Education, Democracy and Social Justice Research Group

Dr. Assaf Meshulam

Researches

1. School Choice in Middle-Class Minoritized Communities: Arab-Palestinian Parental Choice in Israel
This study explores the school choice of middle-class Arab-Palestinian parents in Israel, aiming to contribute to existing research and knowledge on how middle-class parents from minoritized communities choose schools for their children. At the base of the study are two sociological phenomena that have emerged in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel over the past few decades: the reemergence of a middle class and migration to Jewish towns. The study examines the possible impact and connection of these two phenomena in relation to middle-class Arab-Palestinian school choice.

This study is funded by the Israel Science Foundation.

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2. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Arab-Palestinian Education System 
This study explores features of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy relating to Arab-Palestinian society in Israel. An extensive body of knowledge/literature explores the contribution of culturally relevant pedagogy to advancing minoritized groups and empowering marginalized pupils. The Arab education system in Israel is a unique phenomenon in being a separate public system for a minoritized population, administered in the minority language, and where instruction is conducted by teachers from the minoritized community. At the same time, the Arab education system is navigated by senior bureaucrats and administrators from the Jewish dominant culture. In this reality, almost no knowledge has been collected on culturally relevant pedagogy relating to Arab-Palestinian society in Israel. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to examine manifestations of culturally relevant pedagogy in this context and to suggest possible practices for adoption in Arab-Palestinian schools and teacher training programs.

This study is being conducted in collaboration/partnership with the Office of the Chief Scientist, Israel Ministry of Education

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3. Marginalization- and Poverty-Aware Pedagogy: Practices and Discourse of Homeroom Teachers Working with At-Risk and Marginalized Youth
This study examines and develops the pedagogical discourse and practices of teachers who work with youth living in poverty and social marginalization. A participatory action study, it is being conducted in collaboration with the Branco Weiss Institute's “Schools for At-Risk Students" network in two high schools in the social and geographical periphery of Israel.

The collaborative work in this framework enables the following: (1) identification and mapping of conceptions, discourse, and practices of teachers who work with at-risk, socially marginalized youth; and (2) collaborative development of a poverty-aware and social-marginalization aware pedagogical paradigm, as well as conceptualizations and refinement of practices that can support the paradigm.

The study is co-led with Professor Michal Krumer Nevo and in partnership with:
Branco Weiss Institute, Lion Family Foundation and The Center for the Study of Pedagogy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

logos of: Branco Weiss Institute, Lion Family Foundation and The Center for the Study of Pedagogy and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev