Kfir Mordechay Publishes New Study on How Schools Experience and Navigate Diversity
Kfir Mordechay, associate professor of education and policy studies at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), has published a new peer-reviewed article exploring how educators perceive and respond to changing student demographics in U.S. schools.
Titled “Getting It “Right”: Educators’ Experiences With School Diversity in a Gentrifying Neighborhood,” the study appears in AERA Open, a journal of the American Educational Research Association. It provides timely insight into how school leaders and teachers define diversity, interpret demographic shifts, and navigate both the benefits and tensions that arise when serving increasingly diverse student populations.
Mordechay’s findings suggest that while many educators view diversity as an asset, there are often unspoken tensions and structural challenges involved in equitably supporting shifting communities. The article recommends that schools adopt a clear, shared vision of diversity—alongside intentional strategies for building trust, distributing power, and fostering inclusive school cultures.
“Diversity is an asset, but our research shows the nuanced structural and cultural work needed to make it work,” said Mordechay.
The study builds on Mordechay’s extensive research on equity, integration, and social policy in education. His work continues to inform education leaders and policymakers committed to advancing inclusive, effective learning environments.