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The purpose of this study is to examine the significance of incorporating diverse lived experiences and identities through culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in promoting sustainability, cultural diversity and the integration of various perspectives and worldviews rooted in identity and lived experience in sustainability education at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC).

A case study approach using Geneva Gay’s (2002) CRP framework was used to investigate the role of CRP in sustainability education at CCAC. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from eight interviews and 67 survey respondents, who participated in a larger exploratory study focusing on education-related sustainable development goals objectives in technical and vocational education and trainings.

The findings indicate that implementing CRP in sustainability education fosters a culturally diverse learning environment, leading to enhanced cultural competence, critical thinking, global citizenship and academic achievement. Best practices and potential benefits of integrating diverse lived experiences and identities using CRP are also identified.

The small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings. To address this limitation, future studies could use larger and more diverse samples to confirm the findings of this study. Additionally, the study was conducted at a single institution, which may limit the transferability of the findings to other institutions. Future studies could replicate this study at different institutions to determine the generalizability of the findings. Another limitation is the reliance on self-reported data, which may be subject to social desirability bias. To address this limitation, future studies could use a mixed-methods approach that includes both qualitative and quantitative data sources.

This study highlights the need for community colleges to prioritize diverse faculty and staff recruitment, provide CRP and diversity training and establish partnerships with community organizations. By implementing these recommendations, institutions can enhance sustainability education, promote cultural competence and foster critical thinking among students, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

The integration of diverse lived experiences and identities using CRP in sustainability education can lead to a more culturally diverse and socially inclusive society. By fostering cultural competence, global citizenship and critical thinking in students, community colleges can empower them to address global challenges and contribute to achieving a sustainable and equitable future for all.

This paper contributes to the understanding of the role of CRP in promoting sustainability and cultural diversity in CCAC and education. It highlights the significance of including diverse perspectives and worldviews rooted in identity and lived experience in sustainability education, offering practical recommendations for integrating CRP in educational institutions.

This study aims to examine factors that impact participation of diverse university students in an academic sustainability certificate and Office of Sustainability internships at the University of Georgia, recognizing the need for diverse voices and perspectives in addressing sustainability challenges and the current lack of diverse representation in the field.

A convenience sample of 77 student organizations and 35 departments, schools and colleges associated with the university was identified. The questionnaire was created using the Qualtrics online survey platform and distributed via email to potential participants. A total of 234 completed responses were collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated to determine the demographic composition of the sample. One-way ANOVAs were performed to examine the relationship between respondent demographics and perceptions of sustainability and participation in campus sustainability programs. Post hoc tests were conducted using Fisher’s least significant difference procedure.

Significant relationships were observed between perceptions of sustainability and race and current gender. A significant relationship was observed between race and participation in campus sustainability programs. Overall, students from diverse backgrounds believe that sustainability efforts contribute to racial justice and equity. Additionally, students from diverse backgrounds do want to participate in campus sustainability programs; however, there may be barriers preventing their participation.

This study examines how students from diverse backgrounds perceive sustainability efforts, as well as their interest in participating in campus sustainability programs. The results of this study can be used to inform recruitment and program development strategies for sustainability programs at higher education institutions. At the time of publication, no study could be located that examines the current study outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to explore how multicultural curriculum and instruction in a teacher-credentialing program prepared pre-service teachers to work with diverse students.

The research method used was a qualitative approach. The research design was a descriptive single embedded case study to interview pre-service teachers who were in their second semester in a teacher-credentialing program at a university on the west coast and pre-service teachers who were in their final semester in the same teacher-credentialing program. Pre-service teachers discussed their disappointment in the program for their lack of training in how to work with culturally diverse students.

The findings from the study will add to the body of knowledge specific to teacher-credentialing programs, curriculum developers and universal design for learning on K-12 education.

As schools become more diverse, an important role of teacher-credentialing courses is to train future teachers with the knowledge to assist culturally diverse students. If teachers were multicultural teachers, they would be better prepared to instruct culturally diverse students and could acknowledge sociocultural resources and information that students bring to the classroom.

The study is essential because training teachers to instruct culturally diverse students is critical as student demographics become more diverse.

This paper aims to examine the attractiveness of Library and Information Science (LIS) professions and programs to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals.

Between September and December 2014, current students and alumni from 57 North American LIS programs were surveyed regarding their learning experiences and perceptions of the state of diversity in LIS.

The findings point to deep, emotive reflections on diversity in LIS. Noting the general societal turn toward values-based, integral diversity, this paper proposes looking beyond the quantitative measures and paying attention to the volume of negative emotion surrounding the diversity debate in our field. Making both philosophical and practical arguments, a three-tiered approach is advocated, which can contribute to nurturing the climate of diversity: outreach and promotion; recruitment and retention; and interpersonal and intercultural dialog that will not only sustain diversity but also transform diverse environments into healthy and vibrant places with transparent communication channels.

This paper departs from the focus on increasing diversity and emphasizes sustaining diversity in both academia and workplaces. The improvement of interpersonal relationships, human understanding and interpersonal communication is seen as a way to systemic change.

This study aims to design and measure the effects of the culturally inclusive science teaching (CIST) model on 30 teacher candidates to teach science to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students.

The CIST model for culturally inclusive science lessons included six sessions: inquiring, questioning, interacting (online with international students who were at the beginning level of English proficiency), interacting (face-to-face with international internship students who were at the middle level of English proficiency), interacting (face-to-face with international students on campus who were at the advanced level of English proficiency) and developing lessons.

