Equity In Schools Research Articles

A taxonomy of (mathematics) educational opportunity

Mathematics education research and policy makers lament differences in outcomes related to race and class, treating so called “failures” as obstacles to be eliminated, rather than the outcomes for which it is designed. That is, mathematics education serves an important economic function in society: social selection and economic stratification. Following literature that foregrounds the economic dimension of schools, this analysis offers an examination of how inequalities are created and reinforced through a taxonomy of mathematics educational opportunity. More specifically, it addresses two questions: 1) What are the opportunities that contribute to the creation and reinforcement of social inequality in rural schooling? and 2) In what ways are those opportunities hoarded or leveraged to accomplish stratification? Through an ethnography of a rural, public elementary school in the United States, five opportunities emerged: learning, credentialing, positioning, relating, and networking. The paper offers a conceptualization of each of the types grounded in mathematics education literature and describes how those opportunities were distributed. I suggest that mathematics education’s focus on learning opportunities, while important, fails to account for other dimensions of equity in schools. These other, often invisible, opportunities and the mechanisms by which they are distributed are likely a source of significant inequity.

Working toward transformation: educational leaders' use of continuous improvement to advance equity

IntroductionThis comparative case study explores how educational leaders in three networked improvement communities (NICs) situated in the same school district use a continuous improvement (CI) approach, improvement science, to address equity-focused problems of practice. The district that is the focus of this study represents a critical case for understanding educational leaders' use of CI approaches as a lever for equity-focused school reform because the system and state in which it was situated had made ongoing investments in both advancing equity in schools and using various CI approaches.MethodsData collection and analysis focused on interviews with four district leaders and eight school leaders, observations of ~24 h of NIC meetings and planning meetings, and document collection. I draw on sensemaking theory to understand the factors that supported and/or constrained educational leaders' use of CI to advance equity, including more dominant and transformative equity work.ResultsAll educational leaders in the study described and were observed attending to equity as they engaged in CI. The district's sustained investments in equity-focused reform, the use of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, data use, and NIC facilitation each acted as important factors that shaped this process.DiscussionAdvancing equity is long term work that involves addressing deeply rooted beliefs, changing policies and practices, and redesigning systems. Study findings suggest that districts may be more successful in leveraging CI to advance equity when they combine this action-oriented approach with a sustained focus on disrupting oppressive mindsets, values, and beliefs that can hinder transformational change.

A Strategic Framework for ICT Integration in Namibian Secondary Schools: Insights from Windhoek

This study explores the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in secondary education within Namibia, focusing on the challenges and opportunities associated with its implementation. Through a comprehensive framework, the research identifies ten strategic approaches to effectively incorporate ICT into teaching and learning processes. Key findings reveal that successful ICT integration necessitates a multifaceted strategy involving collaboration among educators, administrators, and government stakeholders. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing digital literacy, equitable access to resources, and ongoing technical support, particularly for students in rural and disadvantaged areas. Additionally, the framework highlights the need for curriculum reform, professional development for teachers, and a supportive environment that fosters pedagogical innovation. By aligning educational practices with digital tools, Namibia can enhance student engagement and prepare its youth for the demands of the modern workforce. Future research directions include examining the impact of ICT across various subject areas to inform targeted educational policies. Overall, the study underscores the transformative potential of ICT integration in improving educational outcomes and equity in Namibia's secondary schools.

A systematic review of complex instruction in the United States

ABSTRACT Complex Instruction (CI) is a set of principles and practices for designing and facilitating equitable groupwork. Originally developed to advance racial equity in United States primary schools, CI is now used to support students of many ages across many disciplines. We report on a systematic review of CI-focused research in the U.S. up to the year 2021, with a focus on which major components of the CI pedagogical approach (i.e. groupworthy tasks, multiple ability treatments, assignments of competence, group roles, group norms) remain widely recognised and which may have been adapted, attenuated, or abandoned during its implementation. Out of 117 peer-reviewed articles from the U.S., our findings show few research articles attend to all five major components of CI. The one component most prevalent was a groupworthy/complex task (n = 91), the least mentioned was multiple abilities treatment (n = 36), and only 12 articles discussed every major component of CI. The least discussed components of CI were those that attended to status interventions – the issue that initially motivated the development of CI. While the literature indicates the effective implementation of several aspects of CI, the review also suggests implications for future research and teacher education that attend to CI’s theoretical foundations.

