SEL for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

There is abundant research about the benefits of SEL programs on social and emotional core competencies (e.g., increase in self-esteem, improvement of academic performance); however, general SEL programs are not necessarily designed with the English learners’ (ELs) needs in mind. Aiming at exploring valid and reliable SEL programs that meet the needs of the ELs, the article first examines the theoretical groundwork on which SEL is built upon. Next, this paper will first discuss Piaget’s, Vygotsky’s, and Dörnyei’s theories surrounding the cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural aspects involved in the learning process and language learning. It will then consider the needs for SEL programs adapted to the needs of English learners (e.g., cultural, linguistic, emotional). To conclude, this paper will propose a culturally and linguistically adapted SEL framework that would offer classroom practitioners, school administrators, and other instructional staff an adapted tool that can guide them when implementing SEL programs in settings with diverse student populations

Educational Practices that Decrease Opportunity Gaps in Literacy

Historically, research in regards to the instruction of culturally and linguistically diverse students focuses predominantly on a comparison to mainstream culture as well as the use of primary language separate from the second language.  The traditional approach focuses on a deficit lens, or perceived deficiencies of culturally and linguistically diverse students in comparison to a mainstream monolingual culture.  This research perspective establishes one language and as a result, one culture, as dominant.  Despite a large body of research on the need for high quality rigorous instruction to support linguistically and culturally diverse students, minimal research focuses on instructional approaches to support diverse student literacy.  This paper discusses a review of the current research literature specific to evidence based practices to support academic literacy development in students of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.  Overall, the research findings suggest that traditional approaches to academic literacy instruction are inadequate for developing academic literacy in culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Dementia care for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: Qualitative secondary analysis of the aged care Australian royal commission data

Objective: Understanding the concerns and experiences of people living with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is critical to ensure culturally appropriate care is delivered. This study aimed to describe the current experiences and concerns of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds using the publicly available evidence from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Methods: This was a qualitative secondary analysis of the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety data to explore new and nuanced insights about care for culturally and linguistically diverse people living with dementia. Using the keywords to search the data corpus, we extracted a topic-specific data set focused on dementia care and cultural diversity. Thematic analysis was used to identify and describe the present practices and challenges. Results: Our findings showed that the need for cultural connection for older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds increases as dementia progresses. Access to culture-specific food and music facilitated connection with their culture of origin. Many older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with dementia reverted to their language of origin; however, the inability to communicate due to a lack of language support impacted their health and well-being, and care provision. Conclusions: Further work is needed to provide the necessary cultural experiences and language support to ensure comfort and equity in the provision of dementia care for Australians from migrant backgrounds

Is physical activity a pathway to culturally and linguistically diverse children’s participation in early childhood education and care?

The Finnish early childhood education’s main principle is to guarantee all children’s and families' rights, prevent segregation, and enhance equality, inclusion, diversity, participation, and communality. Physical activities are one significant way to support all children’s well-being and participation. According to previous studies physical activities were also connected to participation among culturally and linguistically diverse children (Arvola, 2021; Arvola et al., 2020). The study aims to find out if physical activity is a pathway to culturally and linguistically diverse children’s participation. This study is a part of the large Progressive Feedback research results gathered in Finland (see https://blogs.helsinki.fi/orientate/). The main method of the study is systematic observation. According to these results, culturally and linguistically diverse children move enough during their day care day, but they were more often interrupted, less involved, and less participative in their activities. Physical activity was related to continuous involvement. The most increasing physical activity was in sustaining intense involvement: a third of all movement happened in high involvement. The observation results indicate that physical activity is related to increased involvement and building social processes among culturally and linguistically diverse children.

Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners with Technology

In this presentation, we are to present our EDU315 Mock Teaching Project designed by a group of teacher candidates for an elementary school classroom (4th grade) of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Using TPACK as the theoretical framework, we designed an integrated lesson of Social Studies and ELA. Using reliable and age-appropriate resources we guided 4th graders to explore/research southeastern Asian countries and traditions. The main components of our lesson rested on our technological content knowledge and our technological pedagogical knowledge. These specific areas of knowledge enabled us to determine what technology tools are the most appropriate for our lesson and how these tools can meaningfully be integrated into our lesson to achieve the intended goals of our lesson. We used a series of technology tools such as iMovie and StoryJumper for 4th graders to engage in the content and learn to revamp said content creatively in different digital forms.https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/slides/1002/thumbnail.jp

The Roles of School-Based Language Specialists: Implications for ELL Teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist Collaboration

