversity in various contexts. For instance, shared language allows us to discuss diversity issues concerning gender identity, just as much as it allows us to discuss diversity issues concerning citizenship, race, or sexual attraction. This article sets out five key terms that form the foundation of a shared language: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Cultural Humility, and Cultural Responsiveness. The five key terms provide a solid foundation for efforts to further expand our shared language around diversity, such as a glossary defining terms like gender identity, race.

A Qualitative Study To Further Explore Student Perceptions Of Identities And Representations Within A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Blanshan

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Through a qualitative study, the researcher explored student identity. Students enter into schools with diverse identities and perspectives. To make learning meaningful, engaging, and relevant teachers need to learn about their students’ unique identities. Students deserve a place where they feel safe and empowered to explore themselves, the curriculum, and their futures.

This study focused on two research questions; 1) What impact does learning about students’ identities have on the teacher? 2) How do students perceive their identities are reflected in the curriculum? Qualitative data was collected through a series of journals. Participants in an eighth-grade social studies classroom were …

The Impact Of Teacher Diversity On Student Outcomes, Kristie White Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Closing the teacher diversity gap was fundamental to closing the achievement gap between White and Black students. The gap in teacher diversity has continued to widen over the last decade. As the number of Black students in public education increases, the number of Black teachers continued to decline. The teaching profession remained a predominately white female workforce. A lack of teacher diversity had a negative effect on all student achievement. Black teachers served as role models to Black students. Those Black students taught by Black teachers had better academic achievement, behavior, motivation, and aspirations to attend college. In order to …

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

A Literature Review Of Multicultural Education Practices To Support Marginalized Communities, Karleigh Ferrell

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to provide an overview of the current literature surrounding multicultural education practices that effectively support students from marginalized communities. Today’s classrooms are the most diverse and expansive that they have ever been in terms of the student population, but this is not yet reflected in employed public school teachers. So, it is crucial that teachers and public schools are culturally competent and prepared to implement multicultural education practices. Teachers that are culturally competent and that utilize multicultural education strategies have a higher sense of self-efficacy and less risk of burnout, and students of all identities have better …

A Multidisciplinary Mentoring Approach To Improve The Equity Of Nursing Education For The English Language Learner In An Undergraduate Nursing Program: A Mixed-Method Quality Improvement Project, Laurie Bisila

DNP and Student Works

This quality improvement (QI) project is a multidisciplinary approach to mentoring, matching a doctorate of nurse practice (DNP) student in their final year and a second-semester post-baccalaureate (PBN) nursing English language learner (ELL) student who is enrolled in an accelerated nursing program in a small Midwest private college. This QI project seeks to answer two questions. First, will a DNP mentor who is trained in the principles of cultural Competemility improve the sense of belongingness for the ELL undergraduate nursing student through six weekly mentoring sessions using the 12 domains in Purnell's model as a guideline? Secondly, does training on …

A Roadmap To Doing Culturally Grounded Developmental Science, Tanya Broesch, Sheina Lew-Levy, Michelle Kline, Joscha Kärtner, Patricia Kanngiesser

School of Psychology

This paper provides a roadmap for engaging in cross-cultural, developmental research in practical, ethical, and community-engaged ways. To cultivate the flexibility necessary for conducting cross-cultural research, we structure our roadmap as a series of questions that each research program might consider prior to embarking on cross-cultural examinations in developmental science. Within each topic, we focus on the challenges and opportunities inherent to different types of study designs, fieldwork, and collaborations because our collective experience in conducting research in multiple cultural contexts has taught us that there can be no single “best practice”. Here we identify the challenges that are unique …

English Is Not Dead! Long Live English: Teaching The Evolution Of English And Inclusive Communication Via Online, Face To Face Or Hybrid Instruction, Teresa Marie Kelly, Stephanie Thompson, Sheryl Bone

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

When popular media and many individuals discuss changes in English, some erroneously contend that the language has always been the same and changes amount to little more than “politically correct woke liberalism” desired by only certain people. The English language continually evolves as a natural process that nothing can force nor prevent. Field-specific language also changes with increased understanding and knowledge. The variety of English taught to most students also shifts as Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)/Writing Across Disciplines (WAD) initiatives increasingly focus on Global English rather than the standard of any one country or group. Even informal interactions with …

“Pockets Of Hope”: Changing Representations Of Diversity In Newbery Medal–Winning Titles, Kathleen A. Paciga, Melanie D. Koss

