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Developing A Curriculum For Tefl 107: American Childhood Classics, Kendra Hansen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In the last few decades, schools have begun to teach culture concurrently with language. Many teachers see value in teaching culture along with language. However, there are few guidelines on what to teach and what materials to use when incorporating culture into a language class. The purpose of this study is to examine the cultural experiences of native English speakers in the United States to develop a curriculum for the TEFL 107 American Childhood Classics course at Minnesota State University Moorhead. A survey was administered to the student body and the results analyzed with descriptive statistics to discover the most …

An Evaluation Of School Culture And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Jeremy Johns-Klein

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine if a school’s culture impacts student academic achievement due to initial low attainment on state assessments and low graduation rates. The data collected provides both quantitative and qualitative information using a teacher survey, a teacher focus group, administrator interviews, and school achievement data. The results of the study indicate a need for stronger trust between teachers and administrators, increased professional development to support teaching and learning, and improved partnerships with the parents/guardians of the students. An additional result is that the school’s culture for learning can impact the achievement levels of the …

Role Of Culture In Cultivating A Sense Of Self With Responsibility Towards The Community, Jonathan T. Reyes-Carranza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Given the fact that education has not moved beyond the factory models of the 19th century, building strong relationships between the classroom and the home environment is necessary for melding "home" values with "school" practices so that students could see how school builds upon their home culture. This senior capstone research project examines the role of culture in cultivating a sense of self and responsibility towards the community using relevant literature, surveys with CSUMB teaching and learning community, a survey with educators, and interviews with specific religious individuals. Results reveal that culture indeed influences the sense of self-identity, the sense …

Leadership Influence In The Adoption Of Innovation By Critical Care Nurses, Michael Mceachern

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Innovation is critical to the survival and continued success of hospitals. Public and political criticism coalesces around costs, quality, and access. This qualitative research study was conducted to discover strategies that may be useful to nurse managers in supporting innovation adoption. The research design of this case study is useful in understanding how managers and nurses experience innovation in critical care settings. Data collection was carried out on the campus of a university-affiliated research hospital located in the southeastern U.S. A semistructured, protocol-driven, interview process, was used to collect data from 12 participants including nurse leaders and staff nurses. Emphasis …

Transforming Through Power: Teachers And The Negotiation Of Authority In Schools, Madhu Narayanan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Schools are unique institutions where structural and cultural dynamics shape the actions of humans. Teachers work within structures of power to establish themselves as legitimate figures of authority worthy of the right to command respect. Such efforts are complicated by the multi-faceted and swirling relationships of power that exist everywhere in schools, defining and guiding individuals. In this study, I interview and observe the practice of seven secondary teachers working in New York City public schools. All in their third year of teaching, they were at an interesting time in their development, not novice teachers and not quite veteran. Using …

Deaf Cultural Socialization: Exploring The Role Of Parents In Deaf Cultural Identity Development, Macrae Husting

Theses and Dissertations

There is an assumption in the Deaf identity literature that suggests that parents’ hearing status determines the cultural identity and well-being of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. This dissertation challenges that assumption. It does so by proffering an alternative explanation of the role that parents play by introducing two forms of socialization as mechanisms through which parents influence their child’s cultural identity development and well-being. Deaf cultural socialization is the process by which parents transmit messages to children regarding the importance and meaning of Deaf culture and membership in the Deaf community. Minority status socialization is the process by …

Students Of Color Deserve A Chance, Too! A Single-Topic Case Study Of White Female Teachers And Their Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices, Brian Dawson

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) students of color, on average, perform lower than their White peers. Lived experiences and cultural influences of White educators do not match students of color in today’s schools. These differences contribute directly to students of color not experiencing rigorous and high-quality instruction relating to their world. This study used a qualitative single-topic case study research design, utilizing semistructured, individual, face-to-face interviews, and five focus group meetings to gather data. Participating teachers’ experiences, perspectives, and perceptions regarding culturally responsive teaching practices and their personal lived experiences framed this study. The conceptual framework …

