Browsing by Subject "Multicultural Education"
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Item A Case Study of Principal Leadership in the Practice of Multicultural Education in High-Achieving Schools Serving Hispanic Students in South Texas(2012-11-09) Rios, Sylvia 1954-The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the educational experiences and leadership behaviors of five South Texas high school principals, in the context of the practice of multicultural education and Hispanic student achievement. Through the recounting of the principals? personal stories, experiences, and artifacts, several themes emerged in the analyses of the data collected for this study: multicultural education, effective schools, and culturally Responsive Leadership. Subthemes for the study included high expectations, collaboration, relationships, empowering school culture, equity pedagogy, communication, vision for success, Hispanic principal leadership, and Hispanic student achievement. Findings for the study further revealed that: 1. Each of the five principals articulated, supported, and fostered a culture of high expectations. 2. Collaboration, among staff, students, and the extended learning community, was a designated priority in these high-performing schools. 3. Principals in each of the five high schools understood the significant value of developing, nurturing, and maintaining productive, caring relationships. 4. Principals understood the value of creating a school culture that empowered students and staff to aspire toward quality teaching and learning. 5. Principals understood and worked vehemently to provide equity pedagogy which addressed the needs of all students. 6. Principals understood the power of varied forms of communication in shaping and supporting the mission of their schools. 7. Principals in these high-performing schools developed and steadfastly articulated a clear vision of success for their schools. 8. Hispanic principals provided unique, relevant, and effective leadership in support of their Hispanic students. 9. Neither school/community demographics nor socioeconomic status determined the potential for Hispanic student success in each of the schools led by the study?s participants. While each of the principals in this study used a variety of means to create and support learning environments conducive to all students, each assumed personal responsibility for the success of his/her students, and each worked to empower their Hispanic students through his/her own personal histories and experiences. Thus, the significance of this study lies in the potential to impact Hispanic student achievement by developing school leaders and creating school structures that support culturally diverse students.Item A case study of Texas regional education service center multicultural/diversity trainers' perception of teacher resistance and structural barriers to multicultural education(2009-05-15) Ibrahim, EronifThis 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.Item A longitudinal trend study of a university-based teacher induction program: observable behaviors of urban teachers and their perceptions of program components five years after participation(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) Moon Merchant, Vickie VThis longitudinal trend study (Gall, Borg & Gall, 1996) examined the effectiveness of a one-semester university-based teacher induction program as compared to a two-semester university-based teacher induction program based on the observation scores of classroom teaching behaviors urban novice teachers exhibited during the first year of teaching. These scores were further analyzed in relation to the socio-economic level of the school and the grade level taught. Additionally, the study explored the past participants?????? perceptions of the teacher induction program components of a one-semester program and a two-semester program during their fifth year of teaching. Their perceptions were also examined in relation to the socio-economic level of the school and the grade level taught. The study examined the observation scores of classroom teaching behaviors of 145 urban novice teachers participating in either a one-semester or two-semester universitybased teacher induction program. The urban novice teachers demonstrated growth over time as measured by the first and final observation scores of classroom teaching behaviors. However, the length of the university-based teacher induction program did not affect the observation scores of classroom teaching behaviors. Further, neither the socio-economic level of the school nor the grade level taught affected the observation scores of classroom teaching behaviors. Although the three components of the university-based teacher induction program received high means, 82 past participants of a one-semester or a two-semester teacher induction program responding to the Teacher Induction Program Participant Survey (TIPPS) recognized formative observation as the most effective component. Peer support and professional development were perceived second and third respectively. No statistical significant differences of the one-semester or two-semester past participants?????? perceptions of peer support, professional development or formative observation were found related to the socio-economic level of the school or the grade level taught.Item Elementary Special Education Teachers' Cultural Awareness and Beliefs In One Urban School District Regarding African American Learners(2012-02-14) Willis, JanetToday's urban schools are composed of students from diverse cultural backgrounds and varying levels of academic readiness. At the same time, approximately 88% of teachers are White and middle-class. The dispositions of teachers have important educational ramifications. Teachers' beliefs structure the classroom atmosphere, influence perceptions regarding the abilities of students, and impact how they teach and expect students to learn and behave. In order to foster an accepting and productive learning environment, teachers must have cultural awareness. To ensure that all learners receive a solid academic foundation, teachers must be able to instruct dissimilar students. Special educators have been trained to work with students with unique, special needs, but the reality of today's demographics - and special education classrooms in particular - mandate that they also have the cultural knowledge to effectively serve diverse students. Perceptions and attitudes of elementary special education teachers regarding their cultural awareness and beliefs need to be explored. This study examined the cultural awareness beliefs of elementary special educators working in urban school districts located in southeast Texas. The research also needs to ascertain whether ethnicity or length of service effected such teachers' cultural awareness beliefs. Using the Cultural Awareness Beliefs Inventory (CABI) instrument, the investigator gathered self-reported data from 54 participants. The reliability and validity of the instrument were determined to be sound by previous investigators. The CABI contains eight major components: Teacher Beliefs, School Climate, Culturally Responsive Classroom Management, Home and Community Support, Curriculum and Instruction, Cultural Sensitivity, Cultural Awareness, and Teacher Efficacy. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis and one-way analysis of variance. The findings include: 1) Participants had favorable perceptions towards the School Climate, Culturally Responsive Classroom Management, and Cultural Awareness variables; 2) Participants had unfavorable perceptions regarding Teacher Beliefs; 3) In contrast to some previous research, it did not appear that teaching experience impacted cultural beliefs; and 4) Importantly, it was discerned that teachers' ethnicities yielded statistically significant effects on their cultural awareness and beliefs regarding African American special education students.Item Instructional coaching : a K-12 professional development model to support implementation of culturally responsive teaching(2010-12) Burke, Suzanne Wattenbarger; Field, Sherry L.; Brown, Keffrelyn; Jackson, Julie K.; Salinas, Cynthia; Shiring, JoanChanging student demographics in the state of Texas as well as across the nation make it imperative for educators in K-12 public school settings to develop instructional strategies to meet the needs of increasingly diverse students in multicultural classrooms. To develop greater understandings of this complex issue, culturally responsive teaching was considered through the lens of the instructional coaching professional development model. For purposes of this research study, the culturally responsive/relevant theoretical frameworks of Geneva Gay (2000, 2001, 2004), Ana Maria Villegas & Tamara Lucas (2002), and Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994, 1995) were foundational. Instructional coaching is a job-embedded professional development model for teachers which is gaining increasing attention in K-12 educational settings (Bloom, Castagna, Moir, & Warren, 2005; Kise, 2006; Knight, 2007; Lindsey, Martinez, Lindsey, 2007; Showers, 1984; West & Staub, 2003). Proponents of instructional coaching suggest that coaching is a way to support the reflective practice of educators through a coaching cycle of planning, observation, and reflection. Lindsey, Martinez & Lindsey (2007) further propose a culturally proficient coaching model focused on teachers being responsive to diverse populations of students, and they assert that “coaching and cultural proficiency are integrated sets of tools for guiding individuals and groups to meet cross-cultural issues as opportunities and assets rather than as challenges and deficits” (p. 4). To implement culturally responsive teaching in multicultural classrooms, teachers must develop many skills including the ability to analyze the curriculum-in-use and the ability to implement instructional practices that are efficacious in diverse cultural settings. To support this work, it is further essential that teachers examine their own beliefs and values regarding cultural diversity to enhance their ability to meet the needs of increasingly diverse students. There is strong evidence (Payne & Allen, 2006; Neufeld & Roper, 2003) that instructional coaching contributes to improved teaching and student learning, however, it should be noted that instructional coaching must also be accompanied by rigorous curriculum, on-going formative assessment and feedback for students, strategic planning, and strong local, state and national leadership if educators are to eliminate existing gaps in opportunities to learn between White students and students of color.Item Student Perceptions of Diversity in a Multicultural Education Course in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University(2012-10-19) Merten, KyleOver the past 30 years, the population of Texas has continued to grow and become diverse. Undergraduate students at Texas universities preparing to enter the workforce will be faced with working more in diverse environments than those of their parents and grandparents. The purpose of this study was to determine overall student perceptions of diversity in a Multicultural Education course within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The research design used in this study was a one-group pretest-posttest design, with a follow-up retrospective post evaluation at the conclusion of the study to ascertain differences between the pretest and posttest administrative types. The target population consisted of all junior and senior classified students enrolled in ALED 422: Cultural Pluralism in Agriculture for the 2011 fall semester. A purposive convenience sample was taken for the study. During the study 47 students completed the pretest portion while 45 completed posttest and retrospective posttest portion of the study. Two of the participants were lost to attrition. Descriptive statistics were used for reporting the demographics of respondents. Mean scores and frequencies were used to assess students' perceptions of contributions in agriculture and diversity. The sample consisted of 70.20% males and 29.80% females. The ethnic breakdown of the sample was 74.50% White (non-Hispanic), 10.60% Hispanic, 8.50% African American (non-Hispanic), 4.30% Other, and 2.10% Native American. Based on grand mean pretest (M = 3.82, SD = .56) and posttest (M=4.29, SD =.55) findings, results confirm the implementation of a multicultural education course were effective in changing students' perceptions about contributions in agriculture and diversity perceptions. Ten of the fourteen (71.43%) statements were found to have statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest measurements. Based on grand means for the pretest (M = 3.84, SD = 1.04) and posttest (M=4.29, SD =1.15), results confirm the implementation of a multicultural education course to discuss contributions in agriculture were effective in changing students' perceptions about contributions in agriculture. No statistically significant differences were found in age, permanent residence, and size of graduating class related to students' perceptions of diversity. Also, no statistical significant difference was found in the administration of a pretest and posttest versus a retrospective posttest.