“I Don’t Have Any interesting Stories!” Examining Students’ Experiences in a Diverse Classroom

• In Event: Contexts in Education: Illuminating Experience in Teaching

Abstract

For this presentation, we investigate how students of diverse backgrounds in an urban elementary school related to each other when classmates represented many varied cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. We also wondered about how a diverse classroom shapes students’ understanding of cultural differences and contributes to their willingness to interact with students from different backgrounds. We further investigate how teachers shape curricular experiences for diverse students, and how educators connect with students from backgrounds different than their own. We also explore nuances of building a research relationship with students of diverse backgrounds and interpreting field texts while taking into consideration the potential influence of the diverse backgrounds of the researchers and their participants in shaping interpretation of field texts.

Authors

• Candace M. Schlein, University of Missouri - Kansas City

• Elaine Chan, University of Nebraska - Lincoln