The pre- and post-self-efficacy tests, the culturally inclusive lessons and the final essay reflection resulted in an increase in teacher candidates’ confidence in teaching science to culturally diverse students and improvement in their skills to create culturally inclusive lessons.

Through the model, the teacher candidates interracted with international students with various levels of English proficiency and developed lessons for culturally diverse students. The CIST model is a prospective teaching strategy for teachers to support CLD students’ achievement in science by providing meaningful science in the context of their personal lived experiences.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the leadership role(s) of vice-principals in diverse, multi-ethnic schools and communities and understand the supervision and mentoring support they require to help them become more effective leaders within them. The research questions guiding this study were: what forms of mentoring do vice-principals, who serve in diverse schools in rapidly changing communities, require? Who is in the best position to provide mentoring for them?

The author used a qualitative case study methodology. Data that were analyzed for this paper were drawn from surveys, semi-structured interviews, one focus group interview and school and community documents from three data sets within two case studies in Canada. The first data set was part of the author’s doctoral research program in a diverse school in Alberta; the other case study was part of a larger collective case study that the author is currently involved with and leading in New Brunswick. Several vice-principals were part of both studies. The author then constructed a survey questionnaire specifically focused on mentoring vice-principals in diverse schools. Vice-principals in both provinces, who were part of the two studies, were invited to respond to the follow-up survey. Using a constant comparative analytical approach, the author coded and analyzed the data from all three sets together. The author formed several categories and ultimately collapsed the categories into five distinct themes that illustrated and confirmed the social realities of the vice-principals in their schools and communities.

Five key findings emerged from the analysis of the data sets. They were building leadership capacity, fostering positive relationships, increasing global awareness, reducing stress and anxiety and becoming a diversity champion and peace-builder.

To this researcher’s knowledge, this paper contributes to a significant gap in the literature on vice-principals who serve in diverse schools and communities.

This in-depth case study examined the mentor's role in mediating a culturally diverse community of student teachers-as-learners in the context of practice teaching in university teacher education in Israel. Specifically, it explored how the mentor's response to cultural aspects of learning to teach shaped the group's learning environment.

Data collection included 23 video-recorded meetings of the learning community and semi-structured interviews with all four participants.

Findings proposed six actions of the mentor that aimed at promoting an empathetic and supportive learning environment that encouraged collaborative talk around culturally diverse issues that surfaced during practice teaching. Implications for teacher education programs are presented and discussed.

The study offers a practical framework of tools (or mentor actions) that can help mentors to promote social interactions in culturally diverse mentoring conversational settings.

The study identified six actions that can serve as tools in mediating sensitive discourse to issues of diversity in communities of culturally diverse learners.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the findings from focus group interviews conducted with librarians and library staff, faculty and students. It highlights the significance of implementing inclusive teaching and culturally responsive strategies in instructional settings and interactions with library patrons and seeks to emphasize the importance of developing guidelines, best practices and effective strategies.

Using focus groups, this study interviewed librarians and library staff, faculty and students. This research approach identified, reviewed and assessed existing programs and practices in instruction and library interactions.

The findings from this paper indicate that while faculty and librarians are making individual efforts to promote inclusivity in teaching and interacting with patrons, many participants expressed the necessity for institutional-level training, guidelines and good practices on how to achieve and implement culturally responsive and inclusive teaching strategies.

The methodology utilized in this study can be adapted by other libraries or institutions aiming to explore the practice of inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching within their own context. The insights from the study inform the development of strategies that librarians, faculty and staff can employ to integrate inclusive and culturally responsive teaching into their instruction and services for the wider academic community.

The purpose of this study was to find out if colleges of education in Botswana were preparing teachers to meet the diverse needs of prospective students in primary schools, and what were the teachers’ attitudes toward teaching such students.

This study used questionnaire and interview methods to collect information from the students of a college of education in Botswana, who were undertaking teaching practices in various primary schools at the time of their study.

The findings of this study show that the pre-service teachers were aware of multiculturalism in schools, but were not prepared by their colleges of education to teach culturally diverse students.

The implication is that colleges of education should design programs that adequately prepare teachers to better meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students in formal education to achieve true democracy in education.

This study is essential in Botswana because multiculturalism seems to be lacking in the Botswana education system. Mokgosi and Jotia (2013) are concerned that the Botswana curricular lacks diversity in approach and is geared toward addressing the needs of the mainstream in Botswana society. In the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few (if any) studies that explores pre-service teachers’ preparedness for teaching multicultural students.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse similarities and differences in perceptions of learning among students from diverse cultural backgrounds, using the responses of 2,200 undergraduate students surveyed at an Australian University.

A survey questionnaire is designed to elicit perceptions about the impact of prior learning, competence in language and communication, quality of student‐staff relations and cultural interactions, on student learning. It draws from disciplines including cognitive psychology, social sciences, higher education and economics. The questionnaire is implemented to approximately 2,200 undergraduate students at one of the Australia's largest and most diverse universities. The results are analysed through quantitative techniques.

There are statistically significant differences between the experiences and learning perceptions of students born in Australia, Asian countries and elsewhere. Differences emerge in prior learning and preparation before entry into university, self‐confidence and the ability to participate in classroom discussions, interacting with peers, and engaging with teaching staff from similar and different language backgrounds.

The quantitative approach to exploring the student experience provides data across a broad spectrum of issues but does not probe into causal factors. A mixed method approach provides such information.

Students from diverse backgrounds need to be provided with appropriate institutional and academic support to acculturate to their new learning and language environments.

The paper provides valuable insights into the learning experiences of students from diverse backgrounds, an increasingly important area as the number of students seeking higher education across boarders and cultures continues to rise.