Equitable Learning Opportunities Research Articles

African-centered education (ACE): Strategies to advance culturally responsive pedagogy and equitable learning opportunities for young Black children

ABSTRACTFor too long, Black children’s educational needs have not been prioritized with attention to their culture, language, historical and contemporary racialized experiences, and building their positive racial identity. It is critical that early childhood education settings for young children be transformed to be a place of learning and healing by centering Black children’s cultural identity through African-centered education (ACE). Through ACE practices, Black children can find meaningful connections with their ancestral heritage to expand on their knowledge. In this article, we discuss the need and the history of ACE, its link to Black children’s well-being and outcomes, the status of these types of programming, and educational leaders’ understanding of what ACE entails. Finally, we end with ways to integrate ACE in early childhood through the R.I.C.H.E.R. framework. It is critical that the full humanity and cultural roots of Black children are centered on delivering on the promise of equal educational opportunity.

Using latent class growth analysis to detect group developmental trajectories in preclinical medical education.

Medical educators and programs are deeply interested in understanding and projecting the longitudinal developmental trajectories of medical students after these students are matriculated into medical schools so appropriate resources and interventions can be provided to support students' learning and progression during the process. As students have different characteristics and they do not learn and progress at the same pace, it is important to identify student subgroups and address their academic needs to create more equitable learning opportunities. Using latent class growth analysis, this study explored students' developmental trajectories and detected group differences based on their coursework performance in Anatomy within the two years of preclinical education in one medical school. Four subgroups were identified with various intercepts and slopes. There were significant group differences between these subgroups and their standardized scores in MCAT and UCMLE Step 1. The study provides evidence about the heterogeneity of the student population and points out future research directions.

Re-engaging Youth Who Have Been Pushed Out, In The Science Classroom

Providing opportunities for youth who have been ‘pushed out’ of traditional schools to re-engage is an issue of social justice. The lack of equitable learning opportunities in the traditional science classroom is a contributing factor to youth being pushed out. Alternative education programs have the potential to support youth who have been ‘pushed out; to re-engage in science. This study investigated the factors that may contribute to the academic achievement of students in their class-based science courses at Xinaxtli Charter School, an alternative education program for youth who have been ‘pushed out’ in Southern California. A phenomenological research study using interviews was conducted. Students identified the Xinaxtli science classrooms as a critical and equitable science learning space with these components: educators who develop authentic relationships with students, a learning space that embodies an epistemological pluriverse inclusive of multiple perspectives and values the knowledge students bring to the classroom, the use of culturally relevant science that empowers students to make informed decisions, a localized-critical-action-based curriculum, and a wide array of equitable learning practices to re-engage students. Findings from this study underscore that a paradigm shift must occur in science education for critical and equitable learning opportunities to become commonplace.

Universal Design for Learning as a Pathway for Accessible Narrative Writing Practices for Diverse Adolescents

Equitable learning opportunities are critical for students to meet writing standards. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically based framework for planning and implementing instruction that supports a broad range of diverse learners. In this article, the UDL framework is briefly described, including its principles and guidelines. Vignettes are shared throughout to illustrate how one teacher applied the UDL framework to plan a narrative writing unit for a diverse group of adolescent learners. Adopting the use of the UDL framework during the instructional planning process ensures that instructional practices are centered on student strengths and offer avenues for accessible and equitable learning experiences for all students. This article closes with digital tools that promote 21st century learning and offer a pathway to accessibility.

