Education Commons^™

Improving The Ninth Grade On-Track For Native American Students, Charles Summers

Doctor of Education (EdD)

I conducted this improvement science dissertation in practice (ISDiP) to determine what strategies could be implemented to improve percentage of the ninth-grade Native American students on-track for graduation. This study provides high schools with information that can be used to positively impact Native American student success in their freshman year of high school. I implemented a strategize, implement, analyze, and reflect (SIAR) cycle with at-risk freshman Native American students to support them at staying on-track with their credits as they moved through their ninth-grade year. A networked improvement community (NIC) met throughout the cycle to collect and analyze data, strategize …

An Improvement Science Approach To Reducing Dual Language Immersion Student Attrition Through Ongoing Parent Learning Activities, Shannon Zavala

Doctor of Education (EdD)

In this improvement science dissertation in practice (ISDiP), I used a continuous improvement cycle to attempt to reduce student attrition in a dual language immersion (DLI) program. The intervention involved DLI parent engagement in the form of monthly parent meetings for one DLI kindergarten class. I also formed a networked improvement community (NIC) with various stakeholders to collaborate in a 90-day strategize, implement, analyze, and reflect (SIAR) cycle. I collected both qualitative and quantitative data throughout the process, and together with my fellow NIC members, we designed the content and structure of four monthly parent meetings. The DLI kindergarten parents …

A Microethnographic Study Of Bilingual Teacher Candidates' Appropriation Of Translanguaging, Jessica Dougherty

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Preparing bilingual teacher candidates is an important task for teacher preparation programs as bilingual education is a growing field. In order to become culturally and linguistically responsive teachers, bilingual teacher candidates need to acquire knowledge and skills of various bilingual approaches. Translanguaging is one approach that equips teacher candidates with a philosophical base and strategy set to meet the needs of bi/multilingual students. Translanguaging is a flexible approach that teacher candidates can incorporate into many ESOL and bilingual program models. This microethnographic study explored how bilingual teacher candidates’ appropriated translanguaging.

This research explored several issues: how bilingual teacher candidates’ appropriate …

Planning For Enrichment And Equity In Dual Language Education: A Study Of Eight Program Master Plans, Charles Merritt

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This qualitative study analyzed eight dual language master plans developed by school districts on the West Coast of the United States. Each of the plans represented one or more dual language programs within each school district. The purpose of the study was to determine how school districts express their priorities for dual language programming. Master plans were analyzed for their structure, rationales, and their intended impact on students and families. Through numerous coding passes, several themes revealed themselves related to proposed benefits to students in language, academics, and social-emotional growth. The findings of this study indicated an informal community of …

Culture And Critical Thinking: Exploring Culturally Informed Reasoning Processes In A Lebanese University Using Think-Aloud Protocols, William Merrifield

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined the role of cultural and contextual factors in the critical thinking processes of bilingual Lebanese undergraduate students. In addition, it investigated whether bilingual students used comparable processes to answer equivalent critical thinking questions in Arabic and English. A purposive sample of 24 upper division undergraduate students enrolled in a Lebanese university completed the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (CCTT) as well as 10 questions from the Sample Reasoning Mindset Test (SRMT). Participants were divided into two similar procedural groups. Group A completed the CCTT and SRMT in Arabic. Group B completed the assessments in English. A …

An Examination Of How Adult English Second Language Learners Learn Pronunciation Skills, Joni Pagnotta

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined research questions regarding differences in intelligibility levels of spoken English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and the use of pronunciation drills between two groups: control and treatment. The goal of this study was to discover if even short-term use of dedicated pronunciation drills (simple tongue twisters and voice exercises) in the EFL classroom was sufficient to significantly improve pronunciation in the target language. This study also examined some of the historical pedagogies and methodologies used in pronunciation teaching. Lastly, this research investigated whether or not there were any correlations between the use of and non-use of dedicated …

A Critical Analysis Of Multiculturalism, Cultural Competence, And Cultural Humility: An Examination Of Potential Training Opportunities For Pre-Service Teachers, Elizabeth A. Nolan

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This dissertation is a critical analysis of the concepts of multiculturalism, cultural competence, and cultural humility. The intent is to examine the historical background of these concepts, the changing demographics of the United States that are forcing an assessment of the meaning of these terms (especially the frequently used notion of multiculturalism), and comparison of cultural competence and cultural humility. The dissertation also engages in a reflection on new possibilities and opportunities offered by a focus on cultural humility for pre-service teacher training.

Acronyms And Identities: The Perceptions Of Latino Teenagers Regarding Their Experiences As Long-Term Second Language Learners, Kristina E. Granby

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of older Latino teenagers regarding their experiences as long-term English language learners. The data were gained from in-depth interviews based on a phenomenological methodology. The participants were interviewed individually using a modified three-part interview structure. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using initial and thematic coding to identify common and related themes. The data was presented primarily using participant quotes to illustrate identified themes. The results of the study were organized into three major aspects of the culturally and linguistically diverse participants’ life experiences: Articulations of Personal …