Global Education Review (Mercy College, New York)
Not a member yet
347 research outputs found
Sort by
(In)Visible Literacies of Transnational Newcomer Youth in a Secondary English Classroom
Full text linkResearch documents how transnational youth leverage literacy practices to maintain global connections, identity, and self-worth within learning environments that often fail to honor their cultural and linguistic repertoires. This article extends this research by focusing on the unique practices, experiences, and perspectives of secondary newcomer and refugee students. Grounded in transnational, sociocultural, and asset-based frameworks, this article highlights findings from a qualitative case study that explored the literacy practices of transnational students in a ninth-grade English classroom taught by a transnational teacher. Analysis of oral histories, classroom observations, and in-process interviews collected over a prolonged period revealed participants’ numerous and varied literacy practices. These practices, however, remained mostly invisible in the school and classroom, surfacing when recruited for narrow curricular and academic purposes. This work offers implications for continued research into the practices of newcomer students and potential benefits of teacher education centered on critical inquiry as a means for creating empowering literacy classrooms that draw on students’ assets, backgrounds, and repertoires to create more authentic and empowering spaces for literacy learning.  
Nations within a Nation: Cross-Cultural Field Insights in an Anishinaabe Context
Full text linkThis case study of undergraduate early childhood education pre-service teachers in an international field experience examines living, working, and studying in a sovereign nation while still “at home” within the United States. In our various roles (researcher, pre-service teacher, faculty mentor), we explored the impact of colonization as we lived and worked with people who are Anishinaabe. We viewed the larger issues that tribal sovereignty brings to education in terms of federal and state standards. Our research focuses on the impact of this cross-cultural field experience on the pre-service teachers’ understanding of self as related to cross-cultural teaching. We employed a reflective multilayered process before, during, and following the field experience, and used qualitative emergent coding methods. Pre-service teachers developed an awareness of their individual comfort zones, recognized the power in strengths-based versus deficit-based approaches, and gained clarity on the cultural role of education and the role of culture in education. With this new knowledge, teachers may be better able to create culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogies in ways that allow for more meaningful connections with students and their families
Using Humor and Science to Become Happier and Healthier
Full text linkA review of the book The Laughing Guide to Well-Being by Isaac Prilleltensky
The Concept of Education (Bildung) as a Cultural Heritage: Transcultural Traditions and Perspectives
Full text linkThis article is based on a theoretical study about the concept of Bildung in world society. The concept of Bildung (in German) refers to a special dimension of education. It focuses on personal development and self-education and is not utilitarian. The study, which investigated different traditions of thinking about education in the sense of Bildung, begins with German and European educational theories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Next, older Christian traditions in Europe, pre-Christian concepts in the European ancient world, and educational thinking in Judaism and the Islamic world were analysed. Confucius was also examined as an educational thinker. Finally, the study investigated educational traditions in Buddhism and Hinduism. Findings clearly show that the ideas connected with this concept of Bildung are represented in different cultural traditions within and beyond Europe. The concept of Bildung seems to constitute a common cultural heritage of humankind since at least the Axial Age. This concept can therefore contribute to an overlapping consensus in world society as defined by John Rawls: a consensus endorsed by conflicting religious, philosophical, and moral doctrines—each from its own point of view
A New Way of Thinking about Leadership
Full text linkA review of the book The Challenge for School Leaders by Ronald Warwick
“Respect is an Investment”: Community Perceptions of Social and Emotional Competencies in Early Childhood from Mtwara, Tanzania
Full text linkEducation programs in Africa increasingly aim to develop and measure social and emotional competencies. However, assessments are typically adapted from those developed in other continents and are not derived from local perspectives. In the current study, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with teachers, parents and students in 4 randomly selected rural primary schools from Mtwara region in Tanzania, 3 of which had recently begun participation in a pre-primary education program. The aim was to understand the social and emotional competencies in early childhood that participants viewed as important for school and for life in general. Compared to existing frameworks of social and emotional competencies, participants placed more emphasis on aspects of social responsibility, for example respect, obedience and being an attentive listener. Individual competencies such as curiosity, self-direction and self-belief were valued more by teachers than parents and seen as most important for success at school. In general, most social and emotional competencies – even individual competencies - were discussed in terms of social relationships. Findings have implications for how cultural values are taken into account in assessment, curriculum design and parent and community engagement around pre-school education
The Quality of Learning and Care at Community-Based Early Childhood Development Centers in Malawi
