Equity Practice Research Articles

Bringing Theory Into Action: Justice‐Oriented Practices for the Classroom

ABSTRACTLike other postsecondary educators, community college faculty face challenges from conservative politicians seeking to eliminate equity perspectives in college teaching and educational stakeholders who overapply the label of equity, rendering it devoid of meaning. Through a content analysis of literacy class‐focused equity practices from recent works we ground recommended practices in the larger body of community college and university literacy scholarship. In so doing, we seek to amplify practitioner‐scholar expertise and present four stages of an equity‐to‐justice praxis; awakening, making informed policy and practice changes, enacting culturally sustaining and responsive pedagogy. We offer concrete strategies for action and ultimately to reconceptualize the work of community colleges as liberation.

Research on Equity in Early Childhood Education in Western China: A Case Study of Sichuan Province

Abstract: This article investigates the issue of equity in early childhood education in Western China through interviews with ten kindergarten principals from the region. The study reveals several factors impacting educational fairness, including a vague understanding of the concept of educational equity, a lack of equitable practices in education, and the inability to ensure equal educational opportunities. Furthermore, the region faces a severe shortage of early childhood educational resources, instability within the teaching staff, difficulty in maintaining educational quality, and a lack of communication and cooperation among kindergartens. These issues contribute significantly to the imbalance of educational opportunities, severely affecting the normal development of children and the overall quality of preschool education. To address these challenges, the article recommends enhancing policy support to improve resource allocation and optimization, increasing professional training and compensation for teachers to strengthen the practice of equity in education, and raising societal awareness about the importance of educational equity. These measures are crucial for promoting equitable and high-quality education for every child in Western China, ensuring that all children have access to equal and quality educational opportunities.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEM Academic Librarianship: Perspectives and Practices in Canada

This research explores the perspectives and practices of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Canadian Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) academic librarianship. Research data were collected from Canadian STEM librarians through an online survey and one-on-one interviews. Findings indicate that the majority of participants' libraries and institutions have integrated EDI into their strategic plans, policies, or guidelines. These STEM librarians shared their perspectives, experiences, opportunities, and challenges in achieving their EDI goals. Besides providing examples of practices, the research sheds light on potential improvements to encourage STEM academic librarians to effectively integrate EDI into their professional practices. Establishing a supportive organizational culture for EDI is identified as a crucial motivational factor.

A survey of obstetrical anesthesia health equity practices at academic centers in the United States (US)

BackgroundLimited research has explored obstetrical anesthesiologists' perceptions of healthcare disparities associated with labor and delivery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception of obstetrical anesthesia related healthcare disparities, drivers of disparities, and potential solutions. MethodsAn online survey was emailed to division leads at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited obstetrical anesthesiology programs in the United States. The survey included a mixture of yes/no, select all that apply, and free-text questions. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize variable distribution. Free text responses were categorized into themes by selective coding. Results149 surveys were delivered, 74 surveys were conducted (50 %), and 57 were completed entirely (38 %). Fifty-seven percent of participants reported perceived presence of obstetrical/obstetrical anesthesia related healthcare disparities. Most participants reported that they consider a patient's cultural preferences during clinical management, collect race/ethnicity data, implement specific practices to address disparities, and analyze outcome data by social determinants of health. The majority of participants reported using additional relevant practice features, including translator services, quality improvement practices, provider rounds, standardized protocols, and cultural competency or diversity training. Thematic analysis of free text responses into drivers of disparities mapped to 6 themes: language barriers, racism or bias, socioeconomics or social determinants of health, access or quality of care, patient-provider interactions or cultural sensitivity, and individual patient factors. ConclusionMost academic obstetrical anesthesia center division leads reported perceived presence of obstetric anesthesia related health care disparities. Efforts should be made to devise targeted solutions to this multifaceted, pervasive problem.

