This chapter examines preservice teachers’ (PTs) responses and dispositions about critical litera... more This chapter examines preservice teachers’ (PTs) responses and dispositions about critical literacy in two rural, traditionally homogeneous universities. The purpose of the study is to find out how PTs, in these two teacher education programs, respond to diversity and equity education to address race and social justice. I used Bourdieu’s (1986) concept of the field to understand participant PTs’ epistemology. New and groundbreaking findings of this study are the following: There exists a different demographic and epistemological divide in traditional rural teacher education programs. In the rural field where predominantly white demographic makeup exists, it was challenging to implement critical practices working with preservice teachers who take Eurocentric epistemological stances and continue their old ways when the world is highly globalized.
The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2011
English learners (ELs) from Confucian heritage culture (CHC) are often perceived to be reserved a... more English learners (ELs) from Confucian heritage culture (CHC) are often perceived to be reserved and conforming to the authority of the classroom. But a careful look at struggles between a CHC student and the mainstream teacher reveals that the teacher's views and pedagogical approaches shape academic and social hierarchy in the classroom. Implications regarding working with Asian- and CHC-background learners are included.
It is common for teachers in all districts across the United States to give homework to their stu... more It is common for teachers in all districts across the United States to give homework to their students. Given the rising numbers of children from nondominant backgrounds1 in American schools, a question that merits consideration is how children from nondominant backgrounds—particularly in large urban centers—are impacted by teachers' homework practices. In this study we explored why teachers in one large U.S. urban center assign homework, the kinds of homework teachers assign, and teachers' beliefs about the impact of this homework on their students' success at school. We collected surveys from 133 elementary school teachers (grades K through middle school) and interviewed a subgroup of 27 teachers from the larger group. Results revealed that although most teachers engaged in homework practices that were similar to those identified in current research (e.g., giving students skills based practice in math and spelling, in particular), most of the teachers in our study did ...
The story presented here developed from a study group where we found space to explore and analyze... more The story presented here developed from a study group where we found space to explore and analyze ourselves and each other. In recounting our development from a Community of Interest to a Community of Practice (CoP), we first introduce a guiding theoretical framework building on a foundation of two concepts: CoP and transracialized selves. We then present a series of alternating methods and findings, reflecting our development through two phases. We recount the formation of our group and the decision to develop individual narratives; the findings from these methods are presented as six narratives recounting individual wrestlings with our racialized selves. We then describe our methods for analyzing these narratives as a group and conclude with the findings from that communal analysis. We close with implications for others who might find a similar process valuable.
This study describes preservice teachers’ (PTs) dispositions toward diversity education in a remo... more This study describes preservice teachers’ (PTs) dispositions toward diversity education in a remote small town university. The purpose of the study is to find out whether PTs in an undergraduate elementary literacy methods class in this locale are willing to accept and adopt multicultural children’s and youth literature as pedagogical tools and materials in their future classrooms to address race and social justice topics. I used epistemology (i.e., the knowledge system, Scheurich and Young in Edu Res 26(4):4–16, 1997), interest convergence (Bell in Harv Law Rev 93(3):518–533, 1980), and field (i.e., setting, Bourdieu 1986) to analyze the qualitative data from this context. The findings highlight significant issues for teacher educators concerning development of critical consciousness among preservice teachers in small remote regions. Implications for social justice concerns and pedagogical recommendations are included for teacher educators to consider including social justice literature in their literacy methods classes.
Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal
Purpose The purpose of this conceptual paper is to encourage community college leaders to make gr... more Purpose The purpose of this conceptual paper is to encourage community college leaders to make greater use of the human resources organizational frame in understanding their organizations and implementing measures to support its students. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach: Concepts are drawn from key texts examining human resources organizational frame analysis and community college leadership to locate areas of community college policy development and operations that resonate with tenets of this organizational frame. Findings Connections between some of the typical operations and policies of community colleges and the analytical tenets and concerns of the human resources frame are explored. Research limitations/implications More in-depth literature analysis could well lead to the discussion of additional measures animated by the human resources frame that can be taken to better support students and their learning. Practical implications These connections betwe...
