Education Commons^™

International K-12 Schools Seeking U.S. Accreditation: An Analysis Of The Rationales Involved In Earning Accreditation Through The Western Association Of Schools And Colleges, Kerri Knapp

Capstone Collection

The international K-12 school market is growing fast, and new international schools are opening every year. Hundreds of those international K-12 schools seek out accreditation to help validate their institution’s authenticity. Accreditation allows potential students and families to trust that the education provided is legitimate according to a set of principles and standards provided by the accreditation organization. Colleges and universities, particularly those in the United States, where thousands of international students strive to be accepted, typically require students to matriculate from an accredited school. With this market growth comes a need for accountability, and therein lies accreditation. The United …

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices Post-Covid: A Classroom Action Project, Jillian Weemaes

MA TESOL Collection

Out of recognition of experienced trauma, trauma-informed practices have existed in schools and classrooms long before the start of the pandemic and will continue to exist and evolve after. Programs need to evolve due to the changing nature of the pandemic such as the possibility of teachers experiencing trauma alongside their students, and distance learning complicating the ability of students to make connections with peers, teachers, and administrators. Limited literature currently exists in the field showcasing how teachers have changed and updated their practices since the start of the pandemic. The objective of this action research is to add to …

Using Social-Emotional Learning To Support Academic Achievement In The Wake Of Covid-19: A Case Study Within Boone County Schools, Jessica Vowell

Capstone Collection

The state of West Virginia has one of the highest national rates of childhood poverty, with 25% of WV children living in poverty as of 2018, and 20% of WV households experiencing food insecurity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Boone County Schools (BCS) is located in southern WV and serves many students who must overcome the academic barriers of poverty, food insecurity, adverse experiences, the lasting effects of a regional opioid epidemic, and now the social, emotional, and academic challenges stemming from COVID-19. Research suggests that helping students in these demographics develop emotional intelligence promotes their academic and even lifelong …

Pathway Provider Programs: The International Student Experience, Aaron A. Mendez

Capstone Collection

As part of their commitment towards internationalization, many higher education institutions seek new recruitment practices to increase international student enrollment, to both enhance cultural diversity and increase the potential for revenue. Partnering with third-party pathway providers offers international students an opportunity to refine their English language skills, all while taking for-credit-bearing academic courses that ultimately prepare them for their second year upon matriculating into their degree-seeking programs. One difference between direct-entry international students and pathway program international students is the additional level of support for the latter.

This study explores the following research question: What are the experiences of international …

Approaches To Narrative Instruction For Second Language Learners, Mathew Peters

MA TESOL Collection

Narratives have reemerged as a dominant form of rhetoric over the last fifty years. This dominant use of narrative discourse has only increased with the rise of social media. Walther Fisher (1987) proposed the narrative paradigm as a unifying theory of human communication. His major claim is that people are inherently storytellers and that people use a narrative rationality and a logic of good reasons to inform their beliefs, values, and actions. This paper utilizes his theories, along with recent findings in neuroscience, to establish an argument for greater inclusion of narratives into second language teaching. Narratives can have a …

Diversity And Worldliness At The Compass School, Luiz A. Batista

Capstone Collection

This paper demonstrates how the application of International Education principles and practices to curricula at the Compass School of Westminster, Vermont would augment worldliness and diversity as well as improve the overall quality of education offered at this secondary school. This research identifies deficiencies in areas pertaining to internationalization and diversity and provides recommendations to remedy these deficiencies. The realization of these recommendations would help to increase students’ preparedness for participation in a globalized society and would provide an enhanced educational experience for all. This research is intended to support faculty and staff at the Compass School by providing an …

L'Enracinement Et L'Ouverture: A Relevant Global Citizenship Education In Senegal, Alanna Margaret Ross