Influence of Gender Disparity Practices on Students’ Academic Performance in Physics in Public Secondary School of Rwanda: A Case of Nyanza District

This research investigated the influence of gender disparity practices on the performance of students in physics in a public secondary school in Rwanda. The study examined the gender disparity practices that influence student academic performance in physics in public secondary schools in Rwanda, assess student academic performance in physics in public secondary schools in Rwanda, and determine the relationship between gender disparity practices and student academic performance in physics in public secondary schools in Rwanda. The target population of this research was 7,924, from which a sample size of 381 respondents were chosen as the participants of the study, including students from public secondary schools, teachers, head teachers, and sector educational officers of 6 sectors of Nyanza District. The participants were sampled using a purposive sampling technique, while teachers and students were selected using simple random sampling. The participants were sampled using a purposive sampling technique, while teachers and students were selected using simple random sampling. The study adopted a survey research design that used questionnaires as instruments of data collection and key informant interviews as guides. Data were presented and analysed into tables and graphs using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages, and mean) and using SPSS version 21.0. The study found that gender disparities influence students' academic performance in Physics in public secondary schools in Rwanda. For the first objective, 95.1% of students agreed or strongly agreed that improved assessment scores in Physics reflect their academic performance. For the second objective, 86.5% of students believed that equal access to resources and support is available for all genders, showing positive perceptions of gender equity in resources. However, 48.4% felt that societal gender stereotypes affect their motivation and confidence in Physics. A correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship (r = 0.732) between gender equity practices and student academic performance, indicating that reducing gender disparities can improve performance outcomes in Physics. Based on findings recommendations were given to the Ministry of Education to promote gender equality in Physics by ensuring equal resources, providing teacher training, and challenging stereotypes. Policy makers and MIGEPROF should support female students through reforms, scholarships, and advocacy. Schools and teachers must foster inclusive environments with equitable resources and gender-sensitive teaching strategies.

Equity in practice: Lessons from a cohort-based model for community voice and input in data linkage and use

Objective and ApproachCross-sector data sharing and linkage can transform information about individuals into actionable intelligence to build stronger, healthier, and more just communities. Yet, the use of cross-sector data can also reinforce legacies of racist policies and produce inequitable resource allocation, access, and outcomes. To avoid this, we must embed data equity practices throughout the data life cycle and provide mechanisms for community voice and input. However, few integrated data systems are doing this well. To combat this challenge, AISP designed a 30-month technical assistance program–the Equity in Practice Learning Community (EiPLC)--to collaboratively develop guidance and models for centering racial equity in data integration. This session provides an overview of our EiPLC Scope & Sequence, a curriculum we designed to guide this work. Currently, 10 jurisdictions in the U.S. are receiving coaching around this curriculum and shifting their data integration practices to advance equity. ResultsTo date, progress has been nonlinear, with positive results. Work in action across the cohorts includes changes to cross-agency data governance, collaborative research agendas, legal agreements, staffing, and community participation practices including. ConclusionsWhile these efforts are nascent, progress is evident and site team members indicate growth as individuals and as site teams. Key features of success include a focus on building relationships, establishing working norms, grappling with racialized histories, and interrogating the role of structural racism and systems of power. ImplicationsThe EiPLC provides a successful model for supporting sites to embed data equity principles throughout the data life cycle.

Addressing the Health Impacts of Racism on Children and Youth: Equity Until Equality

Race is a sociopolitical construct based on physical characteristics, not a biological construct. Racism is a system that ascribes value and resources based on the sociopolitical construct called “race.” In the United States and other countries around the world, racism is associated with disparate health outcomes and shortened life expectancies. Health equity employs health-related systems (eg, health care providers, insurance companies, hospitals, research, pharmaceutical companies) across multiple sectors (eg, housing, education, business, government) to allocate resources and services to correct and promote political and social determinants associated with health and wellness. Applying health equity practices and policies ensures that each child, youth, and adult receives comprehensive, evidence-informed, culturally relevant, and needs-based services to achieve optimum health. This article provides an overview of the impact of racism embedded in systems and policies that challenge optimal health for children and youth and offers evidence-supported paths forward to advance health and wellness in the United States. Until each child and adolescent enjoys optimal and equal health outcomes, health equity practices and social justice are mandatory.