Cross-Border Dialogues: A Collaborative Instructional Design Inquiry to Promote Equity and Diversity

The COVID-19 pandemic complicates ingrained educational inequalities around the globe and foregrounds the pertaining challenges that teachers have encountered due to school closures and the shift to distance learning. This cross-border teacher education project intended to examine how academics and pre-service teachers in different geographic locales could collaboratively explore equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners through the use of critical media literacies to respond to interconnected global crises. In this six-week cross-border teacher education project, we recruited four Mandarin and English literacy teacher candidates in Hong Kong to interact with one another and one Canadian professor as part of the teacher preparation phase of a larger-scale cross-border research project that connects youth from Hong Kong and Canada in a social networking space. For the purposes of teacher professional development, the Hong Kong teacher candidates and Canadian researchers engaged in collective exploration of how instructional designs in literacy education could promote equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners. Findings show that the cross-border teacher education project supported teacher candidates’ development of pedagogical skills and espoused their agency in promoting educational equity and collective problem-solving through critical media literacies. Findings relate the teacher candidates’ shifted perspectives from focusing on students’ decontextualized language skills to nurturing critical media skills. Changing from a deficit-oriented view about what literacy learners could not do, the teacher candidates also adopted an asset-oriented view about the linguistic and cultural repertoires that diverse learners could bring to literacy classrooms.

Supporting and Sustaining Equitable STEAM Activities in High School Classrooms: Understanding Computer Science Teachers’ Needs and Practices When Implementing an E-Textiles Curriculum to Forge Connections across Communities

While the last two decades have seen an increased interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) in K-12 schools, few efforts have focused on the teachers and teaching practices necessary to support these interventions. Even fewer have considered the important work that teachers carry out not just inside classrooms but beyond the classroom walls to sustain such STEAM implementation efforts, from interacting with administrators to recruiting students and persuading parents about the importance of arts and computer science. In order to understand teachers’ needs and practices regarding STEAM implementation, in this paper, we focus on eight experienced computer science teachers’ reflections on implementing a STEAM unit using electronic textiles, which combine crafting, circuit design, and coding so as to make wearable artifacts. We use a broad lens to examine the practices high school teachers employed not only in their classrooms but also in their schools and communities to keep these equitable learning opportunities going, from communicating with other teachers and admins to building a computer science (CS) teacher community across district and state lines. We also analyzed these reflections to understand teachers’ own social and emotional needs—needs important to staying in the field of CS education—better, as they are relevant to engaging with learning new content, applying new pedagogical skills, and obtaining materials and endorsements from their organizations to bring STEAM into their classrooms. In the discussion, we contemplate what teachers’ reported practices and needs say about supporting and sustaining equitable STEAM in classrooms.

Racialised experiences of Black and Brown nurses and midwives in UK health education: A qualitative study

BackgroundInstitutional racism within the United Kingdom's (UK) Higher Education (HE) sector, particularly nurse and midwifery education, has lacked empirical research, critical scrutiny, and serious discussion. This paper focuses on the racialised experiences of nurses and midwives during their education in UK universities, including their practice placements. It explores the emotional, physical, and psychological impacts of these experiences. MethodsThis paper draws on qualitative in-depth interviews with participants from the Nursing Narratives: Racism and the Pandemic project. Of the 45 healthcare workers who participated in the project, 28 participants obtained their primary nursing and midwifery education in UK universities. Interviews with these 28 participants were selected for the analysis reported in this paper. We aimed to employ concepts from Critical Race Theory (CRT) to analyse the interview data in order to deepen our understanding of the racialised experiences of Black and Brown nurses and midwives during their education. FindingsThe interviews revealed that the healthcare workers' experiences coalesced around three themes: 1) Racism is an ordinary, everyday experience; 2) Racism is operationalised through power structures; and 3) Racism is maintained through denial and silencing. Experiences often touch on a series of issues, but we have highlighted stories within specific themes to elucidate each theme effectively. The findings underscore the importance of understanding racism as a pandemic that we must challenge in response to a post-pandemic society. ConclusionThe study concludes that the endemic culture of racism in nurse and midwifery education is a fundamental factor that must be recognised and called out. The study argues that universities and health care trusts need to be accountable for preparing all students to challenge racism and provide equitable learning opportunities that cover the objectives to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements to avoid significant experiences of exclusion and intimidation.

