Teaching Immigrant Students for Social Justice: A Multicase Perspective Across the United States, Turkey, and Hong Kong

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Misread Possibilities: Minorities and Educational Reform

Abstract

From a global multi-case perspective, this study examines teacher preparation and development for social justice teaching of immigrant children in Turkey, the U.S., and Hong Kong--three unique contexts, where definitions of “immigrant” vary according to local socio-political landscapes. Using Cochran-Smith’s six principles for social justice teaching, we analyzed empirical articles from 2015-2018, focusing on teaching and teacher education in each context. We found minimal focus on preparing teachers to teach immigrant students, whether in general, or as framed by social justice tenets. We argue, therefore, for a framework for teaching immigrant students within the field of teaching for social justice, which contextualizes and differentiates social justice teaching in ways that are responsive to the ever-changing demographics of global times.

Authors

• Crystal Chen Lee, North Carolina State University

• Sibel Akin-Sabuncu, TED University

• A. Lin Goodwin, The University of Hong Kong

• Seung Eun McDevitt, St. John's University