Equity Pedagogies for Inclusive Online Classrooms in Higher Education

Online learning continues to grow and is increasing including more diverse students. Diverse students with various backgrounds and experiences challenge educators to implement pedagogies to achieve equitable learning experiences and outcomes. This chapter aims to discuss four equity pedagogies commonly referred to in the literature that can contribute to democratic and inclusive learning experiences for all students. The chapter's four strategies include pedagogic voice, universal design for learning, equitable assessment, and collaborative learning. Although these strategies were discussed separately, the universal design for learning framework can incorporate both the pedagogic voice, equitable assessments, and collaborative learning while considering their unique perspectives. If well-designed and implemented, these strategies can help all students to receive fair education and prepare them to succeed in a changing world and become agents for social change. The chapter includes recommendations for practice and future research.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

The structure of American public schools has altered within the past 30 years due to receiving extensive number of linguistically diverse students. The fact that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students often experience academic failure within the U.S. public schools creates a subgroup of students who cannot achieve their educational goals. The purpose of this study is to explore ideal practices in order to enhance teachers' and policy makers' perceptions and awareness on the unique needs of CALD students. The findings of this study reveal the fact that ineffective methods for teaching CALD students and short-term goal-oriented educational policies fall short of meeting the academic needs of CALD students, and this research offers a conceptual framework that could contribute to CALD students' intellectual growth through effective and constructive language learning practices.

Gender identity: Exploring struggles & school support among New Zealand senior secondary students

<p>This research was undertaken with an intention to contribute to the existing literature and research on issues related to struggles and support for gender diverse students in New Zealand secondary schools. Gender diversity is a classification of individuals who do not see themselves as just male or female. LGBTQIA [lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and Queer] has been an acronym used to describe individuals of alternative lifestyles. The main objective of this study was to investigate in-depth to understand the positive and negative experiences of gender diverse students in New Zealand Secondary schools. A qualitative research approach was utilised and pragmatics as the research paradigm, as the focus was on the experiences of the learners and view of the teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used as this is regarded as a process of in-depth inquiry which has generated detailed descriptions. The outcomes of this research have been in line with the current and existing literature related to the experiences of gender diverse students in secondary schools in New Zealand. A review of existing literature indicates that gender diverse students are subjected to negative academic and social experiences such as verbal slurs, emotional harassment and abuse. Further, the disengagement of the curriculum and the support of the teachers in schools. The positive indication of this research was the support of the heterosexual students and teachers in the school however, there is a need for more support. It is recommended from this research that the school needs to provide professional development for its teachers and design their curriculum to create equality in the school.</p>

Gender identity: Exploring struggles & school support among New Zealand senior secondary students

<p>This research was undertaken with an intention to contribute to the existing literature and research on issues related to struggles and support for gender diverse students in New Zealand secondary schools. Gender diversity is a classification of individuals who do not see themselves as just male or female. LGBTQIA [lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and Queer] has been an acronym used to describe individuals of alternative lifestyles. The main objective of this study was to investigate in-depth to understand the positive and negative experiences of gender diverse students in New Zealand Secondary schools. A qualitative research approach was utilised and pragmatics as the research paradigm, as the focus was on the experiences of the learners and view of the teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used as this is regarded as a process of in-depth inquiry which has generated detailed descriptions. The outcomes of this research have been in line with the current and existing literature related to the experiences of gender diverse students in secondary schools in New Zealand. A review of existing literature indicates that gender diverse students are subjected to negative academic and social experiences such as verbal slurs, emotional harassment and abuse. Further, the disengagement of the curriculum and the support of the teachers in schools. The positive indication of this research was the support of the heterosexual students and teachers in the school however, there is a need for more support. It is recommended from this research that the school needs to provide professional development for its teachers and design their curriculum to create equality in the school.</p>

Engaging Ethnic-Diverse Students: A Research Based on Culturally Responsive Teaching for Roma-Gypsy Students

