Challenges Facing Immigrant Students in US Public Schools From Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Framework: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review analyzed 43 empirical studies on the challenges faced by immigrant students in US K-12 schools through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework. An inductive thematic analysis revealed seven key challenges, primarily concentrated at the micro- and macrosystem levels, though themes were addressed across multiple systems. These findings underscore the complex, multi-level nature of the challenges and offer critical insights for shaping education policies and practices that address the unique needs of immigrant students.

Keywords

educational studies language policy social emotional,human development

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References

The reviewed studies are indicated with (#number) at the end of each reference. The numbering does not correspond to alphabetical order; instead, the studies are listed in the order in which they appeared in the database system during the researchers’ initial search.

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