Section archive - Multiculturalism & Diversity

This paper explores the interaction between educational research and practice in school systems, through a bi-dimensional framework. The author found that a synthesis of the main themes in the articles has led to a schema that can be useful in getting a more systemic view on school improvement processes based on educational research (ER).

This study aims to examine preschool teachers' beliefs about linguistic diversity using a Q methodology. The findings reveal that the teachers were highly supportive of linguistic diversity and multilingual practices. The findings indicate that the participants saw opportunity rather than difficulty: they believed that interacting with diverse classmates gives young children the chance to develop tolerance, cooperation, and multicultural awareness.

This study examines the role of race in teacher hiring process. The findings reveal that the Hispanic and Asian teachers were hired proportionally to the rate at which they applied. This finding suggests that the low numbers for these groups may indeed reflect a supply problem. The findings show that while Black candidates submitted 13 percent of applications, a proportion greater than the percentage of Black students in the district, their chances of getting hired were low.

This research investigates Taiwanese preservice students’ academic quality in comparison with their nonteaching peers. The findings show that preservice students demonstrated higher academic quality than their non-preservice counterparts, as they had better entry test scores, mid-point grades and final grades. The authors provide explanations of the gap in performance between the two groups within the broader sociocultural context of Taiwanese society. First, the authors found that the majority of the teaching programs set a minimum academic standing as a threshold for student application when they recruit students from various programs/departments within the university. Second, the Taiwanese government adopted policies that provide teachers with generous compensation and benefit packages that provide teachers with generous compensation and benefit packages. Furthermore, the cultural beliefs imbedded in the Confucian cultural heritage may also play a role in constructing favorable teaching conditions.