Building Belonging into the System

This design case documents how a K-12 district took steps to systemically support virtual student wellness and belonging. Plans for course design to support social-emotional-academic learning (SEAL) competencies, increase perception of belonging, and create safe, predictable learning environments characteristic of a trauma-informed approach to teaching and learning are shared. The assumption virtual learners are not looking to experience belonging and cannot be successful unless they already have strong SEAL skills is challenged. Rather, the positioning of SEAL competencies as learning objectives rather than necessary prerequisites to access online learning proved to contribute to more equitable learning opportunities.

A comparison of elementary teachers' verbal supports for students in inclusive and general classroom contexts during an NGSS‐aligned science, engineering, and computer science unit

AbstractElementary teachers are tasked with the challenge of implementing Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned projects that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM + CS) in a variety of classroom contexts. This study investigates how teachers verbally support students in two classrooms, one general education class and one inclusive class with a larger proportion of students with individualized educational plans, to engage in a Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned, STEM + CS unit. Teachers' verbal support for students to understand how (pragmatic) and when and why (epistemic) to use practices was examined during whole‐class discussions for a 4‐week unit in science, engineering, and computer science‐focused lessons. Bi‐weekly teacher surveys and weekly teacher interviews provided insight into the teachers' perceptions of students and project activities in each class section. Teachers reported instructional decisions to modify their enactment of the interdisciplinary curricular materials for the Inclusive Class and discussed their rationales for these modifications. Results suggest that instructional decisions that teachers made in how to verbally support students may depend upon their own knowledge of the different disciplines being integrated, their prior beliefs of students in different classroom contexts, and their in‐the‐moment perceptions of student needs. These factors may have led to different learning experiences for the students in each class section. Findings underscore the need for more research to better understand what kinds of support students and teachers need to be able to integrate engineering, science, and computer science content and practices within their elementary classrooms and provide equitable learning opportunities for all students.

Building Belonging into the System

This design case documents how a K-12 district took steps to systemically support virtual student wellness and belonging. Plans for course design to support social-emotional-academic learning (SEAL) competencies, increase perception of belonging, and create safe, predictable learning environments characteristic of a trauma-informed approach to teaching and learning are shared. The assumption virtual learners are not looking to experience belonging and cannot be successful unless they already have strong SEAL skills is challenged. Rather, the positioning of SEAL competencies as learning objectives rather than necessary prerequisites to access online learning proved to contribute to more equitable learning opportunities.

Journey of Inclusive Education Exploring its Evolution and Future Perspectives

Introduction: Inclusive education aims to provide equitable learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds and abilities. This study explores the historical evolution, current challenges, and future directions of inclusive education through a comprehensive literature review. Methodology: A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and educational reports was conducted to examine the journey of inclusive education. Keywords such as "inclusive education," "special education," "policy," and "practice" were used to identify relevant literature. The search encompassed publications from 2020 to 2024 to ensure the inclusion of recent developments in the field. Results/Findings: The findings reveal significant progress in the promotion of inclusive education globally, driven by legislative reforms and policy initiatives. However, persistent challenges such as attitudinal barriers, inadequate resources, and systemic inequalities continue to hinder the effective implementation of inclusive practices. Promising interventions, including differentiated instruction and community partnerships, demonstrate the potential to enhance inclusion and support diverse learners. Future Direction: Future research should focus on addressing the intersectionality of identities and exploring innovative approaches to promote inclusive education. Collaboration between stakeholders, ongoing professional development, and advocacy efforts are essential to advance inclusive policies and practices.

Research fellowship in a Lebanese academic medical center: What does it take to shift from an informal to a formal program?

