This study examines the applicability of Critical Race Theory (CRT) beyond its U.S. American origins by analyzing the intersections of state, nation, race, and education in two distinct sociopolitical contexts: South Korea, and Iran. This manuscript explores how education functions as a genealogical site of power mediating relations among the state, nation, race/ethnicity, and social class in the construction and contestation of national identity. In South Korea, historical and contemporary student movements, from anti-colonial struggles and democratization to the Sewol Ferry protests, illustrate how education has served both as a means for producing normative citizens and as a site for cultivating democratic participants through civic resistance. In Iran, educational institutions intersect with gender, ethnicity, and political authority; within a tightly centralized system, CRT and intersectionality illuminate both possibilities and constraints of critical engagement. By situating these two cases within global debates on racialization, class inequality, and nationalism, this paper contributes to a comparative understanding of education as a contested arena where nations are imagined, challenged, and reconfigured. It contributes to scholarship at the intersection of race, class, and nationalism by offering insights into how the state structures and civic actors co-construct the politics of national identity through education in the 21st century while also highlighting the role of racial experiences in these processes.

This study, part of a larger research project, examines the intersectional identities of Asian international teacher educators (AITEs) in U.S. higher education. Grounded in Crenshaw’s (2013) framework of intersectionality, the study explores how AITEs experience systemic marginalization, racialization, and linguistic prejudice in academic spaces, and how these experiences inform their equity-oriented pedagogical approaches. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with six AITEs, the study investigates how intersecting identities shape their professional roles and pedagogical practices. Using an intersectional qualitative methodology that integrates narrative inquiry, document analysis, and thematic analysis, the findings reveal how AITEs negotiate invisibility, institutional constraints, and discrimination. Despite racial, linguistic, and gendered challenges that undermine professional credibility, participants resist marginalization by drawing on non-Western epistemologies, fostering inclusive dialogue, and contesting Eurocentric frameworks. By recognizing their positionality as AITEs and cultivating critical consciousness, participants engage in transformative acts of resistance and liberation. Their identities remain fluid across transnational contexts, positioning them as cultural and epistemological bridges (Coll et al., 2012). This study contributes to scholarship on AITEs’ intersectional experiences and advances critical multicultural education and institutional reform in higher education.

This paper examines the interplay between hegemonic systems, curriculum, and individual consciousness in diverse life contexts. It underscores the need for critical thinking skills and self-examination to challenge hegemonic ideologies embedded within curriculum materials. The paper emphasizes the potential for curriculum to shape and influence consciousness, yet it also highlights the autonomy of consciousness to critically engage with curriculum content. Positionality and identity are explored, illustrating how they impact an individual's social role and their ability to promote social justice. Through the Currere as a autoethnography research method, the paper offers a comprehensive reflection on the author's experiences as an international student in a predominantly white institution. By examining past experiences, decision-making processes, and information sources, the paper explores the impact of hegemonic systems on curriculum and consciousness. The narrative journey highlights the potential for transformative change through critical self-examination and more inclusive curriculum design.

Writing proficiency is important for academic and professional success, yet only one-third of US students write at proficient levels. While Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) has shown effectiveness across different populations, few studies have examined its application in elementary social studies contexts. This study investigated the implementation of STOP DARE+, an SRSD-based writing intervention incorporating reading from social studies source texts and perspective-taking, in a fourth-grade social studies classroom studying the Underground Railroad. The intervention was delivered across 11 sessions to 12 students with diverse learning needs. Writing quality was assessed using the newly developed Multidimensional Spectrum of Holistic Writing Quality scoring tool, alongside genre elements and text production measures. Social validity was evaluated through the Teacher-Informed Perspectives Snapshot (TIPS), a new repeated-measures tool, combined with interviews and student focus groups. Results showed significant improvements in all writing measures with large effect sizes. Students and teachers reported strong positive perceptions of the intervention’s effectiveness and meaningfulness, with students particularly emphasizing the importance of perspective-taking for both academic and social development. The findings suggest that integrating SRSD-based writing instruction with social studies content can enhance both writing skills and critical thinking while fostering deeper engagement with historical events and social justice themes.