This volume aims to stimulate interest in the under?researched role of silent partners (SPs) in multicultural education. Silent partners include formal and informal places?spaces in schools (e.g. architecture, classroom facilities, libraries, corridors, playgrounds, canteens), objects (e.g. teaching aids, furniture, wall decorations and overall interior design), interactive technologies (use of devices and applications) but also often taken?for?granted and not immediately visible patterns of thought, ideologies and assumptions. People involved in education all engage and work with a number of SPs that contribute to the delivery of curricula, but also to social life and well?being in and out of schools. The way places?spaces, objects and technologies influence the school community’s experiences of learning, well?being and social justice is rarely observed and problematised in education – hence the adjective ‘silent’ in the term ‘silent partners’. This book not only fills a significant empirical gap, but it can also inject public debate over future working environments in schools for multicultural education. It will be relevant to both researchers interested in developing their knowledge on these issues from a different perspective but also educators in search of inspiration for multicultural education. Praise for Silent Partners in Multicultural Education: “How to organize your classroom’s configuration in such a manner that all pupils feel welcome and comfortable? While most of those invested in multicultural education focus on the optimization of various linguistic aspects, Itkonen, Dervin and their colleagues give voice to the non?verbal aspects of education. In this book they elaborate how formal and informal places?spaces in schools can unintentionally reflect ideologies and cultural assumptions. They illustrate this perspective with telling examples that come from what is widely perceived as one of the best educational systems in the world. This book is an important, innovative contribution to the question of inclusion of all pupils in our school systems. It provides an eye?opening perspective to researchers in the field, teachers, principals and stakeholders willing to work for social justice in their schools”. ~ Emmanuelle Le Pichon, Vorstman, Researcher and Assistant Professor, Languages, Literature and Communication Department, Utrecht Institute of Linguistics “Congratulations are in order for this ground breaking and significant book. As the editors and authors convey convincingly and often poignantly, multicultural education is an increasingly politicised phenomenon that needs all the friends and allies that it can garner. The book's coverage of silent partners in education ? objects and technologies operating in specific places and spaces ? is therefore timely. Yet, as the book also highlights, these silent partners can exert negative power as well as positive influence on educational outcomes. The book presents a compelling account of the fundamental ambivalence framing these partners and formal educational provision more broadly. Rendering these silent educational partners visible and open to scrutiny is a significant scholarly achievement by the Education for Diversities Research Group in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki, Finland, building on their well?deserved reputation for exploring the implicit and tacit and yet impactful dimensions of intercultural education and understanding. The book is appropriately diverse and inclusive in its concerns, with attention being directed at education in Finland, France, and the United States. Likewise the coverage traverses international and national schools, higher education, teacher education and productive methodologies for researching silent partners. This innovative and thought?provoking volume is highly recommended for its originality in helping us to see education for diversities in a new and powerful light.” ~ Patrick Alan Danaher, Professor in Educational Research in the School of Linguistics, Adult and Specialist Education, Associate Dean (Research and Research Training) in the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts, Toowoomba campus of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia; Adjunct Professor in the School of Education and the Arts, Central Queensland University, Australia. “Silent partners do not only reflect the ways we conceive of education but they also influence our practices as educators. Being silent, they are often taken for granted. The strength of this book lies in its critical questioning of the notion of silent partners. The chapters enlighten about the untold and the effects they have in an educational environment. The readers, especially in the fields of education and social justice, will definitely acquire a more sensitive perception of how silent partners affect our approaches to multicultural education.” ~ Dr. Regis Machart, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Putra Malaysia; Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki, Finland

The volume 3 of this series is designed to present educators with current research and emerging issues in teaching, learning and motivation in a multicultural context. The book is separated into four sections. In the introduction section we have outlined some of the current issues and recent thoughts about the nature of learning, teaching, and school reforms from a multicultural perspective.

The National Association for Multicultural Education in Washington, D.C., listed a number of issues that the school curriculum should address with reference to multicultural education, including racism, sexism, classism, linguicism, ablism, ageism, heterosexism, and religious intolerance. It is noteworthy that of all these issues, religion is about the only one that throughout history people are willing to die for, although whether what is at issue is really religion or other things such as territory is another matter. It is also interesting that all the others have isms in their names but religious issues are characterized by intolerance. Perhaps we should try to understand this intolerance and look at what steps might help to alleviate it. However, while intolerance might seem a simple thing, understanding what is behind it and how it plays such a crucial role in religion requires what we refer to in the Introduction chapter as a multifaceted approach at multiple levels. It is not enough just to try to dispel stereotypes of followers of other religions, or to point out commonalities in world religions. We should, for example, try to understand and appreciate how adherents of other religions try to answer questions regarding their adaptation to the contemporary environment. It is through understanding how different religions coexist side by side at various levels that we truly come to learn about religion in multicultural education.