Capstone Collection

As the international community strives to work together to respond to globalization implications in education, global citizenship education (GCE) has become more prominent in the educational agenda of the international community. While much literature has critiqued GCE’s potential neo-imperialist effects in postcolonial context, there have been very few studies that have sought out the voices of key stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers, and school leaders. A total of nineteen school leaders, teachers, parents, and students were interviewed to examine whether they found global citizenship education relevant to students in Senegal. The study found that global citizenship education was perceived …

Creating Global Citizens Through Returnee Programming, Kristen Foos

Capstone Collection

The purpose of study abroad is to facilitate students’ journey to global citizenship and a large part in doing this is having effective returnee programming. This research focused on what type of program models best facilitate this goal and are of interest to students at Washington State University (WSU). To answer this question, 12 WSU peer advisors, 4 global learning advisors at WSU, and 5 global learning advisors at other institutions were all interviewed. Along with that, a survey was sent out to all WSU student who had studied abroad within the past year. The results demonstrated that when WSU …

Designing An Integrated Education And Training Program For English Language Learners At A Community-Based Literacy Organization, Courtney J. Lord

MA TESOL Collection

Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language proficiency, but also help them advance in their educational or career paths. This model has been particularly challenging for community-based literacy organizations (CBLOs) to adopt, as IETs require additional funding streams, collaborative partnerships, and significant support services. In addition, literature regarding how to …

Language Matters: What Are The Primary School Teachers' Perspectives And Lived Experiences Of Burundi's Language Policy?, Leah Passauer

Capstone Collection

Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Burundian language policy dictates that four languages, Kirundi, French, English, and Kiswahili, must be taught starting in the second trimester of grade one. The language policy decision is not an obvious one since the country is linguistically homogenous, meaning that almost the entire population speaks Kirundi as their first language. Primary school teachers in the public education system typically receive training in a vocational setting that may not fully prepare them for the complex multilingual classroom environment they are expected to cultivate. The aim of this small-scale mixed-methods …

Making A Diplomat: Study Abroad Pathways To International Relations Occupations, Anthony E. Ciero

Capstone Collection

This case study surveys and interviews alumni of International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) direct enroll study abroad programs to learn about their post-program career path. ISEP alumni study from and in over 50 countries worldwide. Survey and data analysis methodology for this study used Cognitive Information Processing, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Chaos Theory, and Systems Theory of career development to determine what guides alumni toward or away from international relations (IR) related occupations.

Alumni in IR-related careers usually had an internationalized personal history prior to university and reported that their ISEP program improved their ability to secure and perform their …

La Implementación De La Ley De Educación Sexual Integral (Ley 26.150): Una Comparación Entre Escuelas Secundarias Públicas Y Escuelas Secundarias Privadas Católicas En Caba / The Implementacion Of The Law Of Comprehensive Sexual Education (Law 26.150): A Comparison Between Public And Private Catholic High Schools In Caba, Eve Gertzman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La promulgación de la ley 26.150, también conocida como la Ley de Educación Sexual Integral (ESI) en 2006, dio a todos los docentes de Argentina no sólo la oportunidad, sino también la responsabilidad de enseñar educación sexual sexual de una manera integral en sus aulas. Aunque han transcurrido más de doce años desde su aprobación, la ley no se ha implementado adecuadamente en las distintas regiones del país, incluyendo a la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Recopilando las opiniones y experiencias de tres docentes de escuelas secundarias públicas y privadas católicas en Buenos Aires, este estudio …

La Escuela Chilena En Disputa: Las Perspectivas De Educadores Chilenos Sobre El Aporte De La Educación Popular En Un Contexto De Una Educación Bancaria / The Chilean School In Dispute: The Perspectives Of Chilean Educators On The Contribution Of Popular Education In A Context Of A Banking Education, Brooke Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El enfoque pedagógico dominante del sistema educativo chileno es una educación de tipo “bancaria” como diría Paulo Freire en su libro Pedagogía del Oprimido. Bajo este sistema, los estudiantes son depositarios de información, que está apartado de su realidad, que solo están orientados a la preparación de pruebas estandarizadas. Esto lleva a que los estudiantes salen del sistema educativo sin pensamiento crítico. A pesar del predominio de esta visión, hay proyectos educativos y profesores que apoyan e implementan una pedagogía alternativa, la educación popular (EP). La EP es una pedagogía latinoamericana y problematizadora que enfatiza el pensamiento crítico, la concientización …

