Making Space for Storied Leadership in Higher Education: Learning with Migrant and Refugee Populations in Early Childhood and Teacher Education Contexts(Rethinking Higher Education)

This book analyzes stories of university early childhood faculty members, community activists in southern California, and children and the early childhood teacher education students working with them. The grounding of this research is reconceptualization of postmodern narrative theoretical influences. Through narrative inquiry, the book connects ongoing research to ongoing pedagogy. It explores the following research questions: (1) How do learners across generations create, build upon, and reinvent each other’s stories to make new meanings through consideration of family history, multigenerational knowledge, and experiences?; (2) How do learners’ stories offer new possibilities through leadership that connects Global South knowledge with Global North contexts?; (3) In what ways is it possible to use this framework and methodology in Higher Education to promote systemic consistency in promoting social justice that is generatively inclusive? More than half of the research participants have truly lived bi-culturally, many of the children in the early care and education programs in the USA are from Mexico and Central America. These collaborators truly carry their roots with them as they strive for justice and authenticity in early childhood teacher education and community activists working with families and children.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction.- 2 Experts informing early childhood teacher education.- 3 Early childhood studies in higher education: Inclusive design and implementation.- 4 Sharing family story in teacher education to encourage migrating families participation.- 5 Story through professional learning communities to support early childhood leadership and encourage refugee/migrant participation.- 6 Final chapter.

About the Author :
Elizabeth P. Quintero's teaching in higher education has focused on early childhood studies, with an emphasis on literacy and curriculum in communities with migrating families. She has designed and taught courses regarding parent engagement, bilingual education, and curriculum for multilingual students. She was coordinator of Early Childhood Studies at University of Minnesota Duluth, later coordinator of Early Childhood Masters students at NYU and chair of the doctoral committee.  From 2007 to 2018 she was Chair of Early Childhood Studies at CSU Channel Islands and is now Professor Emerita.   Larisa Callaway-Cole is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Education and Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Prior, Larisa spent several years teaching in early childhood and higher education contexts throughout California. Larisa’s research interests focus on the dynamic counternarratives of minoritized children and families, specifically regarding the power of storying and prioritizing loving-relationality in research methodologies.   Adria Taha-Resnick is Lecturer at California State University Channel Islands, School of Education. Adria has served children, families and early care and education teacher development throughout California and Texas. Adria’s interests include leadership development of early childhood professionals and examining the traditional discourse of quality across cultural contexts.