Teachers as Collaborative Partners assists future and inservice teachers in developing a research-based framework for understanding the dynamics of school, family, and community relations. It provides foundational knowledge important for understanding families and communities, while exploring conditions that influence family-school-community interactions. The text is designed to engage the critical reflective capability of teachers in ways that will support their ability to work with diverse families in a variety of teaching contexts.Part I focuses first on the social, cultural, and historical roots of the family, with specific attention to the evolution of public schools and the family as interdependent social institutions, and then on the multiple ways families conceive of and conduct family life, as well as the impact of community attributes on the work of families and schools.Part II explores the relationship among families, communities, and schools within social, political, legal, and educational contexts.Part III addresses educational practices that respond to authentic partnerships with families and communities.The goals of the text are supported by pedagogical tools that provide opportunities for readers to make connections between information in each chapter and realistic family-community-school situations.Case Studies are embedded in most chapters. These serve to complement research-based with authentic and personally articulated experiences of parents. Teachers then have the opportunity to make connections between theory and lived experiences.Each chapter includes Inquiry and Reflection questions and Guided Observations to engage readers in case study analysis, situated learning exercises, and classroom and community observations and reflections.The Family-Community-School Profile introduced in this text as a teacher-generated summary allows for evaluation of

A volume in Research in Multicultural Education and International Perspectives Series Editors Farideh Salili and Rumjahn Hoosain, The University of Hong Kong Democratic political systems and the democratic way of life is aspired by most people around the world. Democracy is considered to be morally superior to other forms of political systems as it aspires to secure civil liberties, human rights, social justice and equality before the law for everyone regardless of their gender, culture, religion and national origin. Enshrined in democracy is separation of religion and state, fair and competitive elections of leaders according to a country's constitution which in turn is based on democratic ideals. Democracy aspires for people of different backgrounds to live together with their differences intact, but all contributing towards a better life for all. In today's increasingly pluralistic societies many people of different cultural and national backgrounds are brought together. Many have migrated from countries with autocratic political systems. Some with religions that require them to behave in different way, others with cultures teaching them values of harmony, collectivism and conformity as opposed to the culture of their host country emphasizing individualism and cherishing differences. Hence, in multicultural societies development of pluralistic democracy, a democracy which includes respect for diversity is essential. A truly multicultural education which is based on the assumption that different cultures will be equally represented in education goes a long way towards education for democratic citizenship. Such an education would make students aware of issues of human rights and justice and encourage them to define their own values and ways in which they could contribute to a better world. The aim of this volume is to provide a forum for discussion of how multiple social perspectives and personal values can be brought together on common grounds around matters related to democracy. Contributions from research, and scholarly theoretical work as well as presentation of existing creative models of democracy education will be included. Authors from the major democracies will comment on the models and practice of multicultural education in their respective countries, to facilitate discussion and learning from each others' experiences.

"This book explores the pedagogies, strategies, and practical hands-on methods that teachers and administrators may use to develop stronger parent partnerships using social justice. It defines social justice as it relates to multicultural families and the intercultural dynamics that hinder or propel their success in U.S. schools. It examines the nexus of family, school and community relationships"--

Learn how to create culturally responsive, socially just school-family partnerships that positively impact student learning outcomes. Responding to the current rise in White supremacy in America, a surge in hate crimes against BIPOC students and families, and the gaping digital divide exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this book addresses the need for educators and schools to develop competency in working with diverse families and their communities. Chapters address misconceptions of school personnel that often result in microaggressions and miscommunications that impede fully including families in the education of their children. Exploring a wide range of sociocultural issues present in today's schools, readers will learn how to better work with military families during deployment, students with disabilities, families with various living arrangements, immigrant families, and religiously diverse students. The text features engaging, real-life scenarios and research-based practices designed to improve the academic success of all pre-K-12 learners. Book Features: Innovative models for creating culturally responsive family and community engagement initiatives that focus on student success. Reflective questions to facilitate discussions in various professional development venues, including schools, university programs for teachers and administrators, and community organizations. Concrete examples of successful partnerships involving public schools, a higher education institution, and a public city library. An extensive list of resources for building better educational programs and communities.

Stresses the relationship between service learning and multicultural education in the classroom, emphasizing the need for teachers to perform community service to gain new insight into teaching about diversity.

Discusses the issue of engagement, and nonengagement, of students in multicultural education programs.