Asian children at home and at school: an ethnographic study

This thesis is an ethnographic study of Asian children who attended Cherrydale School, a mixed comprehensive in the south of England. It is concerned with the first generation of Asian children educated in Britain and is a study of their lives at home and at school. The main focus of this thesis is an exploration of the circumstances in which Asian children negotiate their way in different cultures. This study reveals the complexity of their lives which defies simple explanations. It describes the different ways in which 'race', class and gender combine to produce marginality for Asian children. A study of one single factor would not have given a holistic picture of their lived experience. The field work for this study was undertaken between 1987 and 1990. It draws on the children's, their parents', peers' and teachers' views on education and schooling. It represents different perspectives. To have ignored either the home or the school would have provided an incomplete picture of the world in which these teenagers live. Chapter 1 outlines the main theme of this exploratory study. It introduces the unique position in which Asian children find themselves in Britain in the late 1980s. Chapter 2 surveys the existing literature in the field. As there is very little previous ethnographic research on Asian adolescents which takes into account their home and school experiences, I have referred to a wider body of literature which includes anthropological and ethnic/'race relations' studies. Chapter 3 is about methodological issues. It includes an account of the initial problems of negotiating access, and continuously renegotiating access throughout the duration of this study. Chapter 4 is about Asian parents' world. It is based on matters concerning the parents' past and present which have a direct influence on their children's lives. Chapter 5 establishes a link between parents' education, their employment and their hopes for their children. Chapter 6 looks at children's accounts of their homes and schools, and the effect of gender on their experiences. It also looks at their relationships with their parents, teachers and other members of their communities. Chapter 7 is based on the effect of parents' occupations on children's aspirations including their employment opportunities and their hopes for the future. It also explores the effect of gender. Chapter 8 underlines the connection between gender and spatial constraints at home and at school among Asian boys and girls. Their relationships with their white, African- Caribbean and Asian peers are also discussed, as are the different images they adopt. Chapter 9 is concerned with Asian children's experiences of racism, their descriptions of "good", "bad" and "normal" teachers, their positive and negative experiences of school. Chapter 10 looks at the ways in which the school as an institution responds to the presence of Asian children. It is based on interviews and discussions with several mainstream and ethnic minority teachers. Chapter 11 concludes the thesis by drawing together the main findings of this study and discusses possible similarities between the circumstances of Asians living in Cherrytown with those living outside it. More research is needed in the area of home and school based studies. This chapter makes some concrete suggestions for further research

Teaching English as an Additional Language In The Global Classroom: A Transnational Study In The United States and United Kingdom

Global research has shown the persistence of inequality with regard to accessing curriculum with a view to obtaining suitable work and making useful contributions to society.  The intersection of race, gender, language and low socio-economic levels creates situations which often marginalize ethnic minorities in school settings (Freire, 1968; Nieto & Turner, 2012).  The graduation rates in the United States for Native American, African American and Hispanic students are lower than the graduation rates of Whites and Asian Americans.  In addition, Bangladeshis and African Caribbeans currently living in the UK are under-represented in higher education, particularly young men in those communities.  The research questions that guide this inquiry are:  (1) According to databases, how does the academic performance of language minority groups compare to the academic performance of non-linguistic minority groups at the elementary and secondary levels of education?  (2) According to language support teachers and university students, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the instructional practices for language minorities who are learning English in the United Kingdom (UK) (Bristol) and the United States (US) (Henrico)?  Participants were: five UK teachers, four UK university students, five US teachers, four US university students.  Data collection supervised by lead researchers included interviews, focus groups, classroom observation, and performance documents.  Data analysis utilized a mixed-methods approach. Overall, linguistic minority groups performed lower than their English proficient peers.   Culturally, UK teachers provided a greater emphasis on religious instruction, whereas US teachers addressed patriotic topics more frequently.  Teachers in the United States and the United Kingdom were culturally supportive with slight variation in the encouraged use of the students’ heritage languages

Improving Medical Students’ Learning Experience of Pathology by Online Practical Sessions through Virtual Microscopy

ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess the impact of interactive virtual pathology slides on students’ understanding of pathological disease processes. Materials & Methods: The study was conducted at Shifa College of medicine, Islamabad. Class of 3rd year MBBS, comprising of 111 students, was divided into two groups during two teaching modules. All students received online lectures prior to practical sessions. In the first module, one group was taught virtual slides through online interactive sessions, whereas the second group was taught same set of slides, using light microscopy and glass slides. Both groups were assessed at the end of the module by online test and their scores were compared. Similar exercise was repeated in the second module in which the control group became the test group to remove the selection bias. Questionnaire feedback was taken from students to get their perceptions. The results were compared by applying t-test and p-value was calculated. Results: The mean score of test group (group-1) in first module was 14.90 whereas mean score of control group (group-2) was 10.99. The t test was applied, and p-value calculated was significant (p=0.04). In the second module the groups were flipped. The mean score of test group (group-2) was 14.29 whereas control group (group-1) was 10.09. The p value was calculated which was again significant (p=0.04). The students gave their feedback through questionnaire. Conclusion: Overall, we believe that the use of virtual microscopy significantly improves student’s understanding of pathological lesions. Keywords: Education, medical, pathology, undergraduate, virtual microscopy