Polytechnic Instructors As Scholars: Developing A Culture That Embraces Scholarly Activity, Ian M. Cowley

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) proposes a leadership solution to develop a culture that embraces faculty scholarly activity at a large Canadian polytechnic institution. The recent advent of two baccalaureate degrees at this diploma-offering institute brought with it the provincial government stipulation that faculty teaching in degree programs must be continually engaged in scholarly activity. A previous unsuccessful implementation of this requirement addressed the functional, managerial aspects of conducting research, however faculty were unprepared for the cultural shift necessary to transform them from polytechnic instructors to scholarly polytechnic instructors. Though the requirement to research remains, early attempts at support have …

A Comparative Research Study Of Student-Teacher Relationships In Elementary School In China And America, Menghan Wu

Major Papers

Student-teacher relationships are an important part of schooling. They not only affect students' academic achievements but also affect students' behaviors and attitudes. The history, culture, and society are different in China and America. These differences sometimes lead to different relationships between teachers and students in China and America. This paper focuses on exploring the differences and similarities between the student-teacher relationship in China and America and analyzes some of the key factors that influence these differences. I also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the relationship between teachers and students in China and America, and it proposes that the two …

Full Of Pride: Improving Latino Engagement And Retention In Usd's Lgbt+ Community, Miguel Rios

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my study was to examine and implement strategies that would get gay Latino students at USD to engage more with the LGBT+ community on campus. Using McNiff’s action research method, I researched how I can work effectively with USD’s LGBT+ community to create a more diverse community that enhances the involvement of Latino students. My findings indicate that Latino students choose to explore their LGBT+ identity through other identity-based organizations and that a stronger need for community building is critical to enhance the involvement of Latino students within the LGBT+ community.

Touchstones Of Popular Culture Among Contemporary College Students In The United States, Margaret Thoemke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This report is based on survey research. The survey was sent out to collect popular culture items from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) students to see if there were popular culture items relevant enough to teach to English Learners (ELs) in order for them to be successful. The research showed that there are several genres of popular culture that should be taught to ELs for them to be successful academically and other to have successful interactions with their peers. This report leaves room for further research to be done in the subject as well.

Indigenization Of Genocide Healing: A Grounded Action Of Culturally And Contextually Relevant Educational And Psychosocial Strategies To Reduce Impacts Of Societal Toxic Stress In Rwanda Post-Genocide, Jean Pierre Ndagijimana

Master's Theses

Sixty percent of the current Rwandan population were born after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and those born since or who were young at the time of the genocide have remained among those affected most. Although Western trauma theorists and interventionists have played the role of experts in the genocide healing, the exclusion of the indigenous population’s experiences, knowledge, and wisdom has limited them from meeting local needs. The post-genocide situation raises various issues, genocide ideology, and increasing family homicides; however, locals do not want to seek counseling services, or run the risk of being labeled as mentally ill. …

Cultural Representation In The Classroom, Priscilla R. Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper is to establish the importance of cultural-representation in schools where the majority of the students identify as Latino. The participants for the Capstone Project included a classroom of third-grade students in a public elementary school located on California’s Central Coast. The supporting literature provides additional information on why incorporating culturally-relevant literature is needed. The issue is what books are available to the students that talk about their culture. By providing culturally-relevant books to students in the classroom in hopes to promote a more positive relationship with reading and a personal relationship with attending school. For …

Changing The Narrative: Building A Conceptual Framework For Advocating Representation In History Textbooks, Valerie Paul

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

At a time where Americans are beginning to engage in critical dialogue about the representation of minorities in the media, conversations about representation in education have been somewhat elusive or condensed. With the popular focus for marginalized communities being on issues of stereotype threat, achievement deficits, and culturally responsive pedagogy, it seems that policy makers are often left to make decisions that lack considerable connection between the cognitive, social and emotional implications of inclusivity in educational curriculum. Furthermore, there hasn't appeared to be an extensive analysis of these issues between and among relative disciplines. For example, when we discuss representation …

