Secondary schools in the United States have been changing with the increased arrival of refugee students with interrupted formal education (SIFE), especially at the secondary schools. Refugee SIFE are faced with barriers developing both language and academic skills. This article describes some of the findings of an ethnographic research study that was conducted in an urban secondary newcomer program with SIFE in Northeast United States. The findings suggest that the refugee SIFE were in dire need of psychological support, had many responsibilities outside of school, and had high aspirations for the future despite their limited knowledge of the U.S. educational system.
With the break of the civil war in Syria, many Syrians have been displaced either internally or as refugees. Turkey, one of the leading host of Syrian refugees, has made changes to the policies to accommodate the needs of Syrians. Education is one of the most prominent needs of displaced refugee children. While 80 percent of refugee children living in camps have access to formal education, only small number of children living outside the camps are attending schools. With the increased number of children, many of the governmental organizations, municipalities, and NGOs have been involved in an effort to establish schools for Syrian refugee children living outside of the camps. This article reports the results of a study conducted at a newly established host community school for Syrian refugee children in the City of Gaziantep during the 2014-2015 school year. The aim of the study was to look at the experiences of administrators, teachers, and a parent who were involved in the establishment of the schools. The study made use of qualitative case study methodology, where interviews, focus group, and field notes were the data sources. The results of the study indicated that there were many systematic challenges involved in the establishment of the school, but nevertheless the teachers, administrators and the parents were happy to have the opportunity to be involved in this effort. The curriculum used in the school provided cultural relevance for the students and made their transition to the context easier. Although the school was established with support from the municipality for that year, there were not solid plans in place to provide sustainability of the school. This study provides a unique insight into the current status of Syrian refugee children living in Turkey and should serve as a bridge to policy makers in designing educational programs for refugees.
The educational landscape for schools in the United States is continuing to shift with the arrival of refugee students with limited or interrupted formal education, especially at the secondary schools. As refugee students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) adjust to schools in the United States, they may experience acculturative stress, migration stress, and stress of learning a new language. Teachers play an essential role in providing support to help immigrant and refugee students adjust. Caring should be at the core of education. For ethical care to occur, teachers need to see themselves as “responsible for empowering their students.” This article reports on an ethnographic research study of a newcomer classroom with refugee SLIFE in an urban secondary school. The participant teacher in this study exhibited ethical care toward refugee SLIFE and provided positive classroom experiences for SLIFE, which is a critical step toward betterment of educational experiences for them. However, caring by itself does not provide the necessary support needed for the refugee SLIFE’s success in U.S. schools.
This qualitative case study examines how students in a high school newcomer program experience the development of social and cultural capital. Newcomer programs are created by K-12 schools with large influxes of refugees and immigrants. This case study data stems from a larger ethnographic study of a newcomer program at Georgetown High, an urban secondary school in the Northeast region of the United States. Using Bourdieu’s (1986) social and cultural capital theory as a framework for the study we provide an overview of the literature on the importance of helping newcomers build social and cultural capital. Themes arising from the data as representations of the experiences of newcomers building capital and the role of the teacher in that development is explored further. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications of the case for research, policy, and practice.
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