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To describe the development of a rubric for identifying diversity in children’s literature to inform literature selection for classroom instruction. Drawing on research literature and data collection reporting the need for increased awareness of the use of diverse children’s literature in elementary and middle school classrooms, we designed and field-tested a rubric for use in identifying diversity in children’s literature. Using constant comparative methods to identify themes in the data, we continually refined the categories in a rubric designed to guide the selection of diverse children’s literature. Content analysis of children’s literature for diverse elements informed the development of the rubric categories. The results of this study produced a field-tested rubric that can be utilized by classroom teachers and researchers to guide their literature selections with the goal of representing increased diversity. Findings demonstrated that a rubric with four clearly defined categories was more user-friendly to classroom teachers, and that applying the rubric when discussing children’s literature led to conversation and collaboration among colleagues. This study demonstrated that the rubric can be applied to literature selections with classroom teachers and can be used to stimulate conversation about diversity in children’s literature as it applies to the classroom context. This chapter’s rubric provides a useful tool for classroom teachers. Teachers can use this tool to assist them in selecting diverse children’s literature for their classrooms. Administrators and literacy coaches can use this rubric as a way to stimulate conversation surrounding diverse children’s literature.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of classroom interdisciplinary diversity, a type of classroom diversity that has been under-examined by previous literature, on the formation of university students’ entrepreneurial intentions (EI).

Based on Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour and the interactionist model of creative behaviour by Woodman et al. (1993), this paper provides empirical evidence demonstrating that classroom interdisciplinary diversity is important in the formation of university students’ EI at early educational stages using a cross-sectional study design and survey data on first-year business school students and partial least squares analysis.

Classroom interdisciplinary diversity is important in the formation of university students’ EI through its positive impact on entrepreneurial perceived behavioural control (PBC) (self-efficacy), a key antecedent of EI.

The results have important implications for educational practice as well as for both public and private organisations willing to promote entrepreneurial activity, in particular, the positive effects of combining people with different profiles and career fields of interest on entrepreneurial PBC (self-efficacy).

This study contributes to the scant literature on early university experiences in entrepreneurship education and their influence on EI. It studies the impact of an under-examined dimension of diversity (classroom interdisciplinary diversity) on the formation of students’ EI.

Purpose – Our purpose in this chapter is to argue for a rethinking of the way we approach diversity in the classroom. We argue that the diversity of contemporary classrooms is a positive resource that can benefit all learners.Design/methodology/approach – We open our chapter with vignettes from both authors to help the reader understand our own experiences of working with diversity in classrooms. We then define diversity and outline why it is important. Finally we provide overviews of different theoretical perspectives on diversity which are helpful for positioning diversity in positive rather than deficit ways.Findings – We provide evidence from the literature from different theoretical perspectives on diversity in the classroom and show how they are helpful for thinking about literacy teaching and learning in contemporary classrooms.Research limitations/implications – We intentionally highlight approaches to working with diversity, which view diversity as a resource rather than a problem that needs to be fixed. These align with our personal experiences of working with diversity in the opening vignettes.Practical implications – In this chapter we provide classroom teachers with examples from our various research and personal experiences to illustrate how the diversity of classrooms can be empowering for students and teachers alike.Originality/value of chapter – Teachers and other educational stakeholders must acknowledge and embrace the diversity of our classrooms today. Viewing diversity as a resource for learning is potentially empowering and transformational for all students.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a study of identity development in the context of a preservice teacher education program that used a variety of approaches to support development of understanding of cultural diversity.

Fifty preservice teachers in a graduate program in elementary education participated in the study. Of the 50 participants, 47 were Caucasian, two were African American and one was originally from India, but was a US citizen. The analyses were qualitative. A phenomenological approach to data analysis was taken, viewing the drawings and written explanations created by the participants as independently occurring phenomenon (as compared with data that might be considered for grounded theory or constant comparison) (Hycner, 1985; Moustakas, 1994).

Overall, the low number of drawings and writings that included representations of cultural, linguistic, special needs and gender diversity suggests of a lack of understanding about the significant roles of these student characteristics in the lives of elementary teachers dedicated to meeting student needs. Given the strong focus on diversity education in this preservice teacher education program, this was an unexpected finding. One explanation is that preservice and beginning teachers are highly involved in identifying their own beliefs and values about teaching and exploring how their personal characteristics can be reconciled and applied in their specific teaching contexts.

It is imperative that teacher education programs effectively address diversity in the classroom for the population typically entering the teaching profession. While many programs spend considerable time and effort “teaching” multicultural concepts, few, if any, have asked students to look inward in the way we did on this study.

This chapter seeks to help and support online educators in their efforts to improve tomorrow. Specifically, the chapter shares practical strategies and tools that online educators can easily apply, adapt, and/or personalize in order to help promote a mindfully multicultural classroom in their online classrooms and programs. The chapter includes a wide range of actionable tools and exercises to help online instructors optimize the learning experience for all students by building upon the unique strengths and diverse cultural backgrounds of all students in their online classrooms. The strategies help instructors leverage diversity as a means to promote equity and social justice in online programs and, ultimately, the world as a whole. The chapter relies upon Gollnick and Chinn’s (2017) six beliefs that are fundamental to multicultural education and presents strategies from two perspectives or lenses (student-focused and faculty-focused). Approaching the issue from a dual-sided lens is intended to best support the ultimate goal of improving the student learning experience. Emphasis is placed on both public and private interactions between faculty and students. Public interactions include all discussion board and announcement communications. Public interactions also include resources that are shared in the online classroom for all students’ benefit.