Impact of peer review type and editor gender on women authorships in mathematics

Abstract Aiming to explain and help reduce measured gender gaps in mathematics publications—a discipline where single anonymized peer review practices and men editors are still the norm—we study changes in authorships straddling a 2015 switch in peer review type and editor gender in the American Mathematical Monthly, one of the oldest mathematics journals in the United States. Our results show a significant increase in women authorships after the journal’s switch to a woman editor and double anonymized reviews, an increase deemed exceptional relative to growth trends in comparable journals operating under field standards (men editors along with single anonymized reviews). We leverage literature, data-based observations and our own findings to argue for the likely effects of editor gender and peer review type separately and together as it concerns both women and newcomer authorships. Our study, the first to our knowledge on editorial and peer review changes in mathematics, contributes to a small body of literature on the impact of equity practices in peer review in science and mathematics. It also serves to introduce work, methods, and open problems on measuring and reducing the global gender gap in science and mathematics.

Prevalence of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus by Race and Ethnicity in Illinois, 2018 to 2020.

Use administrative discharge data from 2018 to 2020 to determine if there are differences in the prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by race and ethnicity in Illinois. This retrospective cross-sectional study used administrative discharge records from all patients who had live births in Illinois over a 3-year period; 2018, 2019, 2020. Multivariate analyses were performed to control for covariates and determine if associations vary by race and ethnicity for HDP and GDM. A total of 287,250 discharge records were included. Multivariate analyses showed that after adjusting for covariates, non-Hispanic Black women had 1.60 increased odds of HDP compared to non-Hispanic White women (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.55-1.65). Hispanic women (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.40-1.50), Asian/Pacific Islander women (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.97-2.17), and American Indian/Alaska Native women (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17-1.74) had an increased odds of GDM compared to non-Hispanic White women. Women of color were at increased odds for HDP and GDM in Illinois. To eliminate poor maternal outcomes in women of color at risk for HDP and GDM, more culturally congruent health equity practices, policies, and comprehensive care interventions must be adopted.

Mathematics teaching and teacher education against marginalisation, or towards equity, diversity and inclusion

The interrogation of often unintended practices of marginalisation has gained focus in research on mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education throughout the last decades. In this introductory survey paper, work against marginalisation in these contexts of mathematics education is viewed in terms of work towards equity, diversity and inclusion. Based on this interpretation, we present a framework on awareness and practice of equity, diversity and inclusion in mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education research. We then use this framework and a survey method of mapping review to identify and comment on a selection of studies. As a result, we illustrate three research moves towards equity, diversity and inclusion, in the form of interconnected themes: (1) Widening the understanding of the mathematics and the mathematics education curricula (2) Improving the practice and discussion of mathematics teaching (3) Unpacking ideologies in mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education. We finally examine the themes and the special issue papers together to foreground commonalities regarding awareness of discriminatory discourses and practices of creating and distributing opportunities for all groups, including those historically and currently marginalised. Despite the important increase of equity-driven principles of awareness, we conclude that mathematics education research on teaching and on teacher education needs more examples of practices whose development has been proved to challenge marginalisation.

Assessing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Best Practices for Test Item Writing at a Physician Assistant Program: A Retrospective Analysis

Introduction Outcomes for specific racial and ethnic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread protests demanding racial justice in 2020 renewed a focus on health equity practices and bias in medical education. Routine inclusion of sociodemographic identifiers such as sex/gender, age, race, and/or ethnicity in test items risks perpetuation of implicit bias and race-based practices in medical education. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of test items in a pathophysiology course series at an academic medical center in the Western United States. Sociodemographic identifiers in multiple choice test items were reviewed to determine clinical relevance. Results Of 795 test items, 475 referred to sociodemographic information (gender, race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation) and in only 27.5% of questions, this inclusion was clinically relevant (131/475). Discussion Current evidence suggests that routine inclusion of sociodemographic information in test items infrequently supports the clinical diagnosis and perpetuates implicit bias and race-based practices in medical education. Thoughtful inclusion of sociodemographic information in assessment offers an opportunity to address sociostructural determinants of health.

