Research questions
- What is the effect of classroom climate on the development of interracial and intergroup relationships among students?
- What are the effects of cultural diversity in the classroom on academic performance?
- What are the effects of diversity in undergraduate institutions in influencing student outcomes?
- What can Cafeteria seating patterns tell us about intergroup relationships in students?
- How does racial discrimination affect African–American adolescents in schools?
- How can diversity courses influence student attitudes towards racial discrimination?
Abstract
Racial discrimination is a challenge that affects several individuals all over the world. To minimize the problem, schools need to develop a classroom climate, which facilitates high interaction and establishment of interracial and intergroup relationships among students.
Furthermore, countries need to embrace and utilize the concept of racial and cultural diversity since it offers positive results and productive ideas. Diversity is also very important in undergraduate institutions as it provides a platform where students can exchange ideas and attain academic excellence. Some of the initiatives that are useful in curbing racial discrimination include engagement in diversity courses.
Classroom Climates and Students’ Intergroup Behavior
In relation to findings from past research, students, who study in informal classroom climates, have good intergroup and interracial relationships as opposed to those, who study in formal classrooms. The article focuses on the importance of employing a classroom climate that provides great interaction opportunities for the students. Evidently, the article is very practical in coining the aspect of an informal classroom climate as an important setting that augments the level of interaction among students (Serow & Solomon, 1979).
The article argues that formal classroom climates are teacher dominated, and thus, minimize interactions among students. Remarkably, the article explains that amplified student interaction helps develop good interracial and intergroup relationships.
In the hypothesis of the article, informal classroom environments are likely to yield positive interracial and intergroup relationships, unlike their formal counterparts. Some of the assumptions that the study made include the assumption that there were no changes before and after observations and that everything was the same before the research.
Some of the important details from the population studied comprised their varying levels of desegregation. The article sampled 13 schools that composed varying students from minority groups and 12 actively desegregated schools. By selecting the population and using it in the study, the article effectively acquired diverse levels of expertise in the concept of student behavior and classroom climates.
Serow and Solomon (1979) explain that the results of the research ascertain that positive interracial and intergroup relationships develop in classroom climates that facilitate increased interaction among students.
Moreover, the findings also indicate that teachers have a role to play in instilling the values that support and encourage good relationships among heterogeneous students. Conclusively, it is paramount to understand that informal classroom climates can yield positive results when combined with other factors that include encouragement of cooperation and friendship among students.
Cultural Diversity in the Classroom and its Effects on Academic Performance
In some places such as Switzerland and Germany, there is a belief that immigrant students lead to decreased academic performance and quality of education in schools. Evidently, some people in these countries believe that immigrant students initiate low-quality education and affect the overall performance of schools (Konan, Chatard, Selimbegović, & Mugny, 2010).
As a result, the article tries to ascertain the authenticity of the belief. Imperatively, the article elucidates that unlike the beliefs held by these individuals, the presence of diverse students in a school yields positive outcomes and high performances. The article asserts that the concept of diversity in culture and race leads to a wide spectrum of ideas, and hence, an overall increase in the performance of students in schools.
The important details on the population sampled include the high number of participants involved. According to Konan, Chatard, Selimbegović, and Mugny (2010), the article sampled almost 0.25 million students during the research, a factor that was very instrumental in expanding the level of knowledge concerning the issue. Moreover, the high number of respondents increases the credibility of results obtained as opposed to the use of a few respondents.
The research concluded that indeed, the belief held by some people in continents such as Europe is false since the presence of immigrant students in learning institutions increases the performance and quality of education. From the findings, it is clear that immigrant students demonstrate higher performance and do well as opposed to the belief that they are responsible for the poor performance experienced in various learning institutions.
Diversity at Undergraduate Institutions and their Influence on Student Outcomes
The article seeks to address findings from past researchers, who argue that diversity has a range of positive results in undergraduate institutions. From the article, it is apparent that several scholars used findings, which were not accurate and concise. As a result, some of the findings are erroneous and require corrections (Gottfredson et al., 2008). The presence of errors in past findings compelled the research in the quest to get authentic results that reflect the actual state of affairs.