This paper aims to discuss current issues and provide suggestions for solutions. Today’s classrooms across schools in the USA are increasingly diverse. This diversity encompasses students from a myriad of cultural and linguistic and backgrounds’ academic performance levels. Teacher training programs and schools are making efforts to enhance teacher knowledge in regards to this cultural and functional diversity. Problems continue to exist because it is challenging to clearly perceive the connections between the two and identify cultural basis for school performance.

This article provides suggestions for teachers to enhance their own understanding of how cultural and ethnic diversity affects student performance and improve classroom practice in inclusive settings.

The author argues there is a need for a systemic effort that encourages an ongoing debate over cultural and functional diversity, improves teacher knowledge in the area of best practices in teaching children from diverse cultural and functional backgrounds and fosters collaboration among schools and families.

This article is an original look at teacher training for cultural and functional classroom diversity in the USA.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a collaborative project and study implemented by two teacher educators in an elementary education program. To prepare teacher candidates for field experiences and practicum in a diverse (bilingual) urban school, the program uses coursework to impart asset-based pedagogies and practices.

In this mixed-method case study, this paper examined the awareness and perspectives of preservice teachers (n = 26) to cultural and linguistic diversity and relevant teaching and learning practices. In particular, this study gauged their engagement with multicultural children’s literature in a collaborative interclass activity. The data sources included beginning and end of semester survey responses, notes on participant interactions during the mid-semester collaborative interclass activity and participant retrospective reflections about the activity.

This paper found that teacher candidates showed increased awareness and positive shifts in perspectives. This study also ascertaind that, in learning to become culturally (and linguistically) responsive and sustaining teachers, they benefited from collaborative peer work that focused on learning about multicultural children’s literature, analyzing it and planning to integrate it into their classrooms.

Studies show that culturally relevant literature in schools is beneficial; however, teacher candidates often lack knowledge of such literature and how to use it. This need is especially critical and relevant when learning about and implementing culturally relevant and sustaining practices. The collaborative undertaking discussed in this study fills this gap through co-teaching and interclass activity that brings preservice teachers as a cohort to collaboratively learn about, discuss, reflect on and plan lessons as they prepare to work with students from different backgrounds than their own.

Purpose – This chapter argues that more opportunities for diversity-related content should be purposefully included in library and information science (LIS) graduate curricula.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with LIS graduates and current LIS graduate students. The data were analyzed for patterns and themes, and a narrative developed that expounds on the experiences and insights of practicing LIS professionals.

Findings – The data emphasize that more work needs to be done to incorporate, de-tokenize, and normalize meaningful conversations about diversity and social justice and incorporate them across LIS curricula. Reframing and re-centering the curriculum to foster critical, inclusive, and culturally competent professional engagement is greatly needed in LIS programs and in the profession at large.

Originality/Value – This chapter details and analyzes a set of original interviews in which both current and aspiring librarians discuss their experiences with diversity and social justice content in their graduate programs.

This paper investigated the possibilities of implementing inclusive education in the tertiary-level language classrooms and suggests new teaching methodologies adhering to the guidelines of multicultural education (MCE) framework. It explored how Indian teachers fostered social inclusivity in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) classrooms and documented the methods used by the language teachers to sustain a socially inclusive environment in the classroom.

This qualitative study undertaken with 17 faculty members using online interviews and surveys as tools revealed the challenges faced by the teachers.

The results have implications towards teacher training as there is a clear dearth of teacher strategies to foster an equitable and inclusive learning environment inside the classroom.

Classrooms are the sources of values and perspectives, and teachers are responsible for providing equal opportunities to students who are otherwise marginalised in society.

Inclusive education aims at providing equal opportunities to people despite the differences in terms of race, class, caste, region, religion, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and disabilities. India being a multilingual and multicultural country, inculcating values in students to enable them to reflect beyond these differences becomes important.

Diversity is an important concern at all levels of learning. This chapter discusses how acceptance of diversity and genuine inclusion of all learners does not happen easily; however, purposeful and collaborative experiences allowing various groups of students to interact with one another can be valuable. Personal impressions of the importance of diversity in classrooms are shared; in addition, a review of some related literature regarding the implications of cooperative experiences that engage students across cultures and languages is presented. Descriptions of two collaborative experiences in which pre-service teachers connected with refugees and International students are also shared. An especially important focus of this chapter is on how pre-service teachers benefit from multicultural experiences. Pre-service teachers were encouraged to consider biases and cultural differences while interacting with individuals from other countries, all of which might help them in their careers. International learners were also more connected to the learning community, and were inspired to learn more about the English language and American culture through social experiences with others. When intentional communication occurs, feelings of isolation might decrease and confidence can increase, thus creating a positive learning experience for all.