Student Articulations of Critical Multicultural Education Concepts from One Study Abroad Experience in New Zealand

This study examines how six teacher candidates in one U.S. based teacher preparation program articulate understandings of critical multicultural education concepts after a field experience in a study abroad program in New Zealand. Teacher candidates were interviewed about their understandings of culture, privilege, and social inequality. Field placements were in high poverty elementary schools with high numbers of linguistic and ethnic minority students. Teacher candidate responses revealed development of cultural appreciation but a lack of engagement with issues related to privilege and social inequality. Teacher candidates further had difficulty articulating issues of power and systemic privilege enacted either in the New Zealand context, or in their home cultural context in the United States. This study calls for more explicit support for teacher candidates as they grapple with recognizing and practicing a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in order to realize the potential of diverse study abroad field experiences for teacher preparation

Immigration, Mobility and Community in a Global World

The Latinos in Missouri occasional paper series grew out of the writing experiences of graduate students in Rural Sociology 406: The Sociology of Globalization.Includes bibliographical references.This paper examines the relationship between mobility and how Latino immigrants and internal migrants to Columbia, Missouri, experience community. I present literature on community and mobility, primarily that related to the importance of places, social interaction, and networks. I also place this discussion in the context of a global system that brings issues of immigration to the forefront. Information from two interviews conducted using a grounded theory approach is used to illustrate the community attachments formed by newcomers to Columbia, and their implications. I find that although there are things that encourage attachment to the community, there are also notable barriers to full participation in the community. Through this research, I seek to empower communities by shedding light on the experiences of immigrants in a world where labor is increasingly mobile internationally. Hopefully, communities will use this information to facilitate productive activities and programs to include im/migrants in the community and accept their contributions

Understanding reservation hunger : food acquisition and food security among the northern Cheyenne

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (May 2, 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.The Northern Cheyenne represent a group that experiences poverty and hunger at an exceptionally high level. As an extreme case study, this project adds conceptually and methodologically to food provisioning literature by examining not only the sources of food reportedly used by households, but also the combinations of sources used as strategies in food provisioning. This is done through the application of a cluster analysis to show the patterns in which households actually use food sources together on the reservation. In addition, the relationships between household use of food sources and strategies and food security levels are examined. Thus, this project attempts to start a conversation not only about the types of choices that households must make, but how this is happening and what it looks like for limited resource households.Using the livelihoods perspective, we see that households use the food sources that reflect their capitals and capabilities. As expected, clustering the food sources shows greater clarity for these food provisioning patterns on the reservation, and show that sources are grouped into understandable combinations. Overall, households that have access to more reliable and valuable resources (such as wages or fixed income transfers) are more likely to reach food security. Conversely, households that use more risky food sources (such as pawning or churches) are more likely to have food insecurity.Includes bibliographical reference

Activating Emotional & Analytic Engagement in Blended Learning: A Multicultural Teacher Education Example

The authors share their experience in designing a blended multicultural education course that they hoped would increase the likelihood that the teachers they were educating would take up socially just dispositions. They examined their own learning using a critical friend relationship with a colleague experienced in developing technological responses that honor relational aspects of teacher education within a framework of sociocultural theory

Triad Relationships and Member Satisfaction with Paired Placement of Student Teachers

Abstract: This study determined triad (a mentor teacher and two student teachers) members’ level of satisfaction (LOS) with paired-placement student teaching, focusing on mutuality and homophily to explore how triad relationships were linked to LOS. The constant comparative method was used to code interview transcripts and field notes. Results showed that of the six satisfied triads, five had mutuality, homophily, strong triad cohesion, and collaborative student teachers. Partially satisfied (four) and dissatisfied (two) triads experienced lack of mutuality and homophily, weak triad cohesion, and uncollaborative student teachers. Recommendations include providing formal training about triad relationships, considering mutuality and homophily when making placements, and placing weaker students in a solo experience

“I Think I’m the Bridge”: Exploring Mentored Undergraduate Research Experiences in Critical Multicultural Education

Although mentored undergraduate research has been shown to deepen student engagement across various disciplines, this type of extended learning opportunity is not a prominent feature of research and practice in teacher education.  Our article addresses this gap by analyzing the experiences and growth of a group of five preservice teachers engaged in a mentored undergraduate research experience in several sections of an introductory critical multicultural education course. Specifically, we examined how pre-service teachers’ personal, academic, and professional engagement with critical multicultural education is impacted when they are positioned as researchers and receive additional training outside the traditional class format.  Our findings indicate that their involvement as student co-researchers fostered a new awareness, sensitivity, and emotional investment in issues of social justice beyond what they gained in their introductory multicultural education course.  Pre-service teachers described navigating personal relationships with new awareness and sensitivity and adjusting future plans in accordance with their deeper understanding and commitment to educational equity.  We argue that mentored research opportunities are an innovative way to address professor/student power differentials in teacher education research and offer a unique model of critical multicultural teacher education that promotes deep engagement with issues beyond the classroom setting

How Does the New TANF Work Requirement “Work” in Rural Minority Communities? A Case Study of the Northern Cheyenne Nation

In August of 1996 Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which President Bill Clinton then signed into law, “ending welfare as we know it.” For the past thirty years emphasis on work and self-sufficiency has slowly replaced income supports in welfare policy. Politicians assert that the new requirements, most notably the new time limits and work requirements have been a success. Others, however, are concerned by the social and economic implications of these new policies. Given the period of time that these policies have been in effect, we have the opportunity to review the assumptions on which PRWORA has been based and examine the practical consequences of the new welfare system. Research conducted since the late 1990s has addressed many aspects of the experiences of welfare clients living in urban areas. However, much less of the recent work has dealt with rural areas. Several scholars have examined the early experiences of rural welfare clients, especially minority group members. One such recent research effort focused on services provided under the new welfare policies and their effectiveness in assisting American Indian participants to find employment, leave welfare, and move out of poverty. This report to the National Congress of American Indians calls for additional research on several issues that have become key as the welfare program has matured and its requirements have changed within different state and community contexts