Some of the assumptions that the article made include the notion that the findings reflect the overall state of affairs in all undergraduate institutions. The research assumes that the results will be useful and applicable in all undergraduate institutions all over the region. The article points out that, indeed, there is a significant influence related to the presence of diversity in undergraduate institutions.
To ascertain the relevance and credibility of findings, the article outlines two methods that were useful in data collection. The implication of two data collection methods is an increased amount of respondents and enhanced feedback. Moreover, by using a considerable amount of respondents, the research is practical and gives findings that are near perfect. Gottfredson et al. (2008) assert that the findings explain that there is a strong influence in undergraduate institutions that have pronounced diversities as opposed to homogeneous institutions.
From the findings, it is clear that institutions, which have heterogeneous students, demonstrate increased impacts concerning influences on outcomes that are associated with diversity. The article concludes by stating that the concept of influence and diversity requires more research so that the validity of diversity and its impact on the outcomes of students becomes achievable.
Same Spaces, Different Races: What can Cafeteria Seating Patterns Tell Us about Intergroup Relations in Middle School
Past studies have recorded that students demonstrate considerable segregation in their sitting arrangements at the cafeteria. Although the schools offer high levels of interaction and boost the chances of interracial relationships, students associate with members of their races. Therefore, the research sought to understand the causes of segregation and the authentic nature of the findings.
Notably, the findings highlight that students from marginalized communities can, at times, sit together in a cafeteria, whereas the majority cluster themselves in another location of the same room.
The article is certain that, indeed, segregation in school cafeterias is real and practical. Conversely, it elucidates that segregation is a result of marginalization and limited contact that takes place outside the school (Echols, Solomon, & Graham, 2014). As such, the research focused on ascertaining the level of truth in the hypothesis presented in the article.
Some of the important details pertaining to the population studied comprise its heterogeneous nature and small socio-economic diversities. In essence, the focus on heterogeneous population occasioned because of the need to understand the presence or absence of segregation in school cafeterias. Moreover, the use of a population that has minimal diversity in socioeconomic status was because the study wanted to obtain findings that had little influence related to socioeconomic backgrounds.
The results of the research outlined that there is some kind of segregation in schools. Echols, Solomon, and Graham (2014) highlight that students like associating with others, who are members of their race. Additionally, it was apparent that there are instances where marginalized students, such as Latinos and African–Americans, sit together in a cafeteria. The act of crossing boundaries between the Latinos and African–American students is due to their marginalization.
School Diversity and Racial Discrimination among African-American Adolescents
The research occasioned from the findings of past studies, which state that the level of diversity in schools leads to differences in the magnitude of racial discrimination among African–American adolescents. From the findings, many African–American students experience racial discrimination, a factor that seriously affects their mental health and performance in school.
According to Seaton and Douglass (2014), the article explains that several adolescents from African–American societies believe that the rate of discrimination is high in schools that have a pronounced a number of whites. The main hypothesis developed by the article is based on the concept that the higher the diversity, the higher the level of discrimination. The article highlights that the chances of racial discrimination are high if the school has a majority of individuals from a singular community or race.
The major factor that is dominant in the population sampled transpires from the level of objectiveness demonstrated by the article. In the article, African–American adolescents gave their responses concerning racial discrimination encounters and their backgrounds (Seaton & Douglass, 2014). The relevance of the population studied is evident since the use of African–American adolescents is practical in the achievement of results that reflect the reality in various schools around the country.
Principally, the adolescents gave an account of the instances that they have experienced racial injustices and by doing so, increased the level of understanding of the concept of research. In the article, the research found out that although African–Americans advanced high levels of racial discrimination, other communities, such as Latinos and Asians, had different experiences based on diversity.
Understanding What Students Bring to the Classroom: Moderators of the Effects of Diversity Courses on Student Attitudes
In response to research based on the interactions among students in schools and the level of racial discrimination that students experience, the study sought to establish the relevance of diversity courses in resolving the challenge. Cole, Case, Rios, and Curtin (2011) elucidate that the article explains that the courses focused on reducing the attitudes and actions that triggered racial discrimination in schools.
Notably, the article states that schools are places that witness high levels of racial discrimination, and hence, by ensuring that the students go through the process, the challenge diminishes. In its hypothesis, the study highlights that diversity courses are very important in curbing the challenges associated with racial discrimination and segregation in schools.
The most outstanding factor that concerns the studied population is the use of a sample that comprised students. The use of students in the category of respondents is very suitable since schools are places characterized by frequent interactions and high chances of racial disparities (Cole, Case, Rios, & Curtin, 2011).
The implication of the chosen sample population is increased credibility and practical nature of the findings. Fundamentally, the results from the study affirmed the hypothesis, and the article elucidates that the courses had a positive impact on the level of racial discrimination. The positive results transpired as those who went through the program understood the importance of respecting individuals in society regardless of their race.
References
Cole, E., Case, K., Rios, D., & Curtin, N. (2011). Understanding what Students Bring to the Classroom: Moderators of the Effects of Diversity Courses on Student Attitudes. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 17(4), 397-405.
Echols, L., Solomon, B., & Graham, S. (2014). Same Spaces, Different Races: What can Cafeteria Seating Patterns tell Us about Intergroup Relations in Middle School? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20(4), 611-620.
Gottfredson et al. (2008). Does Diversity at Undergraduate Institutions Influence Student Outcomes? Journal of Diversity In Higher Education, 1(2), 80-94.
Konan, P., Chatard, A., Selimbegović, L., & Mugny, G. (2010). Cultural Diversity in the Classroom and its Effects on Academic Performance: A Cross-National Perspective. Social Psychology, 41(4), 230-237.
Seaton, E., & Douglass, S. (2014). School Diversity and Racial Discrimination among African-American Adolescents. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20(2), 156-165.
Serow, R., & Solomon, D. (1979). Classroom Climates and Students’ Intergroup Behavior. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71(5), 669-676.
Addenda
Classroom Climates and Students’ Intergroup Behavior
Robert C. Serow
North Carolina State University
Daniel Solomon
U.S. Bureau of Census
Washington, D.C.
Cultural Diversity in the Classroom and its Effects on Academic Performance: A Cross-National Perspective
By: Paul N’Dri Konan
University of Geneva, Switzerland
Armand Chatard
University of Geneva, Switzerland;
Leila Selimbegović
University of Geneva, Switzerland
Gabriel Mugny
University of Geneva, Switzerland
Does Diversity at Undergraduate Institutions Influence Student Outcomes?
By: Nisha C. Gottfredson
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill;
A. T. Panter
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Charles E. Daye
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Walter A. Allen
University of California, Los Angeles
Linda F. Wightman
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Meera E. Deo
University of California, Los Angeles
Acknowledgement: This study received funding from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). The opinions and conclusions contained in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of LSAC.
Same Spaces, Different Races: What Can Cafeteria Seating Patterns Tell Us About Intergroup Relations in Middle School?
By: Leslie Echols
Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles;
Brett J. Solomon
Department of Liberal Studies, Santa Clara University
Sandra Graham
Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles
Acknowledgement: The third author was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Special thanks to Jeffrey Gornbein, Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, for help with the analysis.
School Diversity and Racial Discrimination Among African-American Adolescents
By: Eleanor K. Seaton
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill;
Sara Douglass
Department of Psychology, Fordham University
Acknowledgement: This project was partially funded by the generous support of the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Program on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes (ECHO). The authors gratefully acknowledge all members of the Racial Experiences of Youth Laboratory (REYLAB) for their assistance.
Understanding What Students Bring to the Classroom: Moderators of the Effects of Diversity Courses on Student Attitudes
By: Elizabeth R. Cole
Departments of Psychology and Women’s Studies, University of Michigan;
Kim A. Case
Psychology and Women’s Studies, University of Houston-Clear Lake
Desdamona Rios
Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies, Bowdoin College
Nicola Curtin
Department of Psychology, Clark University
Acknowledgement: This research was supported by a grant from the National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan. We are grateful to Mei Guan for research assistance and Trey Williams for helpful feedback on the manuscript.