Understanding children from diverse cultures: bridging perspectives of parents and teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how families negotiate their perspectives with US teachers regarding school. The cases of three Korean and two Chinese preschoolers were examined through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with parents and teachers. Observations of the families at home and the children and teachers at school were conducted to add additional context to the interviews. Findings illuminated feelings that conflicted within each participant. Parents were found to have conflicting views between desiring their child to learn the English language yet expressing concern over what they believe was too much acculturation due to English language acquisition. Teachers were found to value international parents, yet felt it was difficult to communicate with parents and unsure of how to welcome them into the classroom. Findings from this study broaden understandings of families from diverse cultures and promote efforts to establish cooperative partnerships between parents and teachers.

The Experiences of Israeli Early Childhood Educators Working With Children of Ethiopian Background

“…In this particular case, not only are the children from an immigrant background, but they also represent the only Jewish sub-community that is racially and culturally African. However, it should be noted that educator-family relationships in general are often fraught with conflict (Lahman & Park, 2004), and the challenges described by Israeli kindergarten teachers are perhaps not unique to or specifically related to Ethiopian culture.…”

The Role of Action Research in Fostering Culturally-Responsive Practices in a Preschool Classroom

“…Beyond not engaging in culturally appropriate or responsive ways of interacting with children, teachers' responses and stances in early childhood classrooms were at odds with those children who hadn't been acculturated to the dominant US culture (c.f. Espinosa 2005;Gay 2000;Lahman and Park 2004).…”

“…As teachers try to level the ground by socializing children into their own cultural contexts and expecting children to act in certain ways (e.g., direct eye contact, raising hands), when this happens, young children are likely to perceive themselves as inferior to the dominant group and/or to lose their desire to maintain their parents' culture and language (Espinosa 2005;Rhedding-Jones 2002). To avoid these consequences and halt processes of cultural erasure, many studies have pointed out that early childhood teachers need to enhance knowledge of cultural diversity and to consider cultural aspects that affect how young children learn in school (Bernhard 1995;Buysse et al 2005;Espinosa 2005;Lahman and Park 2004;Landerholm et al 2004).…”

“…Children who are from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds are often expected to learn in different cultural contexts than those they have experienced in their families, homes, and communities (Lahman and Park 2004). Some children are never exposed to the dominant culture and practices so prominently valued in schools prior to entering early education settings.…”

“…Upon entering (pre)school, young children are often expected to immediately engage in cultural practices that may be different from those at home in order to be conceptualized as successful, ready, or capable (Gregory et al 2004;Souto-Manning 2009). Multiple studies have found that culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse children are likely to be confronted with the challenges of being assimilated into mainstream values which conflict with familial practices and/or familiar values (Buysse et al 2005;Kantor et al 1992;Lahman and Park 2004;Pappamihiel 2004). According to these studies, young children who experience cultural discontinuity between home and school may perceive themselves as poor learners and may develop a negative self-concept.…”