This volume examines the contextual and methodological issues pertaining to studying diverse institutions, and provides effective and useful approaches for higher education administrators, institutional researchers and planners, policymakers, and faculty seeking to better understand students in postsecondary education. It also offers guidelines to asking the right research questions, employing the appropriate research design and methods and analyzing the data with respect to the unique context of colleges and universities.

Studying Diversity in Teacher Education is a collaborative effort by experts seeking to elucidate one of the most important issues facing education today. First, the volume examines historically persistent, yet unresolved issues in teacher education and presents research that is currently being done to address these issues. Second, it centers on research on diverse populations, bringing together both research on diversity and research on diversity in teacher education. The contributors present frameworks, perspectives and paradigms that have implications for reframing research on complex issues that are often ignored or treated too simplistically in teacher education literature. Concluding the volume with an agenda for future research and a guide for preparing teachers for diversity education in a global context, the contributors provide a solid foundation for all educators. Studying Diversity in Teacher Education is a vital resource for all those interested in diversity and education research.

The United States is rapidly transforming into one of the most racially and ethnically diverse nations in the world. Groups commonly referred to as minorities-including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives-are the fastest growing segments of the population and emerging as the nation's majority. Despite the rapid growth of racial and ethnic minority groups, their representation among the nation's health professionals has grown only modestly in the past 25 years. This alarming disparity has prompted the recent creation of initiatives to increase diversity in health professions. In the Nation's Compelling Interest considers the benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity, and identifies institutional and policy-level mechanisms to garner broad support among health professions leaders, community members, and other key stakeholders to implement these strategies. Assessing the potential benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals will improve the access to and quality of healthcare for all Americans.

In addition to many other issues that touch higher education around the world, diversity and equity in higher education is fast becoming a major opportunity and challenge to institutions, countries and regions. The increasing centrality of diversity is fueled in part by changing demographics, immigration, social movements, calls for remedies to historic grievances, and the relationship between identity and access to power. This book will provide an opportunity to look at efforts at institutional change with respect to diversity in several countries where issues of diversity are moving beyond simply access for diverse populations to efforts at institutional transformation. Its purpose is to provide a comparative perspective with the hope that we will be able to see patterns across these contexts from which we might learn. Amongst other subjects it will address: The historic and contemporary context for diversity Established and emerging salient identities How diversity is framed at a national and institutional level The prevailing strategies and policies for engaging diversity, again at the national and institutional level The role of special purpose institutions This critical book is essential for higher education scholars and practitioners with backgrounds in higher education.

There is considerable interest in diversity within education as our communities become increasingly globalised and the evidence mounts that diversity is in fact the norm within most educational contexts. This book aims to highlight some of the issues surrounding diversity that are apparent in all educational settings regardless of the international location. It seeks to un-pack the range and breadth of diversity that educators are likely to face. In particular, the chapters in this book review research on the potential issues, challenges and possible learning opportunities that may arise for educators as a result of working with diverse learners in diverse educational contexts. As teachers become increasingly accountable for the quality of learning experiences they are under pressure to ensure that discrimination is not only recognised, but addressed in order that all participants experience quality learning environments. Thus each chapter considers a different aspect of diversity, raises issues of concern, at times challenges conventional wisdom and offers insights as to how educators may address these issues in their own context. Each chapter includes an implications section for educators as they seek to provide all learners with environments in which they can engage in quality learning experiences and have equal opportunities.

Teachers have faced serious public critique regarding their effectiveness and professionalism in classrooms. At every level, their work is often measured solely against student achievement outcomes, often on standardized tests (Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002; Ravitch, 2010). Unfortunately, students who are coming from culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse backgrounds are often occupying the bottom rungs regarding academic achievement (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Milner,2010; Hucks, 2014). What are the obstacles and challenges teachers and students face in their respective school settings and how do they grapple with and overcome them? Finally, what do these teachers and students know that motivates and informs their work? The scholars in this volume will take up these questions and share the findings of their research in the field of leadership, teacher education, and achievement. These concerns are not limited to the geographic boundaries of the United States of America. Engaging purposeful teaching is an imperative that concerns students, teachers, teacher educators, educational leaders, and education policy makers around the globe. There are many educators worldwide who are committed to delivering this type of teaching and promoting learning that is engaged and active. The four sections of the book capture the work of educators in teaching in diverse global settings such as the Australia, United Kingdom, Jamaica, Turkey, and across America. As diverse populations of students enter American classrooms, it is important for their teachers to have relatable examples of purposeful teaching that are culturally responsive and culturally relevant.

This volume summarizes what we know about professional schools, transnational campuses, proprietary schools, religious institutions, and corporate universities. As the fabric of higher education becomes more complex and as students take advantage of these specialized educational environments, conducting meaningful and relevant research becomes a challenge. The volume authors argue for the importance of educational context and debunk the one-size-fits-all approach to assessment and evaluation. Each chapter examines the critical areas in need of attention and the implications for institutional research and outcomes assessment. Those approaching the challenge of research and policy analysis within this collage of diverse institutions and distinctive student populations will find this volume to be a valuable guide. This is the 124th issue of the quarterly report New Directions for Institutional Research.