Visiting Research Fellows 2008-09
Getnet Bitew, Ph.D. (Education)
Topic: An Investigation of the College Experience of Latino Students at Goshen College
Dr. Bitew is investigated the curricular and co-curricular experiences of Latino students at Goshen College using questionnaires, interviews, observation and document analysis. Informants included not only the students, but also teachers, parents, staff and non-Latino students. Dr. Bitew sought to contribute to policy and curriculum practices through a deeper understanding of the identity factors and exclusionary forces of students’ College experiences.
Some themes emerged from his interviews, including the need to form a College Support Group for High School Latino Students in the surrounding community. This group’s focus would be to provide orientation about college, availability of opportunities and so on to Latino and other students whose parents may have little experience of higher education.
Lynda Nyce, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Topic: Transnational Migration in the Goshen Context: Implications for Higher Education
Dr. Nyce’s project explored the realities of transnational migrations to and from Goshen. The project contributed to the work of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning by providing both an increased understanding of the community and identification of constraints on the pursuit of higher education among Latinos.
Interviews with members of the community documented the frequency of transnational migrations, the social networks that facilitate both the migrations and acquisition of employment and the narratives of meaning given to these moves.
The project situated understandings of transnational migrations and educational constraints in the context of debates surrounding the enforcement of federal immigration law and of global economic realities.
Three questions guided Dr. Nyce’s research:
- What are the experiences of migration, immigration, and transnational connections of Latinos who are settling in the Goshen and Ligonier area;
- What are the social networks among these Latinos that support daily life;
- How does educational decision-making operate within the life of transnational immigrant families?
The Goshen area has been going through much strain as a result of economic decline. Latino immigrants are leaving or considering leaving the area; Latino immigrant families are living in precarious situations due to the overall economic downturn (e.g. three households combine into one in which 15 people are surviving on one source of income). The informal economy, particularly among undocumented immigrants, is active but not very lucrative.
Resident Faculty Research Fellows
Jerrell Ross Richer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics
Topic: The Economics of Immigration in Elkhart County, Indiana
Economic forces have been prominent in the decisions made by thousands of workers to emigrate from Mexico to northern Indiana over the past decade. The opportunity to earn much higher wages motivated people from Hidalgo and other Mexican states to seek employment in Elkhart and surrounding counties. But during 2008-2009 the national economy experienced an economic slowdown, and the local unemployment rate increased as manufacturers laid off workers and suspended production.
The economic downturn reduced immigration and could even lead to out-migration of both documented and undocumented workers. The decreasing number of Latinos residing in Elkhart County could help ease the local unemployment problem in the short run, but out-migration could also hasten the economic slowdown as the immigrant community reduces its consumption of locally-produced goods and its contribution to the local, state and federal tax base.
The purpose of Dr. Richer’s research project was to investigate how economic forces affect immigration and how immigrants contribute to the local economy in the context of the economic downturn.
Elkhart County has one of the highest Mexican-born population concentrations in the entire United States east of the Mississippi River. 9.1 percent of Elkhart County’s population in 2007 was foreign-born. 12.3 percent of the population speaks Spanish at home, second only to Lake County, a heavily-Latino area southeast of Chicago.
With nearly 40 percent of its workforce dedicated to manufacturing, Elkhart County was hit hard by the economic downturn. The September 2008 unemployment rate for Elkhart County was 9.3 percent, a sharp increase from 4.6 percent in 2007.
Rafael Falcon, Ph.D., Professor of Spanish
Topic: Exploring Cultural Identity and Assimilation with CITL Students
What role should ethnic identity exploration play in supporting the educational experience of Latino students? Dr. Falcon explored cultural identity and assimilation issues among Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning students through group discussions of the book Mi Gente: In Search of the Hispanic Soul and individual interviews.
Dr. Falcon addressed in discussions such as:
- Historical and personal understandings of the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino.”