Full text linkThis exploratory study examined the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of early childhood care and learning at selected community-based childcare centers (CBCCs) in Malawi, and aimed to understand underlying challenges and opportunities that may be addressed to improve quality and ultimately children’s outcomes. Classroom environments and interactions were systematically observed at 12 CBCCs. Early childhood caregivers were surveyed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants from the community. Areas of relative strength at the CBCCs included the physical environment, adultchild interactions, and inclusiveness. However, the CBCCs struggled substantially with the quality of learning and play opportunities; the availability of play and learning materials; and the quality of instruction for literacy, numeracy, and science. Underlying challenges that emerged from surveys and interviews included the CBCCs’ reliance on unskilled and volunteer caregivers, lack of materials, lack of food for children, and lack of interest from parents in the CBCCs. A fundamental strength was that in almost all the communities, key stakeholders were aware of the challenges, were motivated and committed to improving quality at their CBCCs, and had already taken actions to address specific problems. CBCCs in Malawi hold tremendous potential to provide early childhood services to the most vulnerable children; however, communities need to be supported to improve the quality of learning and care at these centers to maximize the benefits for children’s development and long-term outcomes
Dimensions and Levels of Mentoring: Empirical Findings of the First German Inventory and Implications for Future Practice
Full text linkA lack of evidence-based quantitative research prevents further progress in mentoring research. In particular, standardized diagnostic instruments for exploration, evaluation and structured feedback for mentors and mentees are needed. The purpose of this study is to explore factors and levels which are crucial to the process of mentoring mentees.  The study has two objectives: The first is to expand the present empirical knowledge of basic dimensions and mentoring styles by developing the first German inventory. The second is to examine how the dimensions of the inventory are related to other qualities in the process of mentoring.Conducted at three universities of education in Austria, the data were collected during the school practice of advanced student-teachers who were guided by mentor teachers. 405 future teachers serving as mentees evaluated 206 mentors. In order to gather information on mentoring dimensions, a specially developed German questionnaire with 53 items was offered to the mentees in order to assess how often certain qualities in mentoring were experienced previously.  Concerning the results, five factors could be found while conducting an exploratory factor analysis: Professional support, collegiality, levels of work, efficiency and confidence. Some of these factors have been validated by independent variables. The inventory developed is a step to facilitate two objectives:  The first is theoretical by inspiring further research concerning the complexity of mentoring processes.  The second one is a practical one concerning a tool for collaborative reflection between mentor and mentee.  The results implicate that mentoring has to be conceptualized as a professional practice with the resources of professional training and professional contexts
Providing Opportunities for Flow Experiences and Creative Problem-Solving through Inquiry-based Instruction
Full text linkIn order to compete globally in the 21st Century, students must have the skills to design their own projects and understand how to navigate the wealth of information available at their fingertips. One of the most important tools is to be able to investigate ideas and implement a plan of action in order to answer questions that have not been explored. These creative problem-solving skills are essential when students design problems and projects during student-driven inquiry. Using action research, instructors evaluated student perceptions and responses to a student-driven inquiry project in an eighth grade honors language arts class. Using interviews and observations, instructors investigated students’ attitudes and experiences throughout the thirteen-week unit of study, focusing on student perceptions of the instructional environment. Students described engagement with topic and process due to choice and authenticity. They described experiencing flow, the state where students become completely engaged in their work, when challenge, motivation, desire, and drive come together to produce optimal outcomes. Themes emerged in how choice influenced the experience of flow during the creative process and how the classroom environment nurtured overcoming obstacles through creative problem solving
Influence of Content-learning in Preparation Classes on Integration Perspectives of International Students
No full textNew students arriving from different countries present a challenge to the school system as language barriers prevent them from immediately integrating into regular classes. These students are often enrolled in “international classes” before being placed with fellow classmates. The project “Biology for Everyone” teaches science to students entering the German school system through the use of action-oriented learning, which helps to increase content-knowledge and build up language structures. The concomitant research examines this process in international classes using 17 interviews and the students’ transition using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. Results show that students value the help of content-learning material as it encourages them to participate. Moreover, action-oriented tasks help them understand science before learning the specific vocabulary that is needed to talk about science. Additionally, the importance of providing a safe environment with a good support structure is crucial as students often describe language-use anxiety and negative experiences in their regular class