Not in My Back Yard Inter-cultural Inclusion in

“Not in My Back Yard”: Inter-cultural Inclusion in Educational Systems and in Society Autonomous and Controlled Motivation among Arab Students in Arab Colleges and Multicultural Colleges Basma Jarjoura Oranim Academic College- Israel 7 th January 2015

Presentation Outline § § § § § Background The Research Problem Research Gap Research Objectives Theoretical Conceptualization Research Questions Theoretical Model Proposed Methods of Data Collection & Analysis Results Intermediate Conclusions

Background – The Israeli Arab Society v Comprises nearly 20% of the population (CBS, 2012); v Is an indigenous minority in Israel; v Includes Muslims, Christians and Druze; v Differs from the Jewish majority in religion, language, culture, history, living areas and lifestyle.

Background – The Arab Students v Arab and Jewish schools are segregated; v Comprise 25% of the students in all Israeli education systems; v Arab students in teachers training colleges make up more than 30% of the students in teachers’ colleges in Israel; v And they are mostly females (85%).

Background – Arab & Multicultural Colleges of Education Arab Colleges Multicultural Colleges Are affiliated to the Israeli Ministry of education and the Israeli council for higher education, but specialized for the Arab minority living within Israel. Are a Jewish-oriented, Hebrew-speaking colleges that includes students from different cultures. In these mixed colleges there are in total 7 sections specialized for Arabs.

Background – Multicultural Colleges of Education Multicultural Colleges are also… v Controlled by Jewish hegemony, primarily as a result of sectorial structure of the Israeli education system; v This hegemony is expressed in terms of: § The academic program; § The informal daily routine; (Lev-Ari & Laron, 2013)

Background – Arab Students v More than 48% of the Arab females living in Israel, choose education for their academic training and as their future profession; v Their choice and their experience are structured through the interrelationship between social factors and political factors (Agbaria, 2010).

The Research Problem College student motivation for learning is a consistent problem at all levels of post-secondary education. Faculty and staff at colleges, in private and public universities all sigh on the lack of student motivation to learn (Pintrich & Zusho, 2007). This can have deep implications on the students’ eventual contribution as teachers in the school system.

Research Gap In spite of the growing interest by researchers and state institutions in evaluating teacher training in Israel, the subject of Arab students in teacher training remains relatively far from being well studied compared to Jewish students. Arab students in Arab colleges and multicultural colleges go through different socialization process: academically, pedagogically, psychosocially and linguistically (Agbaria, 2010).

Research Objectives q To get insights on the Arab pre-service teachers’ motivation to learn from a self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985) perspective; q Shed light on what is happening within the confines of the Arab colleges and multicultural colleges - pedagogically and socially.

Theoretical Conceptualization v SDT identifies the core principles underlying sustainable motivation (e. g. , see Deci and Ryan 1985; Ryan and Deci 2000). v It is one of the most comprehensive and empirically supported theories of motivation (Schunk, 2008, p. 248). v It is mainly interested in promoting students’ curiosity in learning, growth in competencies, and wellbeing (Ryan & Weinstein, 2009). v People are viewed as having inherent and deeply evolved propensities to receive knowledge and develop new skills, however SDT argues that these natural propensities can be either supported or diluted by social contexts (Ryan & Weinstein, 2009).

Psychological Needs The main tenets of SDT focus on human beings having three inherent psychological needs (Deci & Ryan, 1985; 1991; 2000; 2008): § Relatedness § Competence § Autonomy

Autonomous and Controlled Motivation v The multidimensional view of SDT motivation distinguishes between: § The quantity, i. e. the amount, or strength of motivation; § The quality or type of motivation. v SDT suggests that higher levels of motivation do not necessarily lead to more required outcomes if the motivation is of a poor quality, for example if the motivation is controlled rather than autonomous in nature (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Research Quantitative Questions 1. Do the autonomous and controlled motivation differ between students in multicultural colleges and students from Arab colleges? 2. Do the variables of interest significantly explain the two types of motivation? 3. Does the college type affect the relationship between those variables and the two types of motivation (moderation)?

Research Qualitative Questions 1. What are the motives behind choosing college type (multicultural vs. Arab)? 2. What are the motives behind choosing special education? 3. What are the students’ learning experiences in Arab colleges and in multicultural colleges?

Theoretical Model Proposed The proposed theoretical model consists of two levels: o A micro level in which the effect of each of the variables of interest on students’ autonomous and controlled motivation was examined. o A macro level in which the effect of the college type (as a moderator) on the relationships between all the above variables and the two types of motivation was examined.

