Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Influencing The Persistence Of Ged Students, David Foster Wilson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was, What factors influence the persistence of GED students? The motivation for this project was the author’s involvement as a teacher in an Adult Education Program. Eighteen students were briefly surveyed and 3 students were interviewed at length to find out more about positive and negative factors that influenced their academic path. The results, particularly from the interviews, provided the key findings that students benefit from a strong team of support, a positive, determined attitude and mindset, and the motivation of working toward a better future.

Using Critical Literacy To Build Community Among Minority Adolescents, Julia Quinn Moe

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Studies continue to show the alarming achievement gap between white and minority students throughout the United States. The purpose of this capstone was to explore how critical literacy can be used to build classroom community among minority adolescents, with the intention of helping diverse learners feel successful in school. Included is research on the effectiveness of and how to use critical literacy practices, the importance of building community in the secondary classroom, and the state of minority education as a whole, encompassing the unique difficulties encountered by minority students in a primarily white school. Three major themes emerged from the …

Benefits Provided To American Indian Youth Through Gidaakiimanaaniwigamig Stem Camps, Kyra Jo Paitrick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

American Indian youth face many adversities. Suicide rates are among the highest in the country. High school graduation rates are the lowest in the country. Many American Indian youth grow up in foster care and some find themselves in juvenile detention centers or gangs. Furthermore, tribal communities are experiencing a shortage of American Indians in the workforce who are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to fill essential positions that sustain the natural resources that are important to the tribe. There are many efforts in Indian Country to be proactive with American Indian youth, providing them with supports …

Professionals Reflect On The Under Representation Of Visitors Of Color In Wilderness Areas, Jessica Iris Ostrov

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to capture the perspectives of five wilderness area staff as they reflect on the scarcity of visitors of color to their places of employment. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn the viewpoints of the participants. Findings suggest that the racialized history of the United States and the framework of inequity in the formation of park systems encouraged the subsequent development of urban identities that have resulted in cultural traits separating many people of color from all peoples' roots in nature. In addition, contemporary barriers due to the opportunity gap for communities of color create …

Improving Cultural Competence And Ell Writing Through Culturally Relevant Digital Storytelling, Julie Robeck Harrell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ELL student writing would improve when students engaged in constructivist storytelling, that is, were allowed to tell their own immigration stories in a digital storytelling platform. The study also sought to ascertain whether the cultural competence of the school as a whole, including staff, students, and families, would be improved by sharing these stories at an all­school International Day

Can’T I Speak Japanese? The Use Of Students’ L1 As A Cognitive Tool For Collaborative Writing Tasks In A Japanese Efl Context, Brian Steven Berning

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers believe that their students should be speaking only English in the classroom; that this will enhance and better their language learning. This study explores the differences in students’ writing between two groups: one that uses only the L2 (English) to collaborate during a pre-writing task, and the second that uses the L2 along with L1 support (English with Japanese support). The question of the study is this: How does the use of L1 as a cognitive tool effect the written L2 output of students working collaboratively compared to the exclusive use of …

A Study Of Effective Teaching Strategies In A Kindergarten Chinese Immersion Class, Shengjia Ni

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is, what teaching methods or strategies are effective in terms of teaching the target language, Chinese, as well as teaching other content areas through the target language for kindergarten students in a Chinese immersion program. The motivating factor for this capstone is the scarcity of existing research about specific teaching methods in this type of schools in the United States. The author looks for the effectiveness of Units of Inquiry learning model by documenting students’ response and reaction for multiple activities or projects. She tries to find out whether such learning model generates …

Assessing The Impact Of Public Secondary School On The Cultural Identities Of Native American Students, Joseph Vincent Hobot

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which public secondary education has impacted the cultural identities of Native American students who were at one time enrolled therein, or regarding their current perspectives on how the cultural identities of youth within their families currently attending a public secondary school are being impacted. The study began with an autoethnographic submission whereby the researcher’s own experience as both a Native American student and educator was also included as a part of the research. From there, additional data was sought and collected through the use of intensive interviews with subjects …

Using Critical-Thinking Strategies To Develop Academic Reading Skills Among Saudi Iep Students, Betsy Lindeman Wong

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone project researches the question, What should be included in a criticalthinking curricular resource guide to address Saudi IEP students’ difficulties with academic reading skills? The author reviews literature documenting the mismatch between the way reading is perceived and taught in Saudi Arabia versus the United States and describes the resulting challenges for Saudi IEP learners seeking to transition to American degree programs. These findings, along with researchers’ recommendations for incorporating critical-thinking strategies into academic reading and writing instruction, inform the design of the author’s curricular resource guide. The guide supports teachers by mapping out specific critical-thinking and reading …

The Pathway To A Senior Housing Officer, A Latino Man’S Journey, Javier Gutierrez