Becoming Biculturally Competent An Autoethnographic Journey Of A Guera Woman, Bernadette M. Hall-Cuarón

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Becoming Biculturally Competent

an Autoethnographic Journey of a Güera Woman

Bernadette Hall-Cuarón

ABSTRACT

This dissertation represents a personalized account of my lived experiences and analytically describes the autoethnographic and qualitative processes of bicultural development and bicultural competency. My autoethnographic study advocates that cultural self-reflection allows for an accurate determination of one’s cultural-self and more importantly provides an instrumental passageway to cultural awareness, bicultural awareness, and proposedly bicultural competency.

Through the implementation of this qualitative research method, I explored my role as the subject, researcher, and narrator of this autoethnographic examination. This bicultural autoethnography necessitated attending to the details of genuine …

The Impact Of Alcohol Consumption On Academic Success And Athletic Identity In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Zoe E. Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Upon entering college in the United States, students are exposed to alcohol and, relatedly, the potentially dangerous experiences and effects that come with consuming alcohol. This is especially true for collegiate student-athletes, who have been found to have the highest consumption rate among student groups on campus. The purpose of the study was to understand the relationship between how student-athletes at a focus university, a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, experience alcohol consumption, how their consumption affects their academic grade point average (GPA), and how athletic identity plays a role in their experiences. While the research …

Realities Of The First-Year Of Teaching Research On The Inspiration Behind, Reality Of, And Effects Of A First-Year Teacher., Rebecca Peterson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors which lend to and negatively impact student success, taking a specific look at the Pomona area and tracking the experiences of one first-year teacher and three of their students throughout an entire academic year in the charter school setting. Beginning with research on the experiences and beliefs which motivated an individual teacher to join the field of education, it then assesses how the academic and cultural backgrounds of three different students lend to their overall identity and school success. The latter research identifies factors within the city itself which affect …

Early Childhood Teacher Educators Perception Of Their Own Critical Reflection On Race, Ethnicity, And Culture, Nicole Denise Porter

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined three tenured early childhood teacher educators from Northern California community colleges on how they valued critical reflection on race, ethnicity, and culture. A narrative inquiry study was conducted to gather information based on in-depth conversational interviews. A timeline identified key experiences, both personal and professional, as well as educational experiences from elementary through high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate if applicable. The data was collected from the conversational interviews and then analyzed using the transformative learning theory by Mezirow (1991) in identifying key themes. The findings yielded three themes (a) exploring race, ethnicity, and culture, (b) understanding …

The Deaf & Law Enforcement Listening Though Deaf Eyes: A Grounded Theory Approach, John L. Garner

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the perceived and practical schism between deaf society and the police when the deaf attempt to obtain police services. The paper challenges current police culture and operating procedures, which tend to marginalize deaf society and largely ignore the mandates contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This qualitative research project is focused upon perceived law enforcement practices and culture through a multi-layered study of police customs, law, policy, and standard operating procedures as experienced, perceived, and reported by deaf individuals.

A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to examine the way law enforcement is perceived by …

An Exploration Of Deaf Education Through The Experiences Of Culturally Deaf Adults, Stephanie Beatty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf students have unique linguistic and cultural needs that are cultivated in social settings; however, these needs have received minimal consideration from school administrators and policy makers when designing and implementing educational programs. Inquiry regarding how Deaf people learn in social situations and whether these processes are present in formal educational settings is necessary to understand how to better serve this population in school. Observations were used to provide insight on how deaf people teach and learn from one another in social/informal settings. Individual interviews with 11 Deaf people ages 18 to 40 provided insight regarding personal experiences in formal …

Increasing Teacher Retention: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Mentoring And Culture In The Abc County School District, Jimmy Holland Weeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied research study sought to improve the retention rate of beginning teachers through a teacher mentoring program. The need for the teacher retention rate to improve became evident as student achievement fell, new teacher training costs increased, and fewer new teachers entered the teaching profession. Using four elements in this study, mentoring, job-embedded coaching, individual growth plan, and culture development, the program sought to better support new teachers during the first few years of their careers. Surveys, evaluations, collaboration logs, and professional growth plans were used in the study. The findings revealed improvement in the teacher retention rate in …

