The Benefits of Diversity what the Research Tells Us

‘Out’ gay and lesbian faculty and the inclusion of sexual orientation topics in teacher preparation programmes in the USA

“…Most obvious is that a professor's teaching emerges from lived experience and the professor's positionality as someone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer will naturally, and rightfully, inform course content (Grace 2006;Pinar 1998;Spurlin 2000). Initially, this may translate into a greater likelihood to engage LGBQ topics in the classroom (akin to the earlier research finding that faculty representing diversity tend to include more diversity topics within their own classrooms) (Herman-Wilmarth 2007;Hurtado 2001;Mayhew and Grunwald 2006;Maruyama and Moreno 2000;Milem 2001;Smith and Schonfeld 2000). Also, LGBQ professors may be more likely to acknowledge how sexual orientation subjectively informs theory, research, and their teaching (Bryson and de Castell 1993;Grace 2006;Gust and Warren 2008).…”

“…faculty of colour and women) are more likely to address diversity topics in their own classes as compared to white, male professors (Hurtado 2001;Mayhew and Grunwald 2006;Maruyama and Moreno 2000;Milem 2001;Smith and Schonfeld 2000;Smolen et al 2006). However, Maruyama and Moreno (2000) also found that while faculty representing diversity tend to include more diversity topics in their own teaching, their presence among faculty appears to have little effect upon the diversity content of their colleagues' courses.…”

Exploring anomalies in Indigenous student engagement: findings from a national Australian survey of undergraduates

“…This research is motivated firstly by social justice imperatives, but also by the recognition that our growing economy needs every available Australian -Indigenous or not -to contribute to national economic sustainability and global competitiveness (Gale & Tranter, 2011). The third imperative is an educational one, since all students benefit cognitively from encounters with diverse peers and perspectives (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005;Smith & Schonfeld, 2000). The research team (in author order) consists of a researcher well versed in collaborative Indigenous research, an Aboriginal researcher with extensive experience and expertise in Indigenous higher education, and a research fellow experienced at running large-scale surveys in Australia and internationally.…”

Discourses on ‘Diversity’: Perspectives from Graduate Programs in Geography in the United States

“…From studies that focus on the positive impacts of diversity on students' educational experiences and development (Astin, 1993;Appel et al, 1996;Smith et al, 1997;Gurin, 1999) to research that highlights the significance of diversity for all students (Carnevale, 1999;Smith & Schonfeld, 2000;Anderson, 2002;Delaney, 2002;Foster & Boehm, 2002;Jones, 2002), the benefits are clear in both undergraduate and graduate education. Social scientists holding doctorates in an array of disciplines, including geography, have reported that understanding diversity is very important in their places of work, often more so than skills such as research design and grant writing (Nerad et al, 2008).…”