Methods of Data Collection In this research a mixed procedure was used: Closed questionnaires Analysis of two open questions about students’ choices of college type and of special education. Focus groups

Methods of Data Analysis Ø Quantitative Analysis: Multiple Hierarchical Regression Dependent variables • Autonomous motivation • Controlled motivation Independent variables • Socio-demographic characteristics • Hebrew fluency • Choosing the college type and special education department (CCSE) • Autonomy support • Relatedness • Competence • Program evaluation • Interactions between college type and the independent variables Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Ø Qualitative analysis: Was done using content analysis of texts received from open-ended questions in the questionnaire about students' choices and from focus groups.

Quantitative Results v College type: Arab students in Arab colleges have higher autonomous and controlled motivation than those in multicultural colleges; v Furthermore, program evaluation and autonomy support are significant in both types of motivation; • Students that evaluate more positively the department program have higher motivation; • Students with higher autonomy support have higher motivation. v Competence, relatedness and CCSE are significant only with autonomous motivation; • Students with higher competence and feeling of relatedness have higher autonomous motivation; • Students who chose to study special education from free choice (not of any constraint) were found to have higher autonomous motivation.

Quantitative Results (Cont. ) v Hebrew fluency was not found to be significant; v College type as a moderating factor affected part of the previous relationships in autonomous motivation regression model: • Competence: Have higher impact in multicultural colleges; • Relatedness: Have higher impact in multicultural colleges; • Program evaluation: Have lower impact in multicultural colleges. v College type as a moderating factor affected relatedness in controlled motivation regression model: • Relatedness: Have higher impact in multicultural colleges.

Qualitative Results 1. What are the motives behind choosing college type (multicultural vs. Arab)? The motives for choosing multicultural or Arab colleges Multicultural Colleges Arab Colleges § College reputation § Lost selection or default option § Geographical proximity § Parents compliance § University admission difficulties § Search for independence § Cultural, political, language and religion preference § Desire to know the “Other” § Desire to learn in their native § Desire to improve their language Hebrew language § Language barrier

Qualitative Results (Cont. ) 2. What are the motives behind choosing special education? • Majority of voices in both types of colleges have expressed their desire and love for the profession, inner motives to help and contribute in developing the children with special needs. Examples: “Motivation to help children with special needs…” “I love this profession” “My neighbor who has a baby with developmental disorder which made me interested in the domain…”. • Others choice of special Education was as a springboard for further professional development; • Pressure from the environment, parents or other constraints: “At first I wanted to study occupational therapy or communication disorders but was not accepted due to higher admission terms so I chose something a little bit like my subject"

Qualitative Results (Cont. ) 3. What are the students’ learning experiences in Arab colleges and in multicultural colleges? q In both types of colleges, students reported difficulties with dealing and adjusting to overwhelming academic demands; q In multicultural colleges, students face extra difficulties as a result of cultural shock, and the need to adjust to a new place with new and unknown norms and foreign language; q Students In both types of colleges reported that lecturers (especially instructors) have a highly effective influence on their motivation;

Qualitative Results (Cont. ) q Students in multicultural colleges, opposite to their expectations, felt that they were unfairly treated and not supported enough by the Arab lecturers, but were equally treated by the Jewish lecturers. q On the other hand, voices of lack of respect for the Jewish lecturers were heard from students in Arab colleges. q It turns out that some Arab students in multicultural colleges feel isolated and not accepted by the “Other” peers, and experience their study period as difficult, unpleasant, and they “just want to finish my study and get my degree as soon as possible”. q Students face these difficulties by relatedness to students from the same culture, and receiving constant support from their families.

Intermediate Conclusions q Lecturers who facilitates interactive discussions, learn about students’ lives and develop a good relation, can encourage a sense of social integration, belonging, relatedness and competence; q Student autonomy should be taken into consideration when choosing strategies through which students are motivated for learning and achievement, by sharing enthusiasm for the subject, and making the learning materials more appealing to the student; q Showing patience, persistence and understanding with students’ various difficulties, which can moderate and reduce the students resistance in dealing with their own difficulties;

Intermediate Conclusions (Cont. ) q These results can assist in designing guidelines to the pedagogical supervisors and policy makers; q Running intervention program that will operate in parallel circles; q Develop programs and a support system for new students in particular, and workshops aimed to help students to deal with the challenging and threatening demands they experience, specially in multicultural colleges; q Develop workshops for lecturers, and pedagogical supervisors in order to become more student-oriented, more accessible to students, and responsive to their needs and concerns. q In order to provide the Arab minority with the essential tools to deal with the complex reality of the cultural and national uniqueness in Israel, it is important to start from an early stage, by applying a multiculturalism policy at all educational systems.