Research fellowship programs help medical graduates acquire research skills for an academic career. While our institution employed a large number of research fellows, it did not offer them a formal training program. This study aimed to assess the views of fellows and their mentors regarding the current research fellowship program, and to seek their suggestions for a formal training program at our medical center. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using both focus group discussions and individual interviews with research fellows, and individual interviews with their mentors. We recruited all eligible participants by email. We collected data in person and analyzed it thematically. We followed the consolidated criteria for reporting of qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. A total of 17 research fellows and 17 mentors participated in the study. Participants described the current non-formal program and proposed suggestions for a formal training program. The identification of available vacant positions and the recruitment process followed an unstructured approach, through networking with mentors and previous fellows. Although there is a formal contract, there is no job description, and no definition of roles, responsibilities and rights. Some fellows get the opportunity of being involved in all aspects of research and benefit from a favorable mentor-mentee relationship. Conversely, others struggle with authorship and with the projects allocated to them, some being "non-research" related. Not all fellows end up publishing their projects. Participants provided suggestions to shift into a formal training, including measures to improve on the recruitment process of fellows, defining roles and exposure to all aspects of research. Research fellows are eager to learn, but the currently available program is unstructured. They need a formal training program that meets their expectations, one that offers equitable learning opportunities and benefits to all.

How OER can support teacher collaborative learning to enact equitable teaching practices

PurposeMany K-12 teaching practices unwittingly reproduce social privileges. To transform their teaching and provide more equitable learning opportunities for students from minoritized communities, teachers need professional learning experiences that are collaborative and “close-to-practice” (Ermeling and Gallimore, 2014). This study aims to propose an approach to open educational resources (OER) to support teacher learning to enact equitable teaching practices.Design/methodology/approachBased on an integrative review of research on OER, equitable teaching and teacher collaboration, the authors propose the “Open Guidebook Approach” (OGA) to realize and sustain enactment of equitable teaching. OGA materials are practical, available and adaptable for teachers to learn together to transform their practice incrementally and continually within small, job-alike teams. The authors illustrate OGA with Making Meaning (https://edtechbooks.org/making_meaning), which offers information on equitable teaching through graphically illustrated scenarios and guides teachers to plan lessons together, observe each other, debrief and analyze implementation and reflect on and revise lessons based on peer observation and student learning goals.FindingsTeachers using Making Meaning recommend ways to enhance its adaptability and practicality, e.g. by providing repositories of lesson ideas for and by teachers, using classroom videos in addition to illustrated scenarios and emphasizing teacher dispositions underlying equitable teaching practices.Originality/valueOGA provides a promising way for educators, designers and researchers to work arm-in-arm to transform schooling for teachers and students. Further research is needed to identify structural conditions requisite for OGA use and how OGA materials can optimize teacher collaboration to enact meaningful and effective opportunities for minoritized students to participate and learn in classrooms.

Revolutionized learning: Education policy and digital reform in the eurozone

AbstractEducation reform has emerged as the main policy priority during the global pandemic. Given the effect of education on individual well‐being and macrolevel socioeconomic growth, countries have undertaken a variety of policy measures to offset the negative ramifications of the health outbreak on learning processes. This article examines policy conditions that shape disparities in education policy and learning outcomes across eurozone countries. It argues that sustaining robust education systems in the postpandemic era calls for policy initiatives that strengthen digital literacy and ensure equitable learning opportunities for all student demographics. Examining pre‐existing education policy and digital literacy, I argue that strengthening partnerships among education stakeholders and making efficient use of resources effectively sets eurozone countries on a path to education recovery. Policy measures that advance the digitalization of learning infrastructures have the capacity to increase human capital and narrow postpandemic socioeconomic disparities among eurozone countries.

Support for All? Confronting Racism and Patriarchy to Promote Equitable Learning Opportunities through Undergraduate Calculus Instruction

Support for All? Confronting Racism and Patriarchy to Promote Equitable Learning Opportunities through Undergraduate Calculus Instruction

The Importance of the Promotion of Evidence-Based Practice as a Reasonable Adjustment in Mainstream Education Settings for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect a person’s ability to manage the complexities of varied social and environmental situations. This is particularly evident in the dynamic context of a school classroom. To assist students with ASD to navigate the complexities of Australian primary and secondary mainstream classrooms, educators are required to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support learning; that is, to make changes that are practicable and achievable in order for students to access learning on the same basis as their peers. We present an argument that the ‘reasonable adjustments’ made by schools to ensure that students with ASD have equitable learning opportunities should meet a criterion of acceptability where the adjustment is evidence based. The paper also offers a summary of evidence-based pedagogical strategies that have been effective for students with ASD and concludes with a discussion offering evidence-based practices as a solution to meeting legislative requirements for students with disability.