All students, irrespective of their differences, both natural and socially constructed should exp... more All students, irrespective of their differences, both natural and socially constructed should experience and achieve educational success. This is especially true in the United States because the goal of education is to equip learners with knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential for "publicness," that is, learning "what it means to be a public and to start down the road toward common national and civil identity" (Goodlad, Mantle-Bromley, & Goodlad, 2004, p. 35). Unfortunately, attaining educational success has historically eluded many students, learners of color in particular, because their lived experiences and cultures are rarely represented in curricula (Apple, 2004). When education fails to reflect the experiences and contributions of everyone, the excluded groups are likely to refuse to participate (Giroux, 2001; Kohl, 1994; Sleeter & Grant, 2009). Such refusal could lead to poor academic performance. Therefore, Brown (2017) and Williams (2011) reported that perhaps because of learner refusal to participate in exclusive education, students of color have consistently performed dismally on almost every measure of educational achievement. But what is most concerning is the fact that in spite of the proposed solutions by multiple studies, there has been little progress in solving the problem. This conundrum requires the development of other remedies. Therefore, we (researchers) designed this study to identify alternate solutions based on students' lived experiences and perspectives. Specifically, we were interested in investigating the conditions and contexts such as pedagogy, learning environments, resources, opportunities, and challenges (Nieto & Bode, 2012) that the participants experienced. Previous studies concluded that, in general, learners of color in the United States experience unfavorable learning conditions and contexts. For example, Kumar and Lauermann (2018) and Kumar and Hamer (2013) found a positive correlation between teacher attitude toward culturally diverse learners and their motivation to implement learning that meets the needs of all learners. As a result, educators who hold limited worldview, and have negative attitude toward cultural diversity, are less likely to implement culturally inclusive education, thus limiting the academic success for many learners of color (Darling-Hammond, 2010). A culturally exclusive education is problematic because it does not examine, disrupt, and redress unjust learning conditions and contexts that learners of color contend with on a regular basis (
Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 2010
Using status characteristics theory, this study examined a sixth-grade Korean student’s experienc... more Using status characteristics theory, this study examined a sixth-grade Korean student’s experiences associated with English literacy learning while attending a predominantly European-American school in the United States. Of particular interest was the interaction between race, culture, and learning in a classroom where the mainstream teachers, students, and the English language learner experienced poor communication and unequal social relationships when addressing academic and literacy tasks. The study’s findings suggest that the teacher’s perceptions of and inexperience with culturally and racially different students contributed to the classroom social dynamics, thereby influencing the English language learner’s class interactions and participation in literacy activities. This study provides critical insight for educators regarding the importance of social acceptance and equal status in a teaching and learning relationship in the mainstream classroom with English language learners.
This chapter examines preservice teachers’ (PTs) responses and dispositions about critical litera... more This chapter examines preservice teachers’ (PTs) responses and dispositions about critical literacy in two rural, traditionally homogeneous universities. The purpose of the study is to find out how PTs, in these two teacher education programs, respond to diversity and equity education to address race and social justice. I used Bourdieu’s (1986) concept of the field to understand participant PTs’ epistemology. New and groundbreaking findings of this study are the following: There exists a different demographic and epistemological divide in traditional rural teacher education programs. In the rural field where predominantly white demographic makeup exists, it was challenging to implement critical practices working with preservice teachers who take Eurocentric epistemological stances and continue their old ways when the world is highly globalized.
The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2011
English learners (ELs) from Confucian heritage culture (CHC) are often perceived to be reserved a... more English learners (ELs) from Confucian heritage culture (CHC) are often perceived to be reserved and conforming to the authority of the classroom. But a careful look at struggles between a CHC student and the mainstream teacher reveals that the teacher's views and pedagogical approaches shape academic and social hierarchy in the classroom. Implications regarding working with Asian- and CHC-background learners are included.
It is common for teachers in all districts across the United States to give homework to their stu... more It is common for teachers in all districts across the United States to give homework to their students. Given the rising numbers of children from nondominant backgrounds1 in American schools, a question that merits consideration is how children from nondominant backgrounds—particularly in large urban centers—are impacted by teachers' homework practices. In this study we explored why teachers in one large U.S. urban center assign homework, the kinds of homework teachers assign, and teachers' beliefs about the impact of this homework on their students' success at school. We collected surveys from 133 elementary school teachers (grades K through middle school) and interviewed a subgroup of 27 teachers from the larger group. Results revealed that although most teachers engaged in homework practices that were similar to those identified in current research (e.g., giving students skills based practice in math and spelling, in particular), most of the teachers in our study did ...
The story presented here developed from a study group where we found space to explore and analyze... more The story presented here developed from a study group where we found space to explore and analyze ourselves and each other. In recounting our development from a Community of Interest to a Community of Practice (CoP), we first introduce a guiding theoretical framework building on a foundation of two concepts: CoP and transracialized selves. We then present a series of alternating methods and findings, reflecting our development through two phases. We recount the formation of our group and the decision to develop individual narratives; the findings from these methods are presented as six narratives recounting individual wrestlings with our racialized selves. We then describe our methods for analyzing these narratives as a group and conclude with the findings from that communal analysis. We close with implications for others who might find a similar process valuable.
