International Journal of Multicultural Education

Negotiating the Global in the Local

Rea Lujić Pikutić — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines how four local teachers at an international school in Croatia construct their professional identities, drawing on Varghese et al.'s (2005) identity framework and Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning. Through semi-structured interviews, findings reveal a daily balancing act: Novice teachers seek legitimacy through institutional alignment, while expert teachers reframe distance from the national curriculum as professional growth. The study urges educational policy-makers to develop professional support that recognizes the unique cultural and linguistic capital of local staff in international school contexts.

Understanding and Enhancing the Peer Support System for International Students

Min-Zih Wei, Emmanuel Manalo — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study explored international tutoring pairs’ strategies in managing tutoring activities and responding to challenges. After a preliminary survey was conducted, individual workshops and follow-up interviews were conducted with nine tutor-tutee pairs in a peer tutoring system for international undergraduates at a Japanese university. All textual data underwent qualitative content analysis, including phases of inductive coding and deductive coding using Topping and Ehly’s (2001) five-subprocess framework. The results revealed diverse interaction patterns and sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in tutoring activities. The findings suggest the importance of concrete orientation explanations and guidance tailored to diverse characteristics of tutor-tutee pairs.

Resistance and Reclamation

Maria Regina Jaga — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This systematic review examines how East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) folktales have been studied, implemented, and theorized in Indonesia’s primary education literature (2010–2025). Using PRISMA procedures, I synthesize empirical, pedagogical, and policy research through third space theory, Indigenous storywork, and decolonial theory. Findings indicate folktales function as linguistically and pedagogically rich resources supporting multilingual identity, multimodal learning, and community-rooted moral reasoning. However, their transformative potential is constrained by assessment regimes, centralized curricular logics, and uneven teacher preparedness. I interpret these patterns as decolonial pause. The review proposes a framework emphasizing linguistic sovereignty, multimodality, and assessment reform to move folktale integration beyond tokenistic inclusion.

Giving Voice, Creating Change

Zenab Eldreny, Ane Turner Johnson — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This constructivist grounded theory study examines how Islamic school teachers adapt social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula for Muslim Middle Eastern American (MMEA) students. Drawing on intensive interviews, focus groups, and graphic elicitation with 20 educators across two North New Jersey USA Islamic schools, three key adaptation areas emerged: promoting cultural awareness, addressing gender roles, and reframing collectivism as a foundational worldview. Findings reveal a critical disconnect between the CASEL framework’s individualistic assumptions and MMEA students’ communal values, challenging SEL’s foundational premises about selfhood and identity. Practical curriculum recommendations are offered with implications for educators in Islamic school and public school settings.

Promoting and Assessing Teacher Intercultural Learning

Jean Kaya, Thu Thi Kim Le, Roswita Dressler, Kimberly Lenters — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This systematic literature review examines 23 empirical studies (2013–2023) on promoting and assessing teachers’ intercultural competence in five English-speaking countries. The findings identify six key approaches: Pedagogical strategies, arts-based reflection, study abroad, experiential learning, technology integration, and professional development. Most studies focused on pre-service teachers, with limited attention to in-service teachers and long-term outcomes. Assessment practices were sparse, often lacking validated, process-oriented tools. This review highlights the need for sustained, reflective, and contextually grounded approaches to both cultivating and evaluating intercultural learning, offering critical insights for teacher educators, policymakers, and researchers committed to advancing culturally responsive teaching.

Developing Liderazgo

Melinda Martin-Beltrán, Astrid Sierra, Sandra Gutiérrez — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

School leaders are key to the success of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs, yet there is limited research on how these leaders develop. In this case study, we examine how a Latina DLBE leader developed liderazgo as she supported her bilingual teachers’ learning. With a critical sociocultural lens conceptualizing development within a collective zone of proximal development (ZPD), we analyzed teacher meetings, co-planning, debriefs, and pláticas. Findings reveal how liderazgo development is a transformational process propelled by three interrelated praxes: commitment to collaborative learning, recognition of systemic inequities, and growing advocacy. Our study contributes to the conceptualization of liderazgo development and offers implications for high-quality and equitable DLBE.

Belonging Experiences of International Graduate Students

Hsin-Ya Tang, Yiying Xiong, Qiuyuan Hui, Shuxin Cheng — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This phenomenological study explored how international graduate students experience and make sense of belonging across academic, social, and institutional contexts. Fifteen international master’s and doctoral students participated. Semi-structured interviews captured students’ lived experiences of belonging, including comfort, connection, recognition, and value. Four themes emerged: (1) core experiences of belonging; (2) contexts for partial belonging; (3) negotiating language, culture, and identity; and (4) diversity paradox and belonging tensions. Findings suggested belonging is a relational, context-dependent process linked to well-being. Institutional efforts fostering inclusion, meaningful relationships, and cross-cultural engagement may support international students’ mental health and academic success.