Examining the perspectives of adult working learners and key stakeholders using critical race theory

PurposeThis article reports on a critical race theory (CRT) analysis of the perspectives of providers of employer-supported educational opportunities and adult learners, who identified as Black, indigenous or as a person of color, and were employed in service industries.Design/methodology/approachA review of the literature was used to shape an initial interview protocol. Data were collected from working learners in retail, hospitality, restaurants and healthcare industries. An “a priori” coding scheme that drew from CRT was applied to transcripts during analysis.FindingsAnalysis revealed that working learners' skills, experiential knowledge, learning mindset, language flexibility and knowledge gained from previous learning experiences were not consistently acknowledged by employers. CRT analysis illustrated that endemic racism exists within educational opportunities and in workplace learning.Originality/valueCRT has not been widely used to examine adult education practice, especially for workforce development and employer-based education programs. This research expands the use of CRT in adult education and encourages critical conversations around equity in learning opportunities offered by employers. CRT informed data analysis uncovered barriers to equitable learning opportunities and workplace learning. A discussion of inequities in work-based learning illustrates there is insufficient awareness of implicit bias, which points to the need for initiatives focused on social justice.

Establishing Fine Arts Festivals as Equitable Learning Opportunities for High Ability Visual Artists

This article describes how leaders in a university-based educational fine arts collaborative worked to create an equitable learning opportunity for secondary-aged high ability visual artists from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in gifted education. It discusses how issues of inequity and representation in gifted education can be partially addressed by incorporating visual arts-based elements to existing music festivals.

Elementary Teachers’ Verbal Support of Engineering Integration in an Interdisciplinary Project

Despite emphasis on authentic science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM+CS) projects in classrooms, research continues to demonstrate opportunity gaps in learning STEM+CS for students with disabilities. This study investigates how teachers verbally support students in two differently tracked classrooms to engage in engineering lessons that integrate science and computer science. Specifically, this study explores how the same elementary teachers both implicitly and explicitly support students across two classroom contexts, one class section with a larger proportion of students who were tracked into accelerated mathematics and another class section with a larger proportion of students with individualized educational plans (IEPs). Transcripts of whole-class discussion were analyzed for interdisciplinary instructional moves in which teachers verbally supported the integration of disciplines to help students to engage in interdisciplinary activities. Findings reveal that all of the interdisciplinary instructional moves were implicit for the class section with a large proportion of students in advanced mathematics while most were explicit for the class section with students with IEPs, and that most of the interdisciplinary instructional moves were added by the teachers rather than planned in the curriculum materials. Most commonly, teachers added interdisciplinary instructional moves between computer science and engineering. Implications of this study include recommendations for support that teachers need to engage in the important, but challenging, work of integrating science and computer science practices through engineering lessons within elementary science classrooms. This study adds to a growing understanding of equitable learning opportunities in interdisciplinary learning through engineering for elementary students.

Gracious space: developing community, taking risks, and expanding socio-emotional awareness in the classroom

ABSTRACT In this paper, I examine an implementation of gracious space and its influence on student learning. Gracious space is a facilitation model for group meaning-making that promotes vulnerability and connectedness, “a spirit and a setting where we invite the ‘stranger’ and embrace ‘learning in public’”. The course in which gracious space was implemented was an undergraduate writing-intensive sociology seminar on arts-based research methods offered through the university’s honours college. Drawing from students’ reflections at the end of the semester, I examine how the students’ impressions of gracious space speak to community development, vulnerability, taking learning risks, and socio-emotional awareness. The final discussion bridges the analysis to critical conversations about the importance of creating learning environments that increase dialogue and connection among diverse bodies, promote community-building, inclusion, and equitable learning opportunities.