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Newbery Medal–winning books provide cultural models for children’s developing cultural understandings of themselves and others. This article presents results of a critical content analysis that used sociocultural and historical lenses to examine representations of race/ethnicity, gender, and ability of main characters across the Newbery-winning corpus and how these representations have changed over the history of the award, 1922–2019. Findings present a lack of consistent diverse representation across all fields, with increased diverse representation in the most recent decades. The discussion contextualizes findings against historical events. Understanding the representations of diversity in these texts and the historical contexts within which such …

The Social Construction Of Language: Identity, Reality, And Trauma In American Composition Courses, Joselyne Campos

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the ways in which instructors have the potential to reinforce or disrupt systems of oppression and power in the composition classroom through language, writing, and rhetoric. I draw upon pedagogical and rhetorical theorists, to analyze how language closely interacts with identity and how it impacts an individual's understanding and perception of reality. I consider how texts utilize language to communicate normative citizenship and challenge students' conceptions of the world around them, and how to teach from an anti-racist perspective that incorporates critical pedagogy and does not focus solely on minoritized communities’ trauma …

Reframing Definitions Of School Quality Through The Lens Of Stakeholders In A Diverse School, Jennifer L. Watters

Theses & Dissertations

A dominant narrative of school quality currently exists based on race, Euro-centric school quality frameworks, economics, and test scores. This qualitative case study aimed to redefine school quality for diverse communities by sharing the counter-story of stakeholders in a diverse school district on Long Island, New York. This study utilized the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory, community cultural wealth, culturally responsive leadership, and Schneider’s framework for school quality, to elevate the voices of stakeholders in a diverse school district on Long Island and gain their perspectives on school quality in terms of teaching, leadership, and family engagement. Findings generated …

Translation Studies And Public Policy, Gabriel Gonzalez Nunez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Chapter 9 discusses relationships between translation and public policy. When challenges of organizing public spaces involve the use of more than one language, translation is often employed, and, in such circumstances, translation may serve a variety of functions, including the deployment of language policies alongside other policy aims such as the promotion of human rights or multiculturalism. The chapter explores this link between public policy and translation, presenting a survey of insights that have been provided by scholars, and suggesting areas where scholarship can provide further understandings. These insights are important, given the continuing multilingualism and diversity of societies.

A Conceptual Replication Of Survey Research On Study Strategies In A Diverse, Non-Weird Student Population., Roberta Ekuni, Bruno Miguel Nogueira De Souza, Pooja K. Agarwal, Sabine Pompeia

Faculty Works

In survey research from western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) populations, students report predominantly studying by rereading, highlighting, and summarizing, which are generally inefficient for long-term learning. It is unknown, however, whether, and to what extent diversity, in the form of cultural context, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex, affect choice of study technique. In this exploratory study, we investigated the frequency of use of 10 common study strategies used by WEIRD students in a sample of respondents (N=795) from a developing country (Brazil). We also examined if SES and sex influenced study choices. A similar pattern of study strategy …

An Analysis Of The Workforce Pipeline In School Psychology, Julie Q. Morrison, Susan C. Davies, Amity Noltemeyer

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

A shortage of school psychologists in the USA jeopardizes the capacity of schools to meet the needs of struggling students. The aim of the study was to evaluate the progression of school psychologists through the professional preparation—to practice pipeline for attracting, preparing, and retaining school psychologists. Descriptive research methods were used to retrospectively track three annual cohorts of graduate students from eight school psychology programs as they progressed through key milestones in their preparation and early professional practice. The results indicate that a large percentage of students completed their graduate program and continued to work in the field 1-, 3-, …

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives: Gender And Gender Representation Across Human Protagonists In Picture Books, Taraneh Matloob Haghanikar, Shan Jiang, Sara Tomek, Lisa M. Hooper

Faculty Publications

Gender is ever present in education preparation, school materials, curriculum, and school systems. To improve our knowledge about different facets of gender and the extent to which the depiction of gender has changed over time in picture books, there is a need to dig beneath the surface of questions about gender representation in picture books. Given that in-service teachers have proximity to approximately 75 million K-12 students, how in-service teachers think about gender, gender representation, and their own experiences with gender socialization have important implications on how K-12 students think, act, and feel about gender. In this study, we focused …