Undergraduate Learning Assistants’ Understanding and Practices of Equity

Undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) are near-peer instructors that facilitate learning by engaging in student-centered, active pedagogies, and often engage in more direct contact with students than faculty. Despite their important role in STEM classes, little is known about how ULAs understand and practice equity. Instructors’ understanding of ‘equity’ directly impacts their teaching practices. Instructors with ‘equality’ based conceptions of equity that prioritize fairness and treating each student the same are more likely to adopt didactic, instructor-centered teaching practices that have been shown to less effective than other approaches, with disproportionate impacts on students from minoritized backgrounds. Further, in making sense of racial disparities in their classes or disciplines, STEM faculty often draw on color-evasive narratives that explain racial phenomena without explicitly naming race or racism as a cause of oppression and these beliefs are associated with a reduced ability to notice racist events in the classroom and with the adoption of harmful equality-based approached to teaching and mentoring. STEM faculty are not alone in drawing on color-evasive narratives. Undergraduates also hold these beliefs, and those that do are less likely to recognize microaggressions or to find them problematic. Thus, we ask (a) How do STEM ULAs at a Mid-Western primarily white institution conceptualize equity in their role as educators? (b) How do ULAs conceptions of equity influence their self-reported teaching practices? We hypothesized that a majority of LAs will draw on color-evasive ideologies, and those that do will be less likely to notice racist events in classes, more likely to perpetuate inaccurate descriptions of their classes as neutral and objective and more likely to endorse teacher-centered practices. Drawing on frameworks of color-evasive racism, Haynes’ White Racial Consciousness and Faculty Behavior model and the four approaches to equity proposed by NASEM, we qualitatively coded the data from surveys and interviews to assess LAs’ understanding and practices of equity. We find that LAs engage with color-evasive in several ways: They explain racist classroom events without naming race or racism, ascribe to equality-based understandings and practices of equity or inclusion-based understandings and practices that focus on individuals’ characteristics and needs while ignoring historical, sociopolitical and systemic causes of inequities. By delving deeply into how STEM ULAs perceive and implement equity, our work informs future interventions and training programs to enhance equitable teaching practices in STEM education. This work is supported by a Creating Inclusive Excellent Grant from Michigan State University. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Transnational Black feminism: L.O.V.E. as a practice of freedom, equity, and justice in English language teaching

AbstractThis article contributes to the TESOL paradigm by highlighting ways in which bodies of Black feminist thought, transnational feminism, and transnational Black feminism endeavors antiracist practices and support students via English language teaching (ELT). The author utilizes the Transnational Black feminist (TBF) framework—intersectionality, scholar activism, solidarity building, and attention to borders and boundaries—to guide the article. The author provides definitions forracial equityandracial justiceand explains what these terms mean in practice when adopting the TBF lens in the English language classroom. The article shows how racial equity and racial justice can be effectively incorporated with a method of L.O.V.E. (Lifting others, Offering support, Valuing others, and Evolving self) that embodies the work of TBF.

Nice for What? The Contradictions and Tensions of an Urban District’s Racial Equity Transformation

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training has exploded over the last decade. While many districts invest considerable resources in developing their leaders’ knowledge and skills on equity issues, “niceness” can perpetuate whiteness and present formidable obstacles to meaningful progress. Investigating a large urban-emergent district as a case study, we examine the efforts to eliminate the racial barriers perpetuated by its leaders and explore the contradictions that arise after a year of professional learning geared towards antiracist district transformation. We employ a theory of racialized organizations, seeking to understand how whiteness as niceness impeded school leaders’ efforts to engage in antiracist change work. The study provides valuable implications for policy, practice, and future research in education and equity.

Equal Employment Opportunity in Supply Chains

An equal employment opportunity (EEO) policy is an essential practice of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Using a novel measure of workplace EEO based on the textual analysis of online job postings, we show a lead–lag pattern of EEO practice between principal customers and their dependent suppliers. The leadlag effect is more pronounced when principal customers enjoy greater bargaining power, consistent with the view that dependent suppliers adjust EEO policies to cater to customer preferences. We use the 2017 Diversity Campaign of the “Big Three” institutional investors as our main identification strategy to support a causal interpretation. We demonstrate that the diffusion of EEO policies along supply chains improves the likelihood of retaining female employees, implying the presence of social benefits in addition to economic advantages.

