Education and colonial language policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

In Latin America governmental responses to the language issue have ranged from suppression of non-European languages to active promotion of at least a limited bilingualism. The thesis of this article is that the inconsistencies are primarily a function of economic and social struggles among contending national elites with the common goal of compelling subordinate groups to adapt to the behaviors and expectations of the elite groups. Not until the nineteenth century witnessed a shift to capital-intensive modes of production did the schools become a major locus for implementation of governmental policy. Then the schools were called upon in a direct and massive way to augment traditional forms of social control.

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Zusammenfassung In Latein-Amerika reichte die Reaktion der Regierungen auf sprachliche Probleme von der Unterdrückung nicht-europäischer Sprachen bis zur aktiven Förderung wenigstens einer begrenzten Zweisprachigkeit. Dieser Artikel vertritt den Standpunkt, die Gegensätze seien hauptsächlich bedingt durch wirtschaftliche und soziale Kämpfe zwischen wetteifernden nationalen Führungsschichten, die alle das gleiche Ziel verfolgen, untergeordnete Gruppen zu zwingen, die Verhaltensweisen und Erwartungen der Führungsgruppen zu übernehmen. Erst als sich das 19. Jahrhundert allmählich auf kapital-intensive Produktionsweisen umstellte, wurden die Schulen in höherem Masse Zuchtstätten der Regierungspolitik. Danach wurden sie unmittelbar und massiv aufgerufen, traditionelle Formen der Gesellschaftskontrolle zu verstärken.

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Résumé En Amérique Latine les réponses gouvernementales à la question du langage sont passées d'une suppression des langages non-européens à leur promotion active, ou du moins à un certain bilingualisme. La thèse de cet article est que ces inconséquences sont avant tout fonction des luttes économiques et sociales entre les élites nationales en présence dont le but commun est de contraindre les groupes subordonnés à s'adapter à leurs manières d'être et à leurs expectations. Ce n'est qu'après que le dixneuvième siècle ait été le témoin d'un glissement vers des méthodes de production à haute teneur en capitaux que les écoles sont devenues le locus principal de mise en oeuvre de la politique gouvernementale. On a eu, alors, recours aux écoles d'une façon directe et massive pour augmenter les formes traditionnelles de contrôle social.

     

Effective Early Literacy Skill Development for Young Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners: An Experimental Study of Two Methods

Ninety-four Spanish-speaking preschoolers ( M age = 54.51 months, SD  = 4.72; 43 girls) were randomly assigned to receive the High/Scope Curriculum (control n =  32) or the Literacy Express Preschool Curriculum in English-only ( n =  31) or initially in Spanish transitioning to English ( n =  31). Children's emergent literacy skills were assessed before and after the intervention in Spanish and English. Children in the English-only and transitional groups made significant gains in their emergent literacy skills in both Spanish and English compared to the control group, The English-only and transitional models were equally effective for English language outcomes, but for Spanish-language outcomes, only the transitional model was effective. The results suggest that a targeted early literacy intervention can improve Spanish-speaking preschoolers' preliteracy skills.     

Scientific Modeling for Inquiring Teachers Network (SMIT’N): The Influence on Elementary Teachers’ Views of Nature of Science, Inquiry, and Modeling

This paper summarizes the findings from a K-6 professional development program that emphasized scientific inquiry and nature of science within the theme of scientific modeling. During the 2-week summer workshop and follow up school year workshops, the instruction modeled a 5-E learning cycle approach. Pre and posttesting measured teachers’ views of nature of science, inquiry, and scientific modeling. Teachers improved their views of nature of science (NOS) and inquiry by including scientific modeling in their definitions of how scientists work, the empirical nature of science, and the role of observations and inferences in science. Their definitions of science expanded from a knowledge-based orientation to a process-based orientation. Teachers added the use of mathematical formulas to their views of scientific modeling. Using scientific modeling as the central theme was effective in providing positive influence on teachers’ views of inquiry and NOS.     

Pasifika students: teachers and parents voice their perceptions of what provides supports and barriers to Pasifika students' achievement in literacy and learning

The changing ethnic population of schools in New Zealand challenges our educators to respond proactively in reviewing how students from minority groups develop effective literacy and learning skills. Pasifika students' achievement levels in literacy, particularly reading and writing literacy, has been an area of national focus for the Ministry of Education, teachers, teacher educators and the Pasifika community. For many students from a minority ethnic group, the interpretation of texts from a different culture provides challenges for teachers that require mediation in the construction of meaning. Our previous research accordingly asked Years 5–9 Pasifika students in mainstream schools in the South Island of New Zealand to tell us what they saw as supports and barriers to their literacy learning. The study that is the subject of this present article built on that research by asking the teachers and parents of Pasifika students in a cluster of schools to state what they thought supported or hindered literacy learning for these youngsters. Our particular aim was to enhance identification and understanding of pedagogical practices and family/community factors which influence literacy learning outcomes for Pasifika students during the primary school years. The research found that Pasifika students' literacy learning, and overall learning, was more likely to be enhanced when Pasifika values, language identities and cultural knowledge were made an implicit part of teaching and learning practices.     

Hierarchical Models of Social Competence in Preschool Children: A Multisite,Multinational Study

The generality of a multilevel factorial model of social competence (SC) for preschool children was tested in a 5‐group, multinational sample (N = 1,540) using confirmatory factor analysis. The model fits the observed data well, and tests constraining paths for measured variables to their respective first‐order factors across samples also fit well. Equivalence of measurement models was found at sample and sex within‐sample levels but not for age within sample. In 2 groups, teachers’ ratings were examined as correlates of SC indicators. Composites of SC indicators were significantly associated with both positive and negative child attributes from the teachers’ ratings. The findings contribute to understanding of both methodological and substantive issues concerning SC in young children.     

Simultaneous Delivery of a Face-to-Face Course to On-Campus and Remote Off-Campus Students

The purpose of this case study was to determine the feasibility of delivering a course on-campus and in real time, simultaneously transmitting it to students who were remotely accessing the same course. In future years, it is anticipated that universities will have inadequate physical facilities to meet the demands of an increasing student population. Additionally, with warnings of impending pandemics, universities need to be prepared to deliver courses in alternative ways to ensure continuity of instruction. Thus, this pilot project was designed to deliver a course to a large section of students while also allowing off-campus students access to the course in real time. The planning and delivery of the course is described, including the technology used, the support provided by the university and technology support staff, the course that was used for the pilot project, and how students were selected to participate as the off-campus students. The perspectives of the instructor, teaching assistant, students (both on- and off-campus), and technology support personnel are summarized.     

Seeing one another as “other”

In this paper, the authors discuss two complementary life history research projects investigating prospective teachers' identities in relation to their race and social class. Drawing on the experiences of one student from each study, they show how both whites and students of color primarily thought about one another as “others”—people who fundamentally differed from one another and whom they understood through preconceived ideas about a group. The authors draw on a Bakhtinian notion of how a “surplus of sight” enables one to develop understandings of an “other” and also of oneself.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">See The Dance</Emphasis>: Piloting an Arts-Based Intervention in Higher Education

Every year in higher education institutions across the United States many college students from underrepresented minority groups experience prejudice, discrimination, and verbal harassment based on their race and/or ethnicity. Although underutilized as a preventative intervention strategy in higher education, studies show that the arts have enormous potential to reduce risk factors by facilitating anti-bias education in a nonthreatening way. As a proof of concept, this study discusses the social problem, provides a summary of an arts-based intervention design and development process, and reports the results of a pilot test.