CHILDREN OF MIGRANT AND REFUGEE BACKGROUND:

PROMISING DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH

Linda Juang, University of Potsdam

June 15, 2018

ORD conference

MIGRATION IS A KEY ASPECT OF DIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS

Over 244 million global migrants (United Nations, 2016)

50% of forced migrants are under age 18 (UNHRC, 2016)

Image: UNHCR

MIGRATION IS A KEY ASPECT OF DIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS

Over 244 million global migrants (United Nations, 2016)

50% of forced migrants are under age 18 (UNHRC, 2016)

In Germany, 31% of school-aged children are of migrant background (Statistisches Bundesamt Mikrozensus, 2014)

In Berlin, 46% of school-aged children are of migrant background (Statistisches Bundesamt Mikrozensus, 2014)

“We have seen the

aftermath of enough civil

wars to know this about

refugees; providing food

and shelter is not enough.

The best way to deal with

the refugee crisis in Syria

is to break that cycle by

educating the children

and providing care for

those traumatized by the

violence.”

(Sirin & Rogers-Sirin, 2013, p. 15)

WHAT IS OUR VIEW OF MIGRANT AND REFUGEE YOUTH?

Deficit Perspective

Lack language skills

Lack cultural knowledge

Lack similar values

Lack stable living situation

Socially excluded

Traumatized

Deficit Perspective

Lack language skills

Lack cultural knowledge

Lack similar values

Lack stable living situation

Socially excluded

Traumatized

Competence Perspective

Becoming bilingual

Acquiring intercultural competence

Motivation for adaptation in school and community

Developing interethnic friendships

Agency in creating a better life situation

Resilient

(Birman, 2005; Garcia-Coll et al., 1996;

Nibbs, 2013; Motti-Stefanidi & Masten,

2013; Suarez-Orozco et al., 2018;

Titzmann, 2014)

Provide safe, stable, and supportive environments post-migration (Fazel et al., 2012; Kia-Keating & Ellis, 2007)

Focus on relationships to people and places (Juang et al.,

2018; Lewicka, 2011)

School is one very important space (Tyrer & Fazel, 2014;

Suárez-Orozco et al., 2009; Schachner et al., 2018; Tran & Birman, 2015)

WHAT WE KNOW...

NEED TO ADDRESS MULTIPLE LEVELS

Youth Interventions (Brief Self Affirmation Writing and Identity Project)

Teacher Interventions (Healing Classrooms by the International Rescue Committee, Review of pre-service teacher training for cultural diversity beliefs)

Changing Institutions (Refugee Teacher Program, University of Potsdam)

YOUTH INTERVENTIONSSelf affirmation writing

intervention

Identity Project

Cohen, G., Garcia, J., Apfel, N. & Master, A. (2006). Science, 313, 1307-1310

BRIEF SELF-AFFIRMATION WRITING INTERVENTION

Please read the following list of values below and think about each one. Then circle the two or three values that are the MOST important to you. There are no right or wrong answers.

Artistic ability

Creativity

Relationships with friends or family

Politics

Independence

Athletic ability

Music

Spiritual or religious values

Sense of humor

Making decisions for yourself

Being respected by others

Being loyal to your friends

Look at the values you picked as MOST important. Think about times when these values were to important to you.

Below, describe why these values are important to you. Focus on your thoughts and feelings, and don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or how well written it is.

2 variations: Structured, Open-ended

African American students in the intervention group vs. control group showed better academic performance (less disparity to European American students) later in the year.

Affirmation effects led to positive outcomes:

Cohen et al., (2006), African American 7th graders

Cook et al. (2012), African American 7th graders

Bowen et al. (2013), African American, 6th – 8th graders

Sherman et al. (2013), Latino American 7th graders

Borman et al. (2016), ethnic minority 7th graders

Müller & Lokhande (2017), ethnic minority 7th graders in Germany

No effect:

Dee (2015), African American, Latino 7th and 8th graders

Protzko & Aronson (2016), ethnic minority 9th graders

de Jong et al. (2016), Immigrant 4th -6th and 7th graders in Netherlands

Acculturative

Stress

Relatedness

Autonomy

Competence

Academic and

socioemotional

adjustment

Figure 1. Pathways by which acculturative stress affects academic and socioemotional

adjustment. The writing intervention can boost self determination which can (1) directly

promote positive adjustment and (2) break the link between stress and adjustment.

Brief Writing

Intervention

-

+

- +

Control

Affirmation

condition

Cultural

affirmation

condition

N = 691 7TH GRADERS IN BERLIN

15 secondary schools

49% female

86% second or later generation

19% Turkish heritage German

15% Arab heritage German

15% Eastern European heritage German

14% Other migration background German

34% No migration background German

Timeline

Time 1

Initial

survey

Time 4

Follow-up

survey

Time 5

Follow-up

survey

Time 2

Structured

affirmation

and control

group tasks

Time 3

Open-ended

affirmation

and control

group tasks

Time 6

Affirmation tasks

to all students

September October March

2017 2018

June February March

2019

GIRL, TURKISH HERITAGE

Value: Frieden

Im Leben ist mir Frieden sehr wichtig. demn wenn es kein Frieden geben würde, dann würde es immer krieg geben und niemand würde glücklich sein. Damit es auf dieser Erde Frieden gibt und bleibt würde ich alles mögliche machen zumindest soviel ich helfen kann.

GIRL, FINNISH-THAI-GERMAN HERITAGE

Value: Freedom

I believe that freedom for all is one of the most important things possible and it involves everyone: it involves the people that fight for freedom, it involves the people like me, who aren't strong enough to fight, so they hope, they hope for the people, who are strong enough to fight. Freedom is society and society is hope. Everyday that I go to school, I take a minute to be thankful that I live in a country, where freedom exists and I wish that I had more freedom, just as everyone else who doesn't have it wish they did...

GIRL, GERMAN HERITAGE

Value: Umwelt

Jedes mal wenn ich in den Park gehe, sehe ich Leute die einfach so Müll auf den Boden schmeißen oder Tiere die Müll essen. Bei mir im Park gibt es einen Teich. Wenn der zugefroren ist kann man manchmal auf ihm Schlittschuhlaufen. Aber in den letzten jahren wurde immer und immer mehr Müll hinein geworfen und er friert kaum noch ganz zu. Früher haben die in dem Teich auch Fische, Frösche und Enten gelebt aber die habe ich schon lange nicht mehr gesehen. Ich war neulich in einem Wald wandern und ich war erschreckt wie viel Müll überall rumlag. Wenn ich Müll habe und ich keinen Mülleimer sehe, stecke ich ihn mir einfach in die Tasche bis ich einen finde. So schwer ist es nicht sich um die Umwelt zu kümmern. Wir müssen nur etwas dagegen tun und alle mithelfen.

BOY, TURKISH HERITAGE

Bu hayata benim için en önemli şeyler Aile, Arkadaş, Sevdin.

Aile: Ailem seni büyüten ve sana bakandır. Aile senin herşeyindir. İstediğiniyapan ve sein üzmeyen. Ne kadar çirkin olursan ol onların gözündedünyanın en yakişikli/güzel insanısın. Ailenizi sevin çünkü onlar kalıcı değil. Onların dediklerini yapınız onları dinleyiniz çünkü kimse sizi onlar kadarsevmeyecek.

Arkadaş: Şu dünyada gerçek arkadaşın yok yani demek istedim şey buhayatta sadece ve sadece 1 arkadaşın olcak canından çok sevdiğin. Onlaölüme bile gideceğin birisi olmalı onla gülüp eğlenmelisin onla ağlayıponla herşey başarmalısın.

Sevdin (sevdiğin): ahh be sevdin birisi olunca kör oluyorsun ondan başkakimsey süşünmüyorsun, kalbin ona aittir, ona güvenip seviyon. Hiç çoksevmeyin, güvenmeyin gün gelecek sizi yalnız bırakıp siktir olup giderler.

IDENTITY PROJECT

HERITAGE IDENTITY

“One’s sense of belonging to an ethnic group and the part of one’s thinking, perception, and feelings that is due to ethnic group membership.”

(Phinney, 1990)

STRONGER HERITAGE IDENTITY ISRELATED TO…

Higher academic achievement, academic motivation, self esteem, life satisfaction, social competence, positive mood

Lower loneliness, depressive symptoms

Protects against ethnic discrimination (sometimes)

(Rivas Drake et al., 2014; Verkuyten &Thijs, 2006; Verkuyten, 2008)

IDENTITY PROJECT8 WEEKS

1. Unpacking identity

2. Group differences: Within and between

3. Stories of our past

4. Symbols, traditions, and rites of passage

5. My family history

6. Photo journals and storyboards

7. Cultural identity as a journey

8. Presentation day: Grand Finale

(Umaña-Taylor & Douglass, 2017)

WHAT IS IN YOUR IDENTITY BACKPACK?

DOES THE IDENTITY PROJECT PROMOTEMORE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT?

(Umaña-Taylor, Kornienko, Douglass, & Updegraff, 2017)

IDENTITY PROJECT BERLIN

Four 7th grade classrooms in Berlin secondary school

85% students with migrant background

Randomize into 2 Identity Project vs. 2 Control classes

We will lead sessions, teachers will assist

Follow classes for one academic year

Will also include measures of classroom climate

Currently translating and adapting the program

CHANGE INSTITUTIONS

INNOVATIVE PROGRAM FOR REFUGEE TEACHERS

In Germany, there will be a shortage of 35,000 primary school teachers by 2025.

(Bertelsmann Foundation, 2018)

TEACHER AND STUDENT BACKGROUNDS ARE DIFFERENT

6% of the elementary and secondary school teachers in

Germany have migration background

(European Commission, Education and Training, 2016)

31% of school-aged children in Germany have

migration background

(Statistisches Bundesamt Mikrozensus, 2014)

NETHERLANDS

4-6% of teachers have a “culturally diverse

background” at primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary level

11% of 15 year old students have a migrant background

Berg, D. van den, Dijk, M. van & Grootscholte, M. (2011). Diversity Monitor 2011 – Facts and figures concerning diversity in primary, secondary, vocational and teacher education. The Hague: Education Sector Employment.

University of Potsdam

Prof. Miriam Vock, Founder

REFUGEE TEACHER PROGRAM

Began in 2016

Goals

Give refugee teachers opportunity for work in Germany.

Enrich German university system with culturally and linguistically diverse teacher students.

Promote intercultural learning and internationalization at home.

FEW TEACHERS OF MIGRANT BACKGROUND

Students with migrant/minority backgrounds are more likely to drop out of initial teacher education.

Ethnic minority educators in elementary and secondary school leave their schools and academic departments at higher rates than ethnic majority educators

(European Commission, Education and Training, 2016)

BARRIERS TO STAYING IN TEACHING PROFESSION

“…burn-out due to working in less well-resourced schools, relative marginalization/isolation as the ‘minority staff member’ within the teaching workforce, a lack of desire to play the role of the intercultural ambassador, risk of discrimination in the workplace, and a lack of career progression” (European Commission Report, 2016, pg. 10).

TEACHERS OF MIGRANT BACKGROUND

What are everyday experiences of teachers of migrant background in the classroom?

What are challenges?

What are protective factors that address barriers to staying in the profession?

What promotes a sense of belonging to school?

https://www.cdme-potsdam.de/https://www.cdme-potsdam.de/

KEYNOTES

James Banks

Natasha WarikooKaren Phalet

Hiro Yoshikawa

Dina Birman

Call for Papers

Special Section in the International Journal of Psychologyon “Cultural Diversity, Migration, and Education”

Deadline for Letters of Intent is August 15, 2018

Guest Editors are Linda Juang and Maja Schachner

For more information:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1464066x/homepage/call_for_papers.htm

Dank je!