Ogbu and the debate on educational achievement: an exploration of the links between education, migration, identity and belonging

This paper looks at some of the issues raised by Ogbu’s work in relation to the education of different minority ethnic groups. Ogbu poses questions such as the value attached to education, its links to the future and its measurable outcomes in terms of ‘success’ as experienced by black participants. The desire for better life chances leads families to consider migration to a new country or resettlement within the same country, thus making migration both a local and a global phenomenon. As an example, attention is drawn to the situation facing South Asian children and their families in the UK. In terms of ethnicity and belonging, the wider question that is significant for many countries in the West after ‘Nine-Eleven’ is the education of Muslim children. A consideration of this current situation throws Ogbu’s identification of ‘autonomous minority’ into question. It is argued that a greater understanding of diverse needs has to be accompanied by a concerted effort to confront racism and intolerance in schools and in society, thus enabling all communities to make a useful contribution and to avoid the ‘risk’ of failure and disenchantment

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in Pakistani children: A description of the phenotypes and comparison with historical cohorts of children with Kawasaki disease and myocarditis

Objectives: To determine clinical, laboratory features and outcomes of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) and its comparison with historic Kawasaki Disease (KD) and Viral Myocarditis (VM) cohorts.Methods: All children (1 month- 18 years) who fulfilled the World Health Organization criteria of MIS-C presenting to two tertiary care centers in Karachi from May 2020 till August 31st were included. KD and VM admitted to one of the study centers in the last five years prior to this pandemic, was compared to MIS-C.Results: Thirty children with median age of 24 (interquartile range (IQR)1-192) months met the criteria for MIS-C. Three phenotypes were identified, 12 patients (40%) with KD, ten (33%) VM and eight (26%) had features of TSS. Echocardiography showed coronary involvement in 10 (33%), and moderate to severe Left Ventricular dysfunction in 10 (33%) patients. Steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) were administered to 24 (80%) and 12 (41%) patients respectively while 7 (23%) received both. Overall, 20% children expired. During the last five years, 30 and 47 children were diagnosed with KD and VM, respectively. Their comparison with MIS-C group showed lymphopenia, thrombocytosis, and higher CRP as well as more frequent atypical presentation in MIS-C KD group with less coronary involvement. The MIS-C VM was more likely to present with fulminant myocarditis.Conclusions: Our MIS-C cohort is younger with higher mortality compared to previous reports. MIS-C is distinct from historic cohorts of KD and VM in both in clinical features and outcomes

Language support for immigrant children: a study of state schools in the UK and US

In recent decades, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers have sought a new way of life in large numbers, often leaving their countries of origin behind in search of places that offer a better way of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how elementary and middle school students in state schools in Reading, England (primarily speakers of Asian languages), and Richmond, Virginia (primarily speakers of Spanish), were supported academically, when most children’s first language was not English. The authors were interested in exploring whether or not there were cultural or structural differences in the way each country helped or hindered these students as they progressed through the school systems. Three UK schools in a district of approximately 100,000 and three US schools in a district of approximately 250,000 were the focus of this exploration from 2000 to 2003. Findings indicated that there were cultural and legislative differences and similarities. Teachers and administrators in both countries attempted to provide services with limited and sometimes diminishing resources. Community support varied based on resources, attitudes toward various ethnic groups, and the coping strategies adopted by these groups in their new environments. Marked differences appeared with regard to the manner in which assessments took place and how the results were made available to the public

Culture, change and conflict: educational experiences of young people in multiethnic settings

The research looks how young people from different cultural backgrounds in multiethnic schools can be encouraged to remain interested in education. Lessons learnt in one challenging school can be applied to other schools in similar circumstances. How young people experience schooling affects the ways in which they and their peers react to future opportunities both educationally and socially. Multiethnic classrooms in urban settings provide a naturally occurring microcosm of society, where power relationships are rehearsed and enacted depending both on the school's culture and the cultural understandings which young people bring with them. This paper looks at the ways in which young people experienced empowerment and disempowerment in an urban multiethnic school. The paper focuses on instances which are perceived as unjust and unsound by the young people themselves, where in their opinion the school's rules, actions and judgements left young people disenchanted and disengaged. Children's right to an education sits uncomfortably against some teachers' tendencies of labelling young people because of ethnicity, religion, social class or gender. Social justice requires critical thinking. intercultural dialogues can provide some of the answers.Children's right to an education sits uncomfortably against some teachers' tendency of labelling young people because of their ethnicity, religion, social class or gender. The qualitative data collected was investigated using an interpretive paradigm and grounded theory. Social justice and intercultural education demand that these ideas are debated with reference to school

Learning behind bars: education in prisons

This article is based on the negotiated meanings of ‘teaching’ and learning’ in prisons. It is informed bythe peripheral experiences of prisoners and the legitimate peripheral participation of their teachers. Itwas found that teachers and students are interdependent and feel equally marginalized. The positionsoccupied by teachers make legitimate peripheral participation (Lave &amp; Wenger, 1991) possible though itis restricted within limits imposed by their place of work. The research, based on in-depth interviews offour teachers explores the challenges facing both teachers and their students. Concerns about prisoners’dignity, their human rights, entitlement to education and recognition of their learning difficulties arevoiced against a culture of acquiescence and unquestioning obedience demanded by the prison regimeoutside the education classes<br/