Experiences of Muslim Students in U.S. Schools in the Rocky Mountain Region

• In Event: Loud and Clear: Female Muslim Scholarship on the Muslim American Educational Experience

Abstract

The current landscape of the United States is not favorable for Muslims. Muslims are oppressed and discriminated against in many Western countries, and the United States is no different. Although Muslims are the fastest-growing population in the United States (Lipka, 2017), Muslim Americans have increasingly been the targets of discrimination (Abu-Ras et al., 2018; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019). This is also amplified because of the persistent negative media stereotypes about Muslims after the 9/11 incident. All these factors have a negative effect on the sense of belonging and the quality of learning of Muslim students. It is the responsibility of educators to make sure our Muslim students are safe in schools and their religious needs are met. Otherwise, we are letting our students down.
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the essence of the lived experiences of a group of young Muslim adults with schools in a Rocky Mountain region state of the U.S. More specifically, this study aims to shed light on the schooling experiences of Muslim students, identify any barriers they might face because of their different cultures and religion, and offer some practical suggestions to practitioners (educators, principals, teachers, and school personnel) as to how to better understand and accommodate their Muslim students. To that end, the research questions for this study are: What are the experiences of young Muslim students in the Rocky Mountain region schools, with regard to Islamophobia? What are the different kinds of discrimination (if any) they face during their schooling? (in instructional spaces, non-instructional spaces, lunch room, interaction with adults). What are some suggestions that could help educators improve the educational experiences for Muslim students?
I chose the qualitative approach of phenomenology for my study because it "describes the meaning for several individuals for their lived experiences of a concept or phenomenon" (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p.57). I believe this was the best approach for this study because it helped me best capture the essence of the phenomenon of the experiences of Muslim students in U.S. schools.
The theoretical framework I have chosen for this study is MusCrit. This is a relatively newer framework for studying Muslim students. MusCrit is a “micro-framing that boldly acknowledges that the Muslim American experience is distinct and therefore requires its own niche (Ali, 2022)."
In a nutshell, I will be using the qualitative approach of phenomenology for my study. This will help me understand the experiences of young Muslim students in U.S schools. This method will provide me with insights into the positive and negative experiences these students faced because of their religious identity. This study will help improve the learning conditions for Muslim students who deal with Islamophobia on a regular basis. This study will also help by bridging the gap of understanding between Muslim students and mainstream educators. Since Muslims and Muslim students are misunderstood by Western society, this research study would be a step in the right direction.

Author

• Sahar Khawaja, University of Denver