Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Global Era: Using the Genres of Multicultural Literature

This study focused on preservice teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching using multicultural literature. They learned about diversity issues, multicultural literature, and culturally responsive teaching, worked on a multicultural literature project, developed hands-on literacy lessons, and taught them to elementary school students. Results showed that preservice teachers increased their awareness of culturally responsive teaching, professional knowledge about multicultural literature and culturally responsive teaching, and skills to teach diverse students and practice culturally responsive teaching.     

The Evolution of the University in Europe and in the United States

The author takes a broad look at the history and the developing functions of higher education, specifically universities, in the West in order to estimate the degree to which the historical link between teaching and research will continue to characterize universities. She is persuaded that the pressures arising from massification, on the one hand, and the increasing volume of applied research, on the other hand, will lead to increased separation of the teaching and research functions, even in the historically research‐oriented universities.     

Factors that prevent children from gaining access to schooling: A study of Delhi slum households

This paper examines the factors that prevent slum children aged 5–14 from gaining access to schooling in light of the worsening urban poverty and sizable increase in rural-to-urban migration. Bias against social disadvantage in terms of gender and caste is not clearly manifested in schooling, while migrated children are less likely to attend school. I argue that the lack of preparation for schooling in the pre-schooling ages and school admission procedures are the main obstacles for migrated children. The most important implication for universal elementary education in urban India is raising parental awareness and simplifying the admission procedures.     

Impact of school readiness program interventions on children's learning in Cambodia

To reduce the high repetition rates in early years of primary school, the government of Cambodia piloted a school readiness program (SRP) in the first two months of Grade 1 of primary school. This study examines whether such intervention has effects on students’ immediate acquisition of school readiness skills as well as students’ longer term achievement of formal curriculum. The study finds that children who participated in SRP outperform children that did not participate in both outcomes, controlling for pretest score and background variables. The findings suggest that the intervention may be one alternative model to preschools in countries where access to pre-primary education is limited.     

Establishing Mental Health Services for the Japanese Community in the United Kingdom

Some ethnic minority groups in the U.K. have worked on mental health issues within their communities, but there has been little research of how the Japanese community regards these issues. However, it has been shown recently that there are Japanese people in the U.K. who are suffering from living in another culture, and the need to establish systems and facilities to deal with mental health issues for the Japanese community has been identified. It is important to explore how we can develop the services in a culturally appropriate way. In the U.K., counselling and psychotherapy are largely based on Western psychology and cross-cultural issues focus mainly on Black/White relationships, and some issues are not applicable to Japanese clients. This article explains the current stream of cross-cultural issues in the U.K. and some aspects of Japanese culture. It goes on to summarise research results and address the need for professional services, highlighting possible obstacles and problems, as well as the areas where more work is required.