ERIC Number: ED373897
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1994-Apr
Pages: 26
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Cultural Conflict and Struggle: Working and Playing in Learning Centers.
Schmidt, Patricia R.
This ethnographic study examined two bilingual, ethnic-minority children in a developmentally appropriate kindergarten to discover how they worked and played in learning centers. A Vietnamese-Cambodian-American girl and an Indian-American boy were observed two to three times per week throughout the school year. The two children's interactions with other, mainly European-American, students were observed as the children engaged in activities in various learning centers. These centers focused on sand and water play, school readiness, housekeeping, listening to music and stories, discovery learning, block play, writing, art, and math. Additional data were collected through interviews of the two students, their parents, and educators, along with an analysis of student work, report cards, testing information, and classroom materials. The study found that the two children did not have positive social interactions in the learning centers. The Indian-American boy was usually dominated by the other students assigned to the centers. The Vietnamese-Cambodian-American girl usually attempted to dominate, but was swiftly stopped by the other children. Results suggest the need for making kindergarten programs more responsive to the needs of ethnic-minority children. (Contains 60 references. (MDM)
Descriptors: Asian Americans, Bilingual Students, Cambodians, Case Studies, Cultural Differences, Ethnic Bias, Ethnography, Interaction, Kindergarten, Kindergarten Children, Learning Centers (Classroom), Peer Relationship, Primary Education, Program Improvement, Student Attitudes, Student Behavior, Vietnamese People
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A