- Personal cultural identity. Responses to “The Reflection of My Essence” included appreciation for traditional Hispanic values, a relaxed integration into U.S. non-Hispanic culture and a comfortable multicultural balance.
- The short story “Going Home” directed students to reflect on the challenges and aspects of life they would enjoy in returning to the country of their Hispanic origin.
Kevin Gary, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education
Topic: Teacher Interiority and Multicultural Encounters
How can teachers create a space that is hospitable while at the same time challenging students toward a genuine and meaningful intercultural encounter? Drawing on the work of philosophers Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Simone Weil, as well as the writings of multicultural theorists Sonia Nieto and Geneva Gay, Dr. Gary explicated what the dynamics of a genuine and productive intercultural encounter look like and reflected on classroom practice: how teachers nurture, avoid or resist such encounters.
The National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) asks schools of education to assess the dispositions of pre-service teacher candidates. Teacher dispositions are “in the long run, more important than knowledge and skills” for they indicate “predictive patterns of action” (Borko, Liston, & Whitcomb, 2007). Dr. Gary’s overarching aim was to substantively identify teacher dispositions that contribute to student academic success and retention, with a particular focus on Latino students.
Meet Our Visiting Research Fellows 2009-2010
Aliah Carolan-Silva, Ph.D (Education-Curriculum & Instruction)
Topic: The Influence of Latino Students’ Social Networks on Their Academic Achievement
Area of Study: Educational Experience of Latino Students in Local Schools
Dr. Carolan-Silva’s research explores Latino students’ educational experiences through an ethnographic study in local schools. She uses social capital theory to examine Latino youth as they are nested within family, peer, school and community networks and the combination of factors that lead to students’ educational achievements. Through examining how students’ social networks provide a means to attain resources that contribute to educational achievement, she hopes to offer implications for both schools and families about how to better support the education of Latino children.
Meet Our Resident Faculty Research Fellows 2009-2010
David Lind, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Topic: Appraising Community Belonging Through Food & Nutrition: An Exploratory Study of Latino Experience in the Goshen Community
Area of Study: Social/Demographic Context of Latino Students
Transnational migration has created multicultural places across the Midwestern United States. What roles do food and nutrition play in the cultural, economic and social integration of these pluralistic sites? The purpose of Dr. Lind’s research is to identify and explore indicators of community belonging among Latino residents of the Goshen community with particular attention to the relationship between food, food security and community identity.
Christie Bonfiglio, Ph.D. (Education)
Topic: Response to Intervention (RTI) & the Implications for Minority Students and Academic Success
Area of Study: Educational Experience of Latino Students in Local Schools
“Response to Intervention” (RTI) is an emerging approach to the diagnosis of learning disabilities that holds considerable promise as a student with academic deficits is given research-validated interventions, and the student’s progress is monitored frequently to determine if those interventions are sufficient to help the student catch up with his or her peers. If the student fails to show significantly improved academic skills despite several well-designed and implemented interventions, this failure to ‘respond to intervention’ can be viewed as evidence of an underlying learning disability. One advantage of RTI is that it allows schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners rather than waiting for them to fail. Another is that RTI maps those specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student, which can be very helpful to both teachers and parents (Fuchs, Mock, Morgan, & Young, 2003).
Given this information, this project undertakes the RTI approach for identifying local elementary students of color who are in need of early intervention with regards to reading instruction. Such early intervention will validate this process within the local school district and will potentially dissuade inaccurate identification of special educational services for students who are disproportionately represented within such population and offer them an alternative means for success.
Kevin Gary, Ph.D. (Education)
Topic: Teacher Dispositions, Multicultural Education, & the Good Life
Area of Study: Teacher Attrition and the Virtues of Excellent Teachers
Dr. Gary’s research focuses on excellent teachers at diverse schools who have taught for more than seven years, noting how such teachers conceptualize and understand the art of teaching? This study is situated in the context of Richard Ingersoll’s recent and comprehensive report on teacher attrition, which finds that “after just five years, between 40 and 50 percent of all beginning teachers” leave teaching altogether. In short, Dr. Gary’s study seeks to understand what sustains good teachers and how they understand the art of teaching.