The Quest for Educational Equity in Schools in Mainland China & Hong Kong

Abstract In this essay, I introduce how and why minority groups and educational equity are understood and approached differently in Mainland China and Hong Kong. I describe how in the past few decades, China and Hong Kong have reformed their education systems to increase educational equity and I summarize the progress achieved. I also discuss the cultural, political, and social issues and challenges that contribute to the complexity surrounding educational equity in China and Hong Kong, elaborate on how educational equity remains a tricky issue in schools, and how different factors intersect to affect students' access to educational goods. Finally, I argue that schools in China and Hong Kong should continue both to reform their education systems to enhance the academic achievement and social development of marginalized students and to put more effort into empowering teachers and students to recognize and address the long-standing systemic and institutional obstacles.

Educational Equity in Schools in India: Perils & Possibilities

Abstract India is one of the most diverse nation-states in the world. After gaining independence from Britain in 1947, it adopted a constitution that was based on pluralism, secularism, and egalitarianism. This constitutional vision guided the national education policies until very recently. The current moment in all areas of public policy is being defined by the ruling party's agenda of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism. In education, the hallmarks of this move have been a rewriting of history to glorify a mythohistoric version of the Hindu past and a call to engage with ancient Indian knowledge systems and traditions. Unfortunately, Hindu nationalism is creating growing rifts between the majority Hindu population and other groups, including Muslims, Christians, and Dalits (formerly known as “untouchables” or “outcastes”). The aim of this essay is to understand what is happening in Indian education and to consider ways to return to an engagement with the constitutional principles of pluralism, secularism, and egalitarianism.

The Quest for Educational Equity in Schools in South Africa

Abstract The quest for educational equity in South Africa takes its impetus from the country's transition to democracy in 1994. The country faced the challenge of overcoming deep systemic inequality-both racial and class-based-caused by three hundred fifty years of colonialism and apartheid. The African National Congress undertook a process to equalize the educational system and expand opportunities for students. Significant progress has been made in addressing issues of race, class, and gender in the thirty years since 1994, but a combination of factors has both reproduced and amplified old inequalities and disparities, particularly those of space and race, and introduced intense new socioeconomic inequalities overlain with challenging cultural and linguistic markers, such as the dominance of English and the loss of indigenous language capacity. Two elements have been pivotal: stubborn legacy effects of apartheid such as poverty in a context of a weakening economy; and complex and contradictory arrangements made at the transition in 1994 that have left privilege, predominantly but no longer only white, largely intact. The COVID-19 pandemic sharpened these inequalities.

The Quest for Educational Equity in Schools in Multicultural Australia

Abstract Australia's migration history has produced one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the world, but this has presented challenges for educational equity. The introduction of multiculturalism in the 1970s coincided with an increasing focus on structural inequities in education. In this essay, we examine the context of changing educational policies and programs over the last half century, arguing that there has not been a steady process of reform involving measures redressing various inequalities but a period of policy turbulence. We consider the impact of the competing logics of multiculturalism-incorporation, recognition, civility-upon educational policy and practice to argue that, together with the consequences of neoliberal reforms, the equitable delivery of multiculturalism in schools has proved challenging. We conclude that multicultural education must refocus on the critical capacities that teachers and students alike need to understand the cultural complexities of a globalized world.

Review of Public School Equity: Educational Leadership for Justice

Review of Public School Equity: Educational Leadership for Justice

Expatriate Teachers’ Experiences with Organizational Factors in International Schools: A Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to examine the personal and professional experiences of expatriate international teachers at international schools to develop a deeper, more heuristic understanding of the international teaching experience, particularly how the experiences might affect their decision to remain at a school past their initial contract period. International teachers are more likely to renew contracts when there is a reciprocity of trust and respect between faculty and administration, authentic appreciation, strong community and access to quality professional development. Participants value strong, student-centered leadership and philosophical approaches rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion. More research surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in international schools is required, specifically surrounding administrators and the lack of diversity within international school leadership.

Beyond School Climate: Conceptualizing the School as a Protective Factor Approach.

