About this Research Topic
Recent economic, environmental and political developments led to an increase in multilingual and multicultural classrooms around the world. Therefore, multiculturalism and relevant approaches in education are becoming increasingly prevalent in many countries, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. Educational systems started facing new challenges in addressing not only the needs of their local minorities but also the needs of students from a wider range of backgrounds, some of which may be arriving in those contexts newly, while others have been ignored, made invisible or silenced by the nation states for several reasons over the years. Especially in contexts where monolingual and mono-cultural policies have historically dominated and the cultural and linguistic practices of long-standing or newly emerging minorities have been suppressed for various reasons through nation state policies, an increased awareness of issues faced by these groups requires further investigation of possible inequalities and inconsistencies in terms of both educational policies and practices. In addition, there appears a need for educational policies and practices in emerging multicultural contexts to be designed to promote equity and inclusivity, while also addressing the unique challenges that arise in diverse populations.
The goal of this Research Topic is to examine the various educational policies and practices that are being implemented in such contexts, which may be considered as newly emerging multicultural contexts, and to explore the impact of these policies and practices on students, educators, and the broader community. It aims to provide a platform to present latest research and developments in educational policies and practices in what we call emerging multicultural contexts, i.e. societies and communities where multiculturalism and multilingualism has not historically been a key issue when developing educational policies. This article collection will explore various strategies for addressing cultural diversity and equity in education, including but not limited to multicultural curricula, language support for non-native speakers, and cultural sensitivity training for teachers and staff. Additionally, it will examine ways to provide access to education for marginalized or underprivileged populations in emerging multicultural contexts.
Original research articles focusing on contexts where multiculturalism and multilingualism are recently being discussed as part of educational agenda are invited. Research papers from contexts where different aspects of social diversity are being discussed as part of educational policy and practice in the recent years can also be considered. Themes to be covered may include:
- multicultural curricula and the inclusion of diverse perspectives in education
- language support and language education for non-native speakers
- heritage language maintenance and teaching
- teacher education and professional development for cultural diversity
- access to education for marginalized or underprivileged populations
- parent and community engagement in multicultural and multilingual education
- evaluation of educational policies and practices in emerging multicultural contexts
- educational provisions for refugees
- classroom dynamics
- equality and discrimination in education.
The goal of this Research Topic is to examine the various educational policies and practices that are being implemented in such contexts, which may be considered as newly emerging multicultural contexts, and to explore the impact of these policies and practices on students, educators, and the broader community. It aims to provide a platform to present latest research and developments in educational policies and practices in what we call emerging multicultural contexts, i.e. societies and communities where multiculturalism and multilingualism has not historically been a key issue when developing educational policies. This article collection will explore various strategies for addressing cultural diversity and equity in education, including but not limited to multicultural curricula, language support for non-native speakers, and cultural sensitivity training for teachers and staff. Additionally, it will examine ways to provide access to education for marginalized or underprivileged populations in emerging multicultural contexts.
Original research articles focusing on contexts where multiculturalism and multilingualism are recently being discussed as part of educational agenda are invited. Research papers from contexts where different aspects of social diversity are being discussed as part of educational policy and practice in the recent years can also be considered. Themes to be covered may include:
- multicultural curricula and the inclusion of diverse perspectives in education
- language support and language education for non-native speakers
- heritage language maintenance and teaching
- teacher education and professional development for cultural diversity
- access to education for marginalized or underprivileged populations
- parent and community engagement in multicultural and multilingual education
- evaluation of educational policies and practices in emerging multicultural contexts
- educational provisions for refugees
- classroom dynamics
- equality and discrimination in education.
Keywords: Multiculturalism, Refugees, Language support, Educational policies, Classroom dynamics, Inclusion, Marginalisation, Equality, Discrimination
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
