Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Finding Golden Threads Of Commonality: An Interfaith Dialogue Sharing Experiences During Troubled Times, Vicki G. Mokuria, Diana Wandix-White, Aakash Chowkase, Vicki Mokuria

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This interfaith dialogue conducted between three educator/scholars offers insights into how they navigated through the troubled times of COVID 19 and the summer of racial uprisings in 2020. The collaborative auto-ethnography presented in this paper helps us gain insights into how people of very different faiths, a Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu, found points of convergence as they openly discussed their challenges during those troubled times in our world.

Exploring Ableism Through Teacher Identity And Empowerment: Teaching About Disability Through A Campus Common Reader, Alma Contreras-Vanegas, Amber Godwin, William H. Blackwell

School Leadership Review

This study was conducted to find how teacher candidates at a southwestern regional university understood ableism and empowerment based on their reading and interaction with the campus common reader. This work was important to help future teachers form healthy instructional practices that are inclusive of all students, regardless of ability in their future classrooms. The findings of this study showed evidence that this reading experience was transformative in helping teacher candidates form a teacher identity that was not only inclusive and welcoming of all, but also empowering.

Graduate Student Instructors Coping Strategies And Concurrent Impact On Learning, Teaching, And Research, Razak K. Dwomoh, Boatemaa Tawiah-Sarpong

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Acculturation stress is ubiquitous among international students. There is a preponderance of the use of social support in dealing with stressors by international students. This paper investigates Ghanaian graduate student instructors’ (GGSIs) coping strategies for mitigating stress in learning, teaching, and research. Primary data collection was in-depth semi-structured interviews. Focus group discussions served as complementary data. Seven participants were purposefully selected using a criterion-based selection from a midwestern U.S. public university. Thematic analysis yielded substantial results. The results show that GGSIs use social support for learning, not teaching or research. Preferable strategies for teaching are professional work ethics and setting …

A Strategic Exploration Of Bilingual Education Policy: An Interpretive Policy Analysis, Abbie Strunc, Helen Berg, Amber J. Godwin

School Leadership Review

Language diversity in the United States has always been part of its history, yet policy and funding have not always promoted bilingualism or multiculturalism. Throughout the history of bilingual education, administrators, politicians, and policymakers have changed their preferences and practices in response to trends and ideological shifts (Crawford, 2004). Even with a plethora of research regarding the benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy in support of bilingual education (Baker, 201; Camilleri, 1996; Fuh Suh, 2022; Goodman, & Tastanbek, 2021; McCarty, 1980), the literature on bilingual policy exclusively focuses on the use of two languages as languages of instruction with the sole …

How To Be An Anti-Racist Educator: A Book Review Through An Educational Perspective, Maria Cristina F. Soares, Melanie Morales

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The authors reviewed the book How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (2019) while reflecting on how Kendi’s brilliant dismantlement of racism and discrimination would help educators become conscious of how racism operates in our society, their schools, and their communities. Kendi’s book could motivate teachers to self-reflect on intrinsic feelings and misconceptions about race and culture built over time, allowing them to adopt new attitudes towards their students and school community. The authors considered the need to reevaluate systemic racism in schools as research has, for instance, found evidence of discriminatory practices towards African American boys (Gregory …

Native Knowledge 360° (Nk360°) Essential Understandings Framework: Reflections Using The Five Level Evaluation Model, Ashlyn Lafleur, Sarah Straub

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This paper explores participant takeaways regarding the Native Knowledge 360° workshop on artists and activism. The researcher utilized a five-step evaluation model (Kartal et al., 2019) to reflect upon belief, learning, reaction, transfer, and results. This professional development tool focuses on teacher level understanding and the transferability of lessons learned to the student results. The paper includes an example of transfer and a reflection on student results.

The Diversity In Creating A New Dream: A Black Man’S Journey From Sports To Human Resources, Sagirah Wheeler

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Issues of diversity explores a variety of social, political, and educational issues as it relates to the education of individuals in a culturally diverse world. Through the process of reading, reflection, and discussion, individuals are able to learn about trends and challenges individuals face related to their experiences and cultural backgrounds. This article explores the author’s narrative interview with Cameron (a pseudonym) as he discusses his life experiences on his path as an athlete and as a professional. This article explores Cameron’s experiences and obstacles he overcame to transition from athletics to the workforce. Additionally, this article investigates the issues …

Bridging The Cultural Divide: A Single Case Study To Describe The Lived Experiences Of A High School Senior From A Mexican American Working-Class Family, Nadine E. Franz

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

ABSTRACT

Bridging the Cultural Divide:

A Single Case Study to Describe the Lived Experiences of a High School Senior from a Mexican American Working-Class Family

The United States’ education system lacks a commitment to multicultural education. This failure to validate all students’ cultural assets is problematic. Multicultural education challenges the status quo to change schools to validate the diverse backgrounds of students of color (Banks, 1993; Banks & Banks, 2015). The United States education system must adopt a multicultural education policy that focuses on equity, freedom, and diversity to ensure students’ success (Grant & Tate, 1995). Consequently, schools and students …

Not 'Fit In More,' I Would Say 'Stand Out Less': Dialogical Learning With A Filipino-American High School Student In A Predominantly White High School: A Case Study, Cristofer G. Slotoroff Ed.D.

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This piece seeks to amplify the voice of Jamie: a Filipino-American student in a predominantly White high school. Through a series of dialogues, the researcher seeks to take an intentional, purposeful step toward uncovering how Jamie's understanding of her school's cultural makeup influences her education, her self-conception, and her identity.

Through a series of qualitative interviews, the researcher seeks to value the singularity of Jamie's experience while, alternatively, taking note of how a better knowledge of her circumstances lends insight into the nuanced educational experiences of minority students in predominantly White schools. Using Shields's (2004) dialogical leadership for social justice …

Bridging The Cultural Divide: Learning With Kayla, Ashley Gibson

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Originally written as a doctoral paper in the fall of 2018 when the researcher was a doctoral student in Baylor University’s School of Education program, this article is an account of a single-subject case study as a mini-research project for a course titled EDC 5392, or Issues in Diversity. As a teacher, the doctoral student and emerging researcher chose one of her students as the subject for this study. This article aims to share the learning of an emerging adult scholar throughout the research process and to contribute an example of a teacher building critical consciousness around multicultural and anti-bias/antiracist …