The school climate concept has been promising, but has long-standing critiques that have not been adequately addressed to date. The School as a Protective Factor approach represents one attempt to offer a new approach that builds on and extends beyond the concept of school climate while addressing previously identified limitations. The School as a Protective Factor approach offers a new framework for conceptualizing, measuring, and establishing protective school social and learning environments that co-promote academic achievement and student health in schools, especially student mental health and substance use/abuse prevention. This new framework includes clear definitions, explicit goals, firmly established constructs, validated measures, and an intentionally parsimonious approach that prioritizes the implementation of well-established, high-impact constructs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: The School as a Protective Factor approach presents a simple, easy-to-use means of ensuring a school social environment that meets the developmental, academic, and health needs of all children and adolescents while maximizing protection across a range of desired outcomes. Perhaps most importantly, it does so in a manner that is manageable and easily integrated into every aspect of schooling, resonates with the practical experience of school personnel, and includes brief, effective, and free measurement tools.

Considerations for improving racial equity in schools: Applying a cultural historical framework

ABSTRACT Educational agencies with inequities in special education or exclusionary discipline are required to review local policies, practices, and procedures as potential drivers of disproportionality. Indeed, disparities manifest in both locally and through broad, historical narratives; solutions must thus address both local context and histories of power and privilege. However — despite racial and ethnic disparities defining inequities, school-wide approaches enacted for addressing drivers (e.g. multi-tiered systems of support) rarely center culturally sustaining, anti-racist, and anti-ableist lenses that consider the sociohistorical contexts of an educational space. Further, there is little practical guidance regarding how to implement these frameworks through such a lens, leaving school stakeholders with scant guidance for understanding and addressing inequities via school-level, institutional practices. We outline practical implementation ideas that practitioners might use when selecting school-wide programs meant to shift inequitable systems and provide meaningful access to learning for all students.

Not a match: Why women are not choosing pain medicine.

Despite a long history of disparities in medicine, women have made significant progress toward gender equity in medical schools, training programs, and many fields in recent years. However, pain medicine has remained behind most specialties in female recruitment and representation. We reviewed the latest demographic data on practicing physicians, trainees, and applicants with the aim of analyzing gender trends and identifying potential factors contributing to the shortage of women in our specialty. Based on data from the past 10 years, the percentages of women among pain physicians, fellows, and applicants have remained stagnant, in contrast to the increases seen not only in the general medical workforce but also in other interventional specialties. Given these trends, it is likely that persistent gender disparities and biases play a role in preventing women from pursuing careers in pain, and unlikely that the current trajectory will change unless we take steps to address these and other relevant factors.

Teachers’ Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of Technology in Primary School Classrooms in Bangladesh

The study aimed to investigate primary school teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding technology use in the classroom in five selected districts of Bangladesh. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with primary school teachers, local education officers, and PTI and URC instructors. Incorporating the theoretical lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study examined the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) of ICT among teachers. Findings indicated that while teachers recognize the high usefulness of ICT in educational settings, they report lower ease-of-use, often attributable to factors like inadequate training, infrastructure and limited resources. Technology-based teaching and learning activities could enhance the quality of education and promote equity and inclusiveness in primary schools. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced ICT practice in government primary schools, leading to the adoption of mobile-based teaching-learning practices. The study recommends targeted interventions emphasizing comprehensive teacher training, infrastructural enhancements, and motivational strategies are crucial to bridge the policy-practice gap regarding ICT. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, 49 (2),109-124

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.

Understanding boys' underrepresentation in private and enriched programmes during the transition to secondary school.

In the past decades, there has been a growing concern to understand why boys struggle in school. One of the turning points in students' educational trajectories likely to exacerbate boys' academic difficulties is students' enrolment in private or enriched school programmes, as boys are underrepresented in such programmes. To better understand this gender imbalance, our research draws on a longitudinal design to examine whether grade 6 students' externalizing behaviours, school engagement and school grades in mathematics and language arts relate to secondary school programme attendance, among a sample size of 577 students (277 boys). Path analysis showed that only language arts grades predicted enrolment in private or selective public programmes and contributed to boys' underrepresentation in these programmes. Such findings have important implications for understanding boys' underachievement and low persistence in school as well as to guide interventions to promote gender and overall educational equity in school.

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.

