Studies

Shortcomings in schools’ efforts to serve English learners (ELs) are often both a function of the continuing scarcity of teacher education and the ability of schools to implement high-quality professional development (PD) to successfully prepare effective teachers for this marginalized student population. Scant literature addresses the processes for initiating EL-focused PD, as well as the …

Learning about English learners: Teachers’ and leaders’ perceptions of effective professional development. Read More »

Immigrant students and their families sometimes experience conflict or alienation in U.S. schools owing to differences between the collectivistic values of home (focused on the well-being of the family and group) and the individualistic values of schools (focused on the well-being of individuals) that drive instructional practices and school policies. The research project discussed here …

From altered perceptions to altered practice: Teachers bridge cultures in the classroom. Read More »

This article documents a community-initiated service-learning project within a teacher education program. A social justice model guided the initiative to raise critical awareness on power and privilege while countering deficit-model thinking. Partnering with com-munity agencies serving immigrant children and youth, the faculty researcher worked with an office for community-engaged learning. Data included pre- and post-experience …

Fostering cultural humility among pre-service teachers: Connecting with children and youth of immigrant families through service-learning. Read More »

There is a sense of urgency among P-12 educators to dismantle systemic school-based racism and radically transform conditions for teaching and learning in ways that advance equity, social justice, and social-emotional learning (SEL). This transformation cannot be achieved through typical top-down, short-term approaches to school improvement or professional development. In this article we explain how, …

Anti-racism is not an initiative: How professional learning communities may advance equity and social-emotional learning in schools. Read More »

This study was inspired by an inclusive intercultural perspective on education, and developed empirical knowledge concerning the intercultural professional development of in-service teachers. The study was conducted during the first year of a newly-designed master’s programme that focused on “education for refugees”. In the Netherlands master’s programmes in education qualify in-service teachers to contribute to …

New immigrants. An incentive for intercultural education? Read More »

Background: As diverse communities continue to be targets of racism and anti-immigrant sentiments permeate current political discourse, the need to prepare a teaching force that understands immigrant children and their families continues to be a critical priority. Purpose: This study explored the ways in which one digital storytelling project that required 20 clinical hours working with English learners …

Transforming preservice teacher perceptions of immigrant communities through digital storytelling. Read More »

As the demographics of the United States continue to shift, American classrooms reflect the richness of cultural diversity and the vibrancy of immigrant populations. Education abroad programs provide opportunities for preservice teachers to develop their cultural competence, required for effectively teaching children from a range of cultural backgrounds. Given the financial demands of study abroad …

Education abroad and domestic cultural immersion: A comparative study of cultural competence among teacher candidates. Read More »

A 2019 United Nations (UN) report declared the need for educational support by teachers for immigrant and refugee children across the world. These children directly or indirectly experience trauma throughout the migration process, which manifests in different aspects of their development. At the educational level, trauma can affect children’s ability to concentrate and learn. Trainings …

Assisting elementary school personnel to better serve and support immigrant and Latine heritage children Read More »

A professional development program for US teachers in the state of Oregon was the context in which this study took place. This five-year hybrid (online and face-to-face) program assisted experienced teachers to adapt their practice to meet the needs of language minority and immigrant students. The positive changes in teacher perceptions and classroom practice are …

Learning to get it right: Understanding change processes in professional development for teachers of English learners. Read More »

The article supports the view that teachers are key to quality inclusive education and that continuing professional development (CPD) plays an essential role in promoting pro-inclusion changes in education systems. It reports and uses the findings from a research study focused on the educational experiences of two groups of Myanmar (Burmese) refugee children in the …

Continuing professional development (CPD) as a means to reducing barriers to inclusive education: Research study of the education of refugee children in the Czech Republic Read More »