Intercultural Education is a key feature in the development of inclusion strategies aimed at ethnically diverse students. Transformative approaches towards learning such as Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) are essential in order to answer the educative needs that arise due to the coexistence between ethnic minorities and mainstream society. Therefore, cultural and historical representation of these communities play an important role as gatekeepers in order to achieve positive results as far as inclusive education is concerned. This article explores research based on a case study carried out in a high school located in the North-West of Spain developing successful learning stories after implementing the CRT methodology within the teaching of English as a foreign language. For its development, this article examines the trajectory of education with Roma-Gypsy students and moves forward with previous studies that endorse the success of using this approach among ethnically diverse students for their inclusion within the educative system. Intercultural and Plurilingual Education is a key feature in the development of inclusion strategies aimed at ethnically diverse students. This article includes research based on a case study carried out in a high school located in the North-West of Spain. It is aimed at: 1. Engaging ethnically diverse students to become part of the mainstream classroom through the inclusion of their culture; 2. Improving their language skills and competencies in the learning of a foreign language; 3. Raising the attendance at schools of ethnically diverse students. To achieve these targets the Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) Methodology has been implemented. CRT is considered essential to answer the educative needs that arise due to the coexistence between ethnic minorities and conventional communities. After gathering and analyzing data, results show that: ethnically diverse students’ motivation has been increased; it also expanded their social skills among peers; they gained more visibility; and finally, both diverse and non-diverse learners improved their proficiency in the English language. The discussion section states that the use of CRT Methodology traditionally used with Afro-American and Native-American students is also relevant for the Roma-Gypsy students that took part in this study.

'Making a Difference': University Teachers' Narratives of Student Diversity

<p>An increasing diversity of students in higher education has prompted much research investigating diverse students' learning needs and experiences; however there is little research investigating teachers' experiences of student diversity. This thesis reports on a study aimed at helping to redress this imbalance. Twenty-two New Zealand university teachers were interviewed and asked what 'diversity' means to them and invited to talk about their experiences of student diversity in small-group teaching contexts. The study had two aims. The first was to examine the meanings study participants make of the notion 'diversity' and of their experiences of teaching diverse students. The second aim was to problematize the notion of 'diversity' by exploring how these teachers position themselves and are positioned within classroom relationships and institutional contexts, and by considering the narrative and discursive resources they draw on to talk about their experiences. The study was underpinned by a relational ontology and used narrative and post-structural methods of data analysis. A review of the literature on diversity in higher education identified ways that diversity is conceptualized. Because teaching diverse students involves relations of power and care, analysis of the meanings of 'power' and 'care' in the literature provided further conceptual tools for data analysis. Analysis of participants' narratives finds that 'diversity' is not an innocent concept but a powerful way of positioning people within or outside categories of difference, in relation to dominant norms, or in ways that challenge such positioning. Study participants described diversity positively when talking about it as a concept but their narratives of experience often portrayed it as problematic, and they employed various narrative strategies to reconcile the tension between these positions. Participants' narratives often conflicted with the public narratives of their universities, suggesting that the challenges participants face and the practical knowledge they have acquired teaching diverse students are not adequately recognized or valued. This study shows that there are multiple ways to 'speak and do' diversity that are embedded in relations of power and care, and constructed within and from larger social, political and educational narratives. This study challenges those in higher education to think reflexively about diversity, and offers suggestions for constructing alternative narratives of diverse educational relations.</p>

'Making a Difference': University Teachers' Narratives of Student Diversity

<p>An increasing diversity of students in higher education has prompted much research investigating diverse students' learning needs and experiences; however there is little research investigating teachers' experiences of student diversity. This thesis reports on a study aimed at helping to redress this imbalance. Twenty-two New Zealand university teachers were interviewed and asked what 'diversity' means to them and invited to talk about their experiences of student diversity in small-group teaching contexts. The study had two aims. The first was to examine the meanings study participants make of the notion 'diversity' and of their experiences of teaching diverse students. The second aim was to problematize the notion of 'diversity' by exploring how these teachers position themselves and are positioned within classroom relationships and institutional contexts, and by considering the narrative and discursive resources they draw on to talk about their experiences. The study was underpinned by a relational ontology and used narrative and post-structural methods of data analysis. A review of the literature on diversity in higher education identified ways that diversity is conceptualized. Because teaching diverse students involves relations of power and care, analysis of the meanings of 'power' and 'care' in the literature provided further conceptual tools for data analysis. Analysis of participants' narratives finds that 'diversity' is not an innocent concept but a powerful way of positioning people within or outside categories of difference, in relation to dominant norms, or in ways that challenge such positioning. Study participants described diversity positively when talking about it as a concept but their narratives of experience often portrayed it as problematic, and they employed various narrative strategies to reconcile the tension between these positions. Participants' narratives often conflicted with the public narratives of their universities, suggesting that the challenges participants face and the practical knowledge they have acquired teaching diverse students are not adequately recognized or valued. This study shows that there are multiple ways to 'speak and do' diversity that are embedded in relations of power and care, and constructed within and from larger social, political and educational narratives. This study challenges those in higher education to think reflexively about diversity, and offers suggestions for constructing alternative narratives of diverse educational relations.</p>