Development of a Tool to Measure Student Perceptions of Equity and Inclusion in Medical Schools

Creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment is a national priority. Nevertheless, data reflecting medical students' perception of the climate of equity and inclusion are limited. To develop and validate an instrument to measure students' perceptions of the climate of equity and inclusion in medical school using data collected annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The Promoting Diversity, Group Inclusion, and Equity tool was developed in 3 stages. A Delphi panel of 9 members identified survey items from preexisting AAMC data sources. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed on student responses to AAMC surveys to construct the tool, which underwent rigorous psychometric validation. Participants were undergraduate medical students at Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited medical schools in the US who completed the 2015 to 2019 AAMC Year 2 Questionnaire (Y2Q), the administrations of 2016 to 2020 AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ), or both. Data were analyzed from August 2020 to November 2023. Student race and ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Development and psychometric validation of the tool, including construct validity, internal consistency, and criterion validity. Delphi panel members identified 146 survey items from the Y2Q and GQ reflecting students' perception of the climate of equity and inclusion, and responses to these survey items were obtained from 54 906 students for the Y2Q cohort (median [IQR] age, 24 [23-26] years; 29 208 [52.75%] were female, 11 389 [20.57%] were Asian, 4089 [7.39%] were multiracial, and 33 373 [60.28%] were White) and 61 998 for the GQ cohort (median [IQR] age, 27 [26-28] years; 30 793 [49.67%] were female, 13 049 [21.05%] were Asian, 4136 [6.67%] were multiracial, and 38 215 [61.64%] were White). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of student responses identified 8 factors for the Y2Q model (faculty role modeling; student empowerment; student fellowship; cultural humility; faculty support for students; fostering a collaborative and safe environment; discrimination: race, ethnicity, and gender; and discrimination: sexual orientation) and 5 factors for the GQ model (faculty role modeling; student empowerment; faculty support for students; discrimination: race, ethnicity, and gender; and discrimination: sexual orientation). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit (root mean square error of approximation of 0.05 [Y2Q] and 0.06 [GQ] and comparative fit indices of 0.95 [Y2Q] and 0.94 [GQ]). Cronbach α for individual factors demonstrated internal consistency ranging from 0.69 to 0.92 (Y2Q) and 0.76 to 0.95 (GQ). This study found that the new tool is a reliable and psychometrically valid measure of medical students' perceptions of equity and inclusion in the learning environment.

A Qualitative Study on Dubai’s Inclusive Education Policy from School Leaders’ Perspectives

Inclusive education recognizes the diverse needs of students and ensures that each student has equal opportunities to learn and succeed. The Dubai government has implemented an inclusive education policy aimed at promoting equity and inclusivity in schools. This study aimed to investigate school leaders’ understanding, implementation, and perspectives of the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework (DIEPF). To gather data, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with ten school leaders from private schools located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The findings show that school leaders have a strong understanding of the policy and deem it significant. This study also found evidence of effective strategies implemented by school leaders to promote inclusive education. However, challenges in the UAE resonate with those worldwide, such as inadequate funding, high student–teacher ratios, a shortage of specialized staff, and limited training opportunities for teachers. These findings emphasize the significance of ongoing professional development and training of educators involved in inclusive education. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are provided.

Empowering Teachers: Multicultural Social and Emotional Learning (MSEL) Among Arab Minority Teachers

Teachers are the professionals at the forefront in the implementation of the educational enterprise, yet it is widely known that despite being surrounded by learners, they are oftentimes isolated and lonely individuals. The plight of teachers, particularly ones who are minorities, is critical to the success of schooling. To address this problem, schools have been seeking to pay closer attention to the holistic characteristics of schooling in general and how to ameliorate teacher conditions in particular. In recent years, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened concern for the overall well-being of teachers, for enhancing their ability to cope with stress, depression, and loneliness, and for empowering resilience. In this sense, social and emotional learning (SEL) can serve as a main component in addressing these issues. SEL of teachers plays a central role in their daily practices and functioning. This study was devised and aimed at investigating the role of SEL as it impinges on teachers using a quantitative research study. The major hypothesis of this research involving SEL is that cultural empathy is the key linking mediator between both social competence and emotional stability of teachers and their self-efficacy for learning. To verify these interactions, questionnaires were distributed and completed by 415 teachers from the Arab Muslim sector, a minority population in Israel potentially vulnerable to the above-mentioned alienating effects of teaching. Our results did show a significant interaction between social competence and cultural empathy on self-efficacy for learning. Additionally, our results also detected a significant interaction between emotional stability and cultural empathy on self-efficacy for learning. This research supports the proof of concept that the potential of SEL to foster increased achievement and equity in multicultural schools may be fulfilled provided that there is a greater effort to integrate the ideals of SEL into school practices. Finally, we discuss the importance of promoting emotional stability, social competence, and cultural empathy in schools by fostering social inclusion.