Rebecca Horst, M.A. (Campus Ministries – Academic Office)
Topic: Exploring the Convocation and Chapel Experience of Diverse Student Populations at Goshen College
Area of Study: Higher Education Experience of CITL Students
All Goshen College students are required to attend an average of one convocation or chapel service per week as part of their general education program. Because the student population is quite diverse, their experience of this universal requirement is presumed to be quite diverse as well. This project will investigate the convocation and chapel experience of CITL students compared to other student groups. Findings from this project are intended to improve the capacity of convocations and chapel services as venues for intercultural and integrated learning at Goshen College.
Carlos Gutierez, M.A. (Business – Marketing)
Topic: Study of Financial Aid as a Marketing Tool in Recruiting Latino Students
Area of Study: Higher Education Experience of CITL Students
The focus of this study is to examine existing strategies for marketing financial aid information to students and explore whether these methods or strategies are the most effective tools in the recruitment of Latino students in Elkhart County. As part of this process, an analysis of cultural views regarding financial aid (particularly loans) will be examined as well as other factors such as trust, the college’s reputation and families’ economic status. A SWOT and benchmarking analysis will also be performed to study how Goshen College compares with similar size institutions in the marketing of financial aid products to Latino students. Implications and conclusions of this study will be suggested in light of existing motivation and marketing related theories.
Meet Our Visiting Research Fellows 2010-2011
Ruben Viramontez Anguiano, Ph.D (Bowling Green State University, Ass. Prof. of Human Development and Family Science)
Topic: An Ecological Exploration of Intersecting Capitals and Their Impact on the Educational Success of Latino Students in Northeast Indiana
Area of Study: The relationship between the family, community, and institutions for the academic success of Latino students.
The purpose of this study will be to explore how intersecting capitals, including social, cultural and intercultual capital at the familial, school and community impact the educational motivation and success of Latino students at the pre-college and college levels in Northeastern Indiana. The major overarching goal of the study is to understand how families, schools and communities can work together throughout the educational pipeline to ensure the path to higher education for Latino students.
Kim Case, Ph.D. (Higher Education)
Topic: Experiences of African American and Latino College Students in the Classroom and the Teaching Practices that Contribute to Their Learning
Through previous research, much is known about how students learn best and about the teaching practices that facilitate good learning. Unique dynamics within an intercultural classroom can enhance or sometimes hinder student learning. This study will focus on the learning experiences of African American and Latino students by examining students’ classroom experiences alongside the attributes, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and teaching methods of professors who facilitate learning.
Aliah Carolan-Silva, Ph.D. (Education-Curriculum & Instruction)
Topic: The Influence of Latino Students’ Social Networks on Their Academic Achievement
Area of Study: Educational Experience of Latino Students in Local Schools
Dr. Carolan-Silva’s research explores Latino students’ educational experiences through an ethnographic study in local schools. She uses social capital theory to examine Latino youth as they are nested within family, peer, school and community networks and the combination of factors that lead to students’ educational achievements. Through examining how students’ social networks provide a means to attain resources that contribute to educational achievement, she hopes to offer implications for both schools and families about how to better support the education of Latino children.
Meet Our Resident Research Fellows 2010-2011
Christie Bonfiglio, Ph.D. (Education)
Topic: Response to Intervention (RTI) & the Implications for Minority Students and Academic Success
Area of Study: Educational Experience of Latino Students in Local Schools
“Response to Intervention” (RTI) is an emerging approach to the diagnosis of learning disabilities that holds considerable promise as a student with academic deficits is given research-validated interventions, and the student’s progress is monitored frequently to determine if those interventions are sufficient to help the student catch up with his or her peers. If the student fails to show significantly improved academic skills despite several well-designed and implemented interventions, this failure to ‘respond to intervention’ can be viewed as evidence of an underlying learning disability. One advantage of RTI is that it allows schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners rather than waiting for them to fail. Another is that RTI maps those specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student, which can be very helpful to both teachers and parents (Fuchs, Mock, Morgan, & Young, 2003).