Relations between School and Immigrant Families in Albertan Francophone School: Perspectives of Settlement Workers in Schools – A Secondary Publication

In recent years, Francophone schools in Alberta, a province in western Canada, have seen significant ethnocultural diversification of their school population, thus reflecting recent migratory changes in Canada. The school population of a Francophone school board located in an agglomeration of Alberta reflects these new migratory trends. A partial ethno-demographic portrait carried out in 2003 in six of its schools indicates that 50% of the pupils come from an immigrant background and come from 23 different countries; mostly from sub-Saharan African countries. This demographic reality, confirmed more than a decade later, represents a major structural change for Francophone schools. In Alberta, as in other Canadian provinces, inclusion is at the heart of discourse and educational practices. With a transformative aim, it intends to promote ethnocultural diversity in the classroom and equal opportunities through school equity practices. This article focuses on the Settlement workers in schools responsible for bridging family, community, and school cultures. The analysis of the interviews of the four workers sheds light on and questions both the institutional practices and the personal strategies put in place to face the challenges encountered in this tripartite collaboration.

The Commitment to Promoting a Culture of Equity in Quebec Secondary Schools: Insights from School Stakeholders — A Secondary Publication

This paper presents the results of a research project on the intercultural climate in schools and the academic success of immigrant students in Quebec. The intercultural climate in eight secondary public schools is documented from the standpoint of various school and community stakeholders, students, and parents. More specifically, the paper focuses on the commitment to promoting cultural equity, which is identified through interviews with the targeted stakeholders on exclusionary practices and processes and the practices implemented to counter them. The results identify five areas of vulnerability among certain minoritized groups of students: the transition from welcoming to regular classes for those students learning French, evaluation and support for those experiencing learning or behavioral difficulties, the referral of these students to adult education programs or work-oriented training programs, their participation in extracurricular activities, and their access to special school projects. Nonetheless, some schools do report the introduction of many equity practices in response to the exclusionary ones. However, these initiatives are mostly occasional and voluntary and pertain to interactions between individuals. These findings call for a discussion on the importance of systemic and concerted initiatives towards achieving equity.

Relations Between School and Immigrant Families in Albertan Francophone School: Perspectives of Settlement Workers in Schools — A Secondary Publication

In recent years, Francophone schools in Alberta, a province in western Canada, have seen significant ethnocultural diversification of their school population, thus reflecting recent migratory changes in Canada. The population of a Francophone school board located in an agglomeration of Alberta reflects these new migratory trends. A partial ethnodemographic portrait carried out in 2003 in six of its schools indicates that 50% of the pupils come from an immigrant background and come from 23 different countries; mostly from sub-Saharan African countries. This demographic reality, confirmed more than a decade later, represents a major structural change for Francophone schools. In Alberta, as in other Canadian provinces, inclusion is at the heart of discourse and educational practices. With a transformative aim, it intends to promote ethnocultural diversity in the classroom and equal opportunities through school equity practices. This article focuses on the settlement workers in schools responsible for bridging family, community, and school cultures. The analysis of the interviews of the four workers sheds light on and questions both the institutional practices and the personal strategies put in place to face the challenges encountered in this tripartite collaboration.

Women’s educational leadership experiences: career advancement in the Lubombo region of Eswatini

Women's progress in leadership roles within the field of education has made limited headway despite the efforts of government institutions and progressive policies aimed at addressing diversity and equity practices. This study seeks to investigate the experiences of women in leadership within the Department of Education in Lubombo Region of Eswatini. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study employs an interpretive paradigm and a phenomenological design to delve into the lived experiences of female leaders and their interpretation of these experiences. Twelve female principals from 12 high schools were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Semi-structured interviews, conducted with audio recordings, were used to guide the data generation process. The collected data were systematically transcribed, coded, and analysed thematically. Feminist theory serves as the foundation of this study, guiding the retrospective storytelling process aimed at understanding the experiences of women in leadership. Despite the implementation of regulations and other initiatives, gender equality in Eswatini has not progressed significantly. The findings of this study reveal that deeply ingrained traditional beliefs, rooted in the customs and values of local communities, continue to strongly influence promotion decisions within the educational system. The resistance observed reflects a deeply entrenched belief that female principals have limited opportunities for upward mobility in leadership due to the societal stigma or "injustice prejudice" that permeates government institutions. This study recommends that government entities and other stakeholders embark on new leadership training programs that prioritise progressive ethos, values, and culture within the education industry.

Physicians in Private Equity Practices—Canaries in a Coal Mine?

Physicians in Private Equity Practices—Canaries in a Coal Mine?