The field of education is a dynamic one due to the ever-changing demographics of the society it seeks to serve. Research has shown that the number of culturally and linguistically diverse students in schools is increasing. As a result, schools and educators need to meet the academic and linguistic needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Past research as also shown that Speech-Language Pathologists must differentiate between a language disorder or language difference when working with a culturally and linguistically student and they should collaborate with a bilingual interpreter or bilingual teacher during this process. However, much of the past research does not elaborate on the role of the English Language Learner (ELL) teacher in this process. Researching the experiences of ELL teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists who work with culturally and linguistically diverse students will be beneficial in that it will help gain some more insight into what these language experts do when working with this student population. Furthermore, it will provide essential information for educators, administrators, and other important stakeholders in order to ensure that the academic and linguistic needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students are being met through appropriate language services

The Education Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students

In this study, the researcher has examined and presented the perceptions and attitudes of K-12 school teachers regarding students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In addition, these same teachers were asked to evaluate their own professional preparations that might enable them to identify and effectively teach these students. This researcher conducted an in depth study in a Northwest Florida School District (Escambia Co.), and a Nodaway County School District in Missouri.  A proportionate, stratified, random sample of 300 K-12 regular education teachers, special education teachers, school counselors, and therapists was used for the survey. In addition, a case study was conducted of 30 members from each school district.  The findings of these studies, plus previous research and current literature all indicate that these educators were not professionally prepared to identify, understand and work with culturally, and linguistically diverse students.&nbsp

Comparative Analysis of English Language Learners' Experiences in Public School at the Third and Eighth Grade Levels

The field of education is one that endeavors constant change of fluctuating degrees. Most recently and drastically, the educational field has experienced and responded to changes in the cultural and linguistic diversity that is rapidly increasing in classrooms across the United States. Congruently, current legislation holds both educators and students accountable for their standardized performance and accomplishments, although teachers of ethnically diverse students are not required to be certified in the teaching of these learners. As a result, it was the purpose of this study to identify and analyze the themes evident from a series of observations and interviews conducted on two culturally and linguistically diverse participants by two teacher candidates. Ultimately, the study unveiled themes of self-concept, cultural behavioral expectations, language brokering, and social interactions of the two culturally and linguistically diverse participants. A discussion of the results are included, as well as the inclusion of best practices in classrooms comprised of culturally and linguistically diverse students.B.A. (Bachelor of Arts

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Preparedness and Self-efficacy in Instructing Students From Diverse Cultural and Linguistic Backgrounds

This study aims to determine a connection between the pre-service teachers’ perception of preparedness and their self-efficacy in instructing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The researcher was guided by three research questions: 1) What are pre-service teachers\u27 perceptions of their abilities to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students? 2) To what degree do pre-service teachers believe their teacher education program prepared them to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students? 3) To what extent do pre-service teachers\u27 self-efficacy influence culturally and linguistically diverse students? Participants were pre-service teachers (education undergraduates in their last year or last semester of graduation), community colleges, and university faculty in the North Texas area. A total of sixty-three participants participated in the study by completing a Teacher Demographic Questionnaire (TDQ) and the Culturally Responsive Teacher Self-Efficacy scale (CRTSES) (Siwatu, 2006). Also, ten faculty participants participated in the study by completing a Faculty Member Questionnaire (FMQ). None of the faculty member participants expressed an interest in participating in the follow-up interviews. Demographic and preparedness questions from the TDQ were selected to identify similarities and differences. CRTSES data were totaled by the question, ranked based on mean score, and then grouped by means. Results of the study indicated many pre-service teachers feel a significantly strong and positive perception of their abilities to instruct culturally linguistically diverse students, a high degree of preparedness received from their program (cultural awareness of the needs of CLD students), and more confidence (self-efficacy) in instructing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The findings of this study are insightful for teacher preparation programs, faculty members in colleges and universities, coordinators and directors of field experience at the university level, and anyone tasked with mentoring and guiding pre-service teachers

Enhancing learning for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students

Objectives: Academic staff have noted that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students have faced difficulties during their studies and in adapting to workplace experiential learning.Method: To explore this issue, three focus groups were held to identify the barriers to learning faced by CALD students and to develop strategies for CALD students, academic staff and workplace supervisors to assist in the students\u27 academic progress and skill development. The three focus groups represented academic staff: CALD students and placement supervisors in courses where workplace supervision was a requirement of the course.Results: The barriers to learning were identified as difficulties with English language communication skills, including reading, writing and verbal skills; course content that was too local; extra time not being allocated to academic and placement staff to allow for the greater time commitment required for CALD students; large tutorial groups; social isolation; discriminatory assessment, and lack of awareness of existing support services for academic staff dealing with international students.Conclusions: Strategies suggested to help assist CALD students to learn included conducting introductory sessions on Australian culture for CALD students; having additional and smaller tutorial groups; having academics spend time with individual CALD students; incorporating international issues into the course content and assessment; providing support and assistance for academic staff teaching CALD students, and organising experienced CALD students to mentor their less experienced peers. Implementing the strategies suggested would require greater resources to be committed to CALD students, which may be difficult given competing demands within the university for limited financial resources.<br /