Cherokee College Students' Experiences With Cultural Incongruence On Primarily Whitestreamed Campuses, Matthew Rom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The persistence rates of Native American students in higher education are lower than other underrepresented groups. Research suggests that the discrepancy could result from factors outside of students' academic knowledge. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how Cherokee students perceive their tribal culture affects their ability to persist at institutions of higher education with a primarily Whitestreamed campus culture. Tharp's cultural compatibility theory and Astin's student involvement theory guided the development of the research questions. The research questions explored potential differences between Cherokee students' tribal culture and the culture these students percieve exists on their college …

Contributors To The Development Of Intercultural Competence In Nursing Students, Esther Zazzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses deal more effectively with cultural diversity when they have an ethnorelative orientation toward cultural difference and commonality on the Intercultural Development Continuum, which was the theoretical framework of this study. Scholarly literature shows limited knowledge on what fosters nurses' intercultural development. Thus, this quantitative, retrospective study was the first investigation in health care in Switzerland conducted on nursing students' orientation on the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and the relationship to student demographic variables. The sample for this secondary data analysis consisted of the IDI results from nursing students enrolled between 2010 and 2016 at the largest nursing college in …

El Texto Literario Para El Desarrollo De Las Destrezas De Comprensión Oral Y De Lectura En La Enseñanza-Aprendizaje Del Español Como Lengua Extranjera, Giselle Nathalie Guavita Gutierrez

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Lengua, cultura y literatura son términos que están estrechamente relacionados. En Colombia hay una falencia en la producción de material didáctico para aprender el español como lengua segunda y extranjera que tome como insumo obras literarias, de esta situación se genera la pregunta ¿Cómo utilizar textos literarios para la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera?, lo que lleva a la propuesta de desarrollar el Audio Libro ELE que tiene como objetivo general, el de servir de refuerzo a estudiantes intermedios y avanzados, en el desarrollo de las destrezas de comprensión oral y de lectura ya que son éstas las que …

The Great Llanerazo: Un Acercamiento A La Cultura Llanera A Través De La Implementación De Un Material Didáctico, Enfocado En La Adquisición De Vocabulario En Inglés Como Lengua Extranjera En Estudiantes De Grado 7º Del Colegio Fabio Riveros De Villanueva, Casanare, Deiby Yessid García Nossa, Laura Katherine Rubio Reyes

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

La cultura ha sido reconocida por diversos autores como el espejo de las interacciones sociales entre los miembros de cada comunidad. La cultura llanera refleja la identidad, costumbres, saberes, estilos de vida y tradiciones de un pueblo que inicialmente se construyó luego de mezclar conocimientos entre comunidades europeas que llegaron a América durante la conquista y comunidades indígenas que ya habitaban la zona. Estas nuevas poblaciones forjaron un estilo de vida único. Por lo tanto, es difícil encontrar materiales educativos que se contextualicen con estas tradiciones. Adicionalmente, distintas editoriales a nivel nacional e internacional que diseñan materiales didácticos para la …

“But How Could We Sing A Song Of The Lord In A Foreign Land?” An Esl/Esp Class For Catholic Immigrants, Mary C. Tillotson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The U.S. Catholic population has a larger proportion of immigrants than the U.S. population at large. The majority of Catholic immigrants come from Latin America and are not native speakers of English. In this qualitative study, I interviewed nine Catholic immigrants from Latin America to better understand their experiences of navigating their Catholic faith in the United States and the role an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class could play in helping them successfully adjust to United States Catholicism. Findings suggest that, beyond a general ESL class, an English-for-specific-purposes class, capitalizing on the universality of Catholicism and specialized for Catholic prayer, liturgy, sacraments, …