Portraits of young refugee women’s identities, experiences, and beliefs in relation to college-going
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2023-07-31
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<jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>This study aims to explore the stories of two young refugee women, Sue Mar and Amora, and how their adolescent identities, experiences, and beliefs, partially shaped by their English teacher, helped pave their paths to higher education.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>This study is guided by the lens of critical literacy as “a way of being and doing” (Vasquez <jats:italic>et al.</jats:italic>, 2019). The authors chose portraiture, a participant-centered methodology, as a response to the historical marginalization of refugees, to bring their voices to the forefront (Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis, 1997). They draw from interviews conducted with Sue Mar and Amora, document analysis, and an interview with the English teacher.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>In Sue Mar and Amora’s portraits, aspiration and determination are seen as primary factors in their college-going. In addition, Sue Mar and Amora were propelled by their English teacher’s support through the cultivation of a loving relationship, high expectations, and critical pedagogical practices. Their family and community fostered beliefs about the power and potential of education, and other refugees served as important role models.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Research limitations/implications</jats:title> <jats:p>Researchers should explore refugee students’ experiences accessing higher education.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Practical implications</jats:title> <jats:p>English educators should connect literature to the lived experiences of their students to show that they value their students’ knowledge and past experiences.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Social implications</jats:title> <jats:p>Policymakers should consider the role that community colleges play in the lives of refugee students and should support programs including tuition reduction for refugee students.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>As only 6% of refugees currently attend college (UNHCR, 2023), it is essential to understand factors that contributed to students’ college-going.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
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Mann, Jennifer C, and Alison McGlinn Turner (2023). Portraits of young refugee women’s identities, experiences, and beliefs in relation to college-going. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 22(3). pp. 368–380. 10.1108/etpc-07-2022-0085 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/28790.
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Jennifer Mann
Jennifer C. Mann, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist at the Center for Child and Family Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, where she conducts equity-centered education research focused on students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds and teaches Child Policy Research courses.
Dr. Mann leads the Critical In-Depth Reading and Wellbeing (CIDR) project, a five-year, school-based research and professional learning initiative that examines how literacy instruction can support adolescent wellbeing for students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. Grounded in social-emotional learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and critical literacy, CIDR partners with North Carolina school districts to work with middle and high school ESL teachers and students. Using mixed-methods research, the project studies how teacher beliefs, instructional practices, and student outcomes shift over time, with the goal of developing a flexible, scalable model that advances literacy, language, and wellbeing.
In addition, Dr. Mann supports research on BELLA (Bridging English Language Learning and Academics), which focuses on designing and testing asset-based professional learning to strengthen literacy instruction for educators of multilingual learners.
As part of Duke’s Program in Education, Dr. Mann contributes to the strategic growth of Duke TeachHouse, supporting program development, funding acquisition, and long-term sustainability for equity-minded early career teachers. In addition, Dr. Mann co-leads a Bass Connections team focused on scaling Duke TeachHouse. Dr. Mann also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Duke’s Program in Education, where she teaches Instructional Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners.
With two decades of experience as an educator and teacher educator, she has taught high school English, elementary and adult ESL, and undergraduate and graduate pre-service teachers. She earned her Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences from North Carolina State University, with a specialization in Literacy and English Language Arts.
Dr. Mann’s research interests include immigrant and refugee students, teacher professional learning, and participatory qualitative methodologies.
Areas of Expertise
- K-12 Education
- ESL Education
- English Language Arts
- Refugee & Immigrant Students
- Teacher Education
- Qualitative Research
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