Education
- Ed.D. 1988 – University of Georgia at Athens, Social Science Education
- M.A. 1984 – University of Georgia at Athens, Global Education
- B.A. 1982 – Beijing Capital Normal University, China, Chinese Language & Literature
Areas of Expertise
- Transnational Migration and Education of Immigrant Children
- International Education Focusing on Education in China & Several Other Asian Countries
- Teacher Education
- Educational Demography & Mixed Research Methodologies
- Social and Cultural Foundations of Social Studies
- Social Studies Methods (Grades 9-12)
- Diversity Education and Education of Asian Americans
Background
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Beijing, Xue Lan Rong uses her personal and professional backgrounds to create a learning environment in which students gain knowledge, skills and civic values while exploring issues of social consciousness, international affairs and lifelong learning. Her 25-year career includes teaching, research, consultative and administrative experience in the United States and China, including six years as a K-12 literature, history and geography teacher in rural and urban areas of the People’s Republic of China.
Research
Inspired to make a real difference in children’s lives and the society in which they live, Rong uses interdisciplinary research to explore three aspects of educational equality: the education of immigrant children of various ethnic groups; the education of Asian-American children and education in China – especially the education of migrant children in China’s urbanization movement.
Rong’s major contributions to her field include elaborations on theories that conceptualize the relationship between variable educational achievement patterns and the multiple stages of children’s socialization into American society. Her more recent studies, framed with transnational/transcultural migration theories and applying quantitative and qualitative methodologies, attempt to link the updated theories and research findings to educational policies and practices. This research seeks to provide recommendations for schools, immigrant families and their communities so they can help immigrant children adjust to school and society. On the basis of this research, Rong is expanding her research to the transition of rural-urban migrant children in China’s urbanization process, the initial responses from China’s educational systems and its short-and long-term consequences.