This study describes preservice teachers’ (PTs) dispositions toward diversity education in a remo... more This study describes preservice teachers’ (PTs) dispositions toward diversity education in a remote small town university. The purpose of the study is to find out whether PTs in an undergraduate elementary literacy methods class in this locale are willing to accept and adopt multicultural children’s and youth literature as pedagogical tools and materials in their future classrooms to address race and social justice topics. I used epistemology (i.e., the knowledge system, Scheurich and Young in Edu Res 26(4):4–16, 1997), interest convergence (Bell in Harv Law Rev 93(3):518–533, 1980), and field (i.e., setting, Bourdieu 1986) to analyze the qualitative data from this context. The findings highlight significant issues for teacher educators concerning development of critical consciousness among preservice teachers in small remote regions. Implications for social justice concerns and pedagogical recommendations are included for teacher educators to consider including social justice literature in their literacy methods classes.
Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal
Purpose The purpose of this conceptual paper is to encourage community college leaders to make gr... more Purpose The purpose of this conceptual paper is to encourage community college leaders to make greater use of the human resources organizational frame in understanding their organizations and implementing measures to support its students. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach: Concepts are drawn from key texts examining human resources organizational frame analysis and community college leadership to locate areas of community college policy development and operations that resonate with tenets of this organizational frame. Findings Connections between some of the typical operations and policies of community colleges and the analytical tenets and concerns of the human resources frame are explored. Research limitations/implications More in-depth literature analysis could well lead to the discussion of additional measures animated by the human resources frame that can be taken to better support students and their learning. Practical implications These connections betwe...
All students, irrespective of their differences, both natural and socially constructed should exp... more All students, irrespective of their differences, both natural and socially constructed should experience and achieve educational success. This is especially true in the United States because the goal of education is to equip learners with knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential for "publicness," that is, learning "what it means to be a public and to start down the road toward common national and civil identity" (Goodlad, Mantle-Bromley, & Goodlad, 2004, p. 35). Unfortunately, attaining educational success has historically eluded many students, learners of color in particular, because their lived experiences and cultures are rarely represented in curricula (Apple, 2004). When education fails to reflect the experiences and contributions of everyone, the excluded groups are likely to refuse to participate (Giroux, 2001; Kohl, 1994; Sleeter & Grant, 2009). Such refusal could lead to poor academic performance. Therefore, Brown (2017) and Williams (2011) reported that perhaps because of learner refusal to participate in exclusive education, students of color have consistently performed dismally on almost every measure of educational achievement. But what is most concerning is the fact that in spite of the proposed solutions by multiple studies, there has been little progress in solving the problem. This conundrum requires the development of other remedies. Therefore, we (researchers) designed this study to identify alternate solutions based on students' lived experiences and perspectives. Specifically, we were interested in investigating the conditions and contexts such as pedagogy, learning environments, resources, opportunities, and challenges (Nieto & Bode, 2012) that the participants experienced. Previous studies concluded that, in general, learners of color in the United States experience unfavorable learning conditions and contexts. For example, Kumar and Lauermann (2018) and Kumar and Hamer (2013) found a positive correlation between teacher attitude toward culturally diverse learners and their motivation to implement learning that meets the needs of all learners. As a result, educators who hold limited worldview, and have negative attitude toward cultural diversity, are less likely to implement culturally inclusive education, thus limiting the academic success for many learners of color (Darling-Hammond, 2010). A culturally exclusive education is problematic because it does not examine, disrupt, and redress unjust learning conditions and contexts that learners of color contend with on a regular basis (
Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 2010
Using status characteristics theory, this study examined a sixth-grade Korean student’s experienc... more Using status characteristics theory, this study examined a sixth-grade Korean student’s experiences associated with English literacy learning while attending a predominantly European-American school in the United States. Of particular interest was the interaction between race, culture, and learning in a classroom where the mainstream teachers, students, and the English language learner experienced poor communication and unequal social relationships when addressing academic and literacy tasks. The study’s findings suggest that the teacher’s perceptions of and inexperience with culturally and racially different students contributed to the classroom social dynamics, thereby influencing the English language learner’s class interactions and participation in literacy activities. This study provides critical insight for educators regarding the importance of social acceptance and equal status in a teaching and learning relationship in the mainstream classroom with English language learners.
Uploads
Papers by Keonghee Han