Including Everyone, Everywhere: Understanding Opportunities And Challenges Of Geographic Gender-Inclusion In Oss, Gede Artha Azriadi Prana, Denae Ford, Ayushi Rastogi, David Lo, Rahul Purandare, Nachiappan Nagappan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The gender gap is a significant concern facing the software industry as the development becomes more geographically distributed. Widely shared reports indicate that gender differences may be specific to each region. However, how complete can these reports be with little to no research reflective of the Open Source Software (OSS) process and communities software is now commonly developed in? Our study presents a multi-region geographical analysis of gender inclusion on GitHub. This mixed-methods approach includes quantitatively investigating differences in gender inclusion in projects across geographic regions and investigate these trends over time using data from contributions to 21,456 project repositories. …

Italian Studies In Southern Africa, Vol. 35 No. 1 (2022): Diversity, Decolonisation, And Italian Studies, Simone Brioni Dr., Marie Orton, Graziella Parati, Gaoheng Zhang

Department of English Faculty Publications

This special issue explores the intersections of diversity and decolonisation within the field of Italian Studies. By engaging with postcolonial theory, migration, and critical race studies, the contributors reframe traditional narratives of Italian culture and history. The issue investigates the legacies of colonialism, the experiences of racialized communities in Italy, and the role of Italian Studies in fostering inclusive and equitable academic practices. Through interdisciplinary approaches, the essays call for a critical re-evaluation of the field, advocating for a more diverse, decolonial, and globally conscious understanding of Italy's past and present.

The Efficacy Of Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) In Closing The Discipline Gap Between White Students And Students Of Color, Taylor Williams

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the data from schools that have and have not implemented AVID for at least three years to determine what difference, if any, existed between the schools’ racial discipline gap. This study compared both the suspension and expulsion outcomes of students of color and White students in Minnesota secondary schools with a racial diversity of 30% or greater Students of color. The results of this study indicate that Black students in schools with AVID programs were significantly more likely to be expelled compared to Black students in schools that did not have …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Seeking Clarity In Murky Waters: Nuances Of Equity And Social Justice From A Teacher Perspective, Elaine J. Chan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In this study, I examined interactions between an English teacher and her students to illustrate ways in which issues of equity and social justice may play out in nuanced ways in the implementation of school curriculum in a diverse, Midwestern high school. These stories of classroom teacher and student experiences reveal complexities of how equity and social justice might unfold for students, and be understood by a teacher as she works with her students, to build a body of “teacher knowledge” (Clandinin and Connelly, 1996) that grows as the teacher gains experience. Examining complexities of “teacher knowledge” as a classroom …

Finding A Voice: Overcoming Shame Through A Classroom Collective Exploration Of Vulnerability, Mary Catherine Lockmiller, Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In keeping with the call for greater justice and diversity within the occupational therapy profession, many educational programs are taking steps to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across their curriculum. In this paper, we will introduce the theoretical concepts underpinning the first assignment in a DEI curriculum thread in one entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program, grounding it in critical pedagogy and exploring how it provides a first step to critical aptitude by providing space for an open-ended, reflexive dialogue about subjective experiences of internalized shame and marginalization. Students learn how to practice self awareness, understand shame culture, and …

Improving Performance Feedback Perceptions Through Motivating Language Use, Doreen Hanke, Albi Alikaj, Prity Patel

Research, Publications & Creative Work

This study examines the link between leader motivating language and follower performance feedback perceptions It also explores whether follower/leader gender compositions moderate this relationship. Results show that a follower’s performance feedback perceptions benefit from a leader’s use of motivating language. This relationship is further positively moderated by the presence of certain follower/leader gender matches and mismatches. The results provide support for a stronger use of motivating language in diverse workforces. This characteristic gives motivating language the potential to support diversity in organizations. Implications of the study’s findings and future avenues for research are discussed. Considering the increasing need for more …

Impact Of A Multi-Layered Autobiography Project For Transforming Intercultural Competence Among Pre-Service Teachers, Elizabeth J. Sandell, Luz Carime Bersh

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This study investigated how a Multi-Layered Autobiography Project impacts the intercultural competence for undergraduate students, many of whom were aspiring teacher candidates in the United States. For purposes of this project, the concept of “culture” was adapted from West and Turner’s (2018) definition: the norms, behaviors, standards, values, etc. shared by a group of people, and passed along to later generations. Investigators deemed that “culture” was composed of numerous microcultures among a smaller group of human beings (with their own language, communication strategies, behavior rules, and expectations), who are bonded together by similar experiences, values, characteristics, organization, membership, location, or …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …