Multicultural Education, Teacher Education, and Early Childhood Education

Multicultural Education

The Multicultural Education research area explores the theoretical, conceptual, and practical issues of diversity and their relationships to education. A fundamental aspect of the program explores transformation — of self, schools, schooling, and society, through a variety of theoretical lenses, including critical, feminist, sociocultural, post-colonial, postmodern, and post-structural.

The graduate program is flexible so that students can focus on a specific area as well as take courses widely to inform their study. Students with an interest in multicultural education should meet with their advisors to design a program of study that prepares them to conduct high quality research in the field.

Teacher Education

Students in the Teacher Education research area have a wide variety of research opportunities, coursework, and faculty expertise to draw upon.

Scholars in fields ranging from science and math education to multicultural education and early childhood education have active research programs related to the preparation and continuing professional development of school teachers at all grade levels. Strong relationships with schools in our Partnership School Network offer rich and compelling environments for study and collaborative work.

Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education research area takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the lives of children, with a particular focus on birth to age eight. Faculty and students study contexts (child care, elementary schools, homes, communities, policies, time periods), actors (children, parents, teachers, policy makers), and constructs (readiness, pre-K, risk, and resilience) using a variety of methods and theoretical perspectives.

Early Childhood Education students design a program of study that will inform their interests, with a strong focus on methodological preparation. PhD students have diverse opportunities for support, including teaching assistantships in the Early Childhood/ESL Teacher Education program and program assistantships on research projects with faculty.

Graduates have taken positions in higher education institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, Kent State University, and University of West Virginia; they continue as teaching professionals, or enter administration.