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study presents my experience as a Latino male entering the field of residential life and working my way to a senior level housing officer position. My personal account is situated in the context of the greater societal issues of how identity and mentorship are significant in a successful path into residential life. The significance of this study results from the low number of Latinos obtaining and moving up the ranks in residential life. The number of Latinos in the United States is increasing and the number of Latino students entering higher education is growing. Staffs working in student affairs …

Perceptions Of Cultural And Linguistic Preparedness: Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students’ Beliefs About Their K-12 School Setting, Rebecca Rosenbarker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, do deaf and hard of hearing university students think their K-12 setting prepared them to succeed linguistically and culturally in both the Deaf and hearing communities? This research examines the survey responses of 11 deaf and hard of hearing university students through a mixed-methods approach. Through this research, the following trends were identified. First, the majority of participants found their school setting helped prepare them linguistically and culturally for the hearing world. Next, the majority of students from mainstream settings did not feel their school prepared them linguistically or culturally for the …

Why Are African American Males Dropping Out Of High School? A Case Study, Michael Charles Cochies Knight

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

When hearing the question; why are African American males dropping out of high school? A number of things can come to mind as to what may or may not be some of the reasons. What I have done in this capstone, is set out with the objective of narrowing down the list of possible answers to the research question. To the most poignant research based issues currently afflicting African American male youth, and contributing to the rise in the dropout rate of African American male youth.

Identity-Focused Second Language Acquisition: A Systematic Review Of Classroom Applications, Heather Lynn Stockton

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is, what does research say about identityfocused second language acquisition (SLA) as applied in the classroom? The aim of this study is to provide stakeholders in ESL contexts with an overview of existing research on identity-focused SLA with particular emphasis on classroom applications. This information is investigated in the hopes of uncovering practical tools and strategies for educators to use in support of both SLA and identity development. Identity-based SLA is defined and discussed using Bonny Norton’s (2006) five beliefs about identity as a framework. Twenty-four studies with classroom applications of identity-focused SLA …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Preparation To Meet The Needs Of Secondary English Learners With Limited Formal Education, Kristina Marie Herman Hill

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

As more immigrants and refugees make the Upper Midwest their home, many English Learner (EL) teachers are struggling to meet the various needs of students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), especially at the secondary level. The purpose of this study was to examine secondary teacher perceptions of their preparation to meet the unique needs of SLIFE and to examine what types of preparation would have been helpful to them. Sixteen secondary EL teachers who work with SLIFE were surveyed and four were interviewed to share their perceptions of their preparation. The overall result of the survey was that …

Creating Picture Books That Feature Children Parented By Same-Sex Partners, Kira Lenore Fischler

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is, how can an author create a picture book for children featuring families parented by same-sex partners that provides windows into and mirrors of the lives of those families? This capstone captures the journey of one teacher as she creates a picture book for children that is culturally responsive to the Lesbian/ Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT) community. It presents research on the effects absent narratives have on marginalized populations and how schools respond to children from LGBT families, as well as the different typologies of picture books, guidelines for developmental appropriateness, and advice on the …

Literacy Intervention For Adolescents: A Review Of Spanish Language Heritage Instruction, Heidi Palms

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study is a systematic review of current research regarding Spanish language heritage instruction with a focus on middle and high school. With substantial evidence in the field at the elementary level indicating that literacy development of L1 supports the literacy development of L2, this study seeks to determine what current research shows regarding Spanish heritage instruction in middle and high school. Is there evidence of literacy gains in L2 English due to L1 Spanish instruction during adolescence? The final selection of studies from the systematic review includes a broad range of methodology, and correspondingly produces a broad range of …

Teacher Cognitions In Relation To Pedagogical Practices And Transformative Learning For Purposes Of Pre-Service Teacher Education, Robin Reginald Bell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study purpose is to explore the connection of teacher beliefs, knowledge about education, teaching, and learning in relation to classroom practice of university academics, who use transformative pedagogies to teach education courses on diversity, social justice and equity. The study is built on the assumption that teaching is a cultural construct (Hollins, 2011b). Second, the study is built on the assumption that human learning is a multi-dimensional and complex process mediated through culture and situated in a particular institutional setting (Wertsch et al., 1995).

The study attempts to accomplish this aim through an interpretive, qualitative evaluation of one, African-American …

Exploring How Faculty Members In Higher Education Respond To An Assessment Of Their Intercultural Competency, Naomi Rae Taylor

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the response of faculty members in higher education completing the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to measure their developmental level of intercultural competency. In addition, this study described how faculty members implemented their intercultural development plans (IDPs) and also identified the supports or barriers to their future development of intercultural competency. The literature review examined research on both K-12 and higher education to highlight the problems related to diversity and culturally relevant pedagogy that are consistent at all levels of education. Three case studies and one partial case study were cross-examined to capture the similarities and differences between …