Given this information, this project undertakes the RTI approach for identifying local elementary students of color who are in need of early intervention with regards to reading instruction. Such early intervention will validate this process within the local school district and will potentially dissuade inaccurate identification of special educational services for students who are disproportionately represented within such population and offer them an alternative means for success.
Odelet Nance, Ph.D.
Topic: The Efficacy of Internal and External Support Systems for African American Students at Goshen College
Bob Yoder, (Religious Studies)
Topic: Faculty as Faith Mentors to Goshen College Latino/a Students In and Out of the Classroom
Area of Study: This project will explore the role of teaching faculty as “faith mentors” of our Latino/a students by equipping faculty with specific, tangible ways for effective faith mentorship, in and out of the classroom . This project will further explore what it means for Goshen College to be a mentoring environment to our Latino/a students as we reach out to students with diverse theological backgrounds, particularly among our ever-growing Latino/a population. I will draw from the work of Sharon Daloz Parks in her book, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith, from the recent findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion in their book Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, from the findings of The Spirituality in Higher Education project (UCLA) in their book Cultivating the Spirit: How College Can Enhance Students’ Inner Lives, and from other books and resources. This project will also draw from personal and group interviews of both students and faculty.
Christine Noria, Ph.D. (Education)
Topic: The Role of Attribution, Motivation and Belonging for Latino Students in Higher Education
Brenda Srof. (Nursing)
Topic: The Experience of Ethnic Identity Formation and Subsequent Caring Practices Among Latino/a Nursing Graduates
Ethnic identity formation is characterized by self identification, feelings of belong, commitment to a group, and a sense of shared values. The experience of college is an important time for ethnic identity formation as the student navigates the feelings of belonging with one’s own cultural group and the belonging within the context of the college environment. Within the profession of nursing, the experience of belonging is imbedded in the construct of caring as a central construct of the profession. The purpose of this research is to describe the meaning of the experience of ethnic identity formation among Latino/a nursing students as reflected among recent Latino/a nursing graduates. A second purpose of this research is to describe the meaning of the Latino/a student’s journey for his/her own caring practices. The design of this qualitative study is interpretive phenomenology. The purpose of phenomenology is to understand the structure of a concept or phenomenon as a lived experience of the person. The expression of experiences of individuals is formulated into the universal essence of the experience. The study is relevant to the development of the science of nursing and the methodology of nursing education.
Goshen College launches institute focused on Latino educational achievement
The Institute for Latino Educational Achievement (ILEA) is the research arm of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning. The research agenda of the institute is focused on factors that impact the academic success of Latino students in higher education settings, particularly in small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.
Improving the educational success of Latino students is a relevant issue locally, regionally and globally. It also propels us to further our vision of being an influential leader in liberal arts education focusing on international, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and integrative teaching and learning.
Click here to learn more about the Institute for Latino Educational Achievement
In addition to the Institute for Latino Educational Achievement (ILEA), President James E. Brenneman launched two other institutes: the Institute for Ecological Regeneration and the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism. Read more…
New Publication: Latinos in North Central Indiana
The first report examines the recent surge of the Latino population since the early 1990s in the demographic and economic context in three counties of North Central Indiana: St. Joseph, Noble, and Elkhart.
The second report provides a historical account of the settlement and adjustment experience of Latinos in four cities within these counties: South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen, & Ligonier. Through the use of interviews and archival material this component aims to tell a more personal story of the settlement experiences of Latinos to this area.
Finally, the third report provides an assessment of the educational experiences of Latino high school students and their families in South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen, & Ligonier. Specifically, how the educational systems in North Central Indiana are experienced by Latino immigrant students, Latino parents, and school administrators.
Click here to order these reports.