“Solo Está Derrotado Quien Deja De Soñar” Un Estudio De La Generación Y Apoyo De Motivación Estudiantil En Escuelas De Reingreso De Santiago, Chile Y Buenos Aires, Argentina Y Su Aplicación A Un Proyecto Material / "Only Those Who Stop Dreaming Are Defeated" A Study Of The Generation And Support Of Student Motivation In Re-Entry Schools Of Santiago, Chile And Buenos Aires, Argentina And Their Application To A Material Project, Emily Beyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este ensayo es parte de un proyecto que examina generación y apoyo de motivación estudiantil en escuelas de reingreso en Santiago, Chile y Buenos Aires, Argentina. El proyecto propuso crear un mural que refleje los resultados de la investigación y en su construcción, crea una representación física de lo que piensan los estudiantes, profesores, y directores sobre la importancia de la educación y luego tener un trabajo escrito que contextualiza el mural dentro de la investigación. La investigación fue hecha a través de entrevistas y observación participativa y examina las razones para motivación y los desafíos que enfrentan en tres …

Education Provision To Internally Displaced Children In Northern Shan And Kachin States In Burma, Nang K Thwe

Capstone Collection

Thousands of people have been displaced from their villages and have remained in the internally displaced camps since the fighting resumed in Northern Shan and Kachin states in Myanmar (Burma) in 2011. Displaced families and children experience a number of challenges in the camps, one of which is access to education. This capstone explores the non-governmental organization professionals’ perspectives about the challenges they face with regards to providing quality education to displaced children in Burma through these research questions: 1) How do NGO professionals address the challenges they experience in the provision of education to internally displaced children in Burma? …

Critical Complexity: A Challenge To Engage For Educators, Elizabeth Johnson

MA TESOL Collection

Education is a means of ensuring the survival of the human race. By passing on knowledge and awareness, humans attempt to craft adaptability of future generations. Adaptability allows humans to respond to unforeseen events that may challenge their survival.

Education is a process that works to achieve change and growth of the individual and the regeneration and transformation of society. The outcomes of interactions in educational systems are uncertain and emergent. Educational systems are open, adaptive, complex, dynamic and non-linear.

In the near past, reducing the complexity of natural and social phenomena has allowed the human race to simplify and …

Assessing Risk: An El Nomad Case Study, Laura Wondra

Capstone Collection

he topic of inquiry for this capstone project is risk management. After realizing that my practicum site, El Nomad Study Abroad Programs, did not have a comprehensive risk management plan, I decided to tackle this issue head-on. My research question is: “What practices in risk management would be best suited to improve El Nomad Study Abroad Program's risk management plan?” After completing an extensive literature review on risk management best practices and completing several interviews with professionals in the field of study abroad, I moved into the risk assessment phase of this capstone project. I created multiple risk assessments for …

The Experience Of Transgender Students In Study Abroad Programming, Nicholas Mcintyre

Capstone Collection

Studying abroad has become a highly valued experience for college students, though the types of participants that study abroad programming attracts tend to be fairly homogenous (Havergal, 2016; IIE, 2017). Sojourners who fall outside this homogeny tend to go unrepresented in study abroad literature and research (Engel, 2017; IIE, 2017). This research will attempt to provide the experiences of one of these unrepresented groups by the answering the following research questions: What is the experience of transgender students in study abroad programming? How can knowledge of this experience inform effective practices to provide transgender students with an experience equitable to …

Advantages & Challenges: An Assessment Of Suny Oneonta's Current Approach To International Student Services, Sarah Busche

Capstone Collection

The decision to become an international student is a choice that is as challenging as it is rewarding, and is one that I am familiar with from both a professional and personal standpoint. Per a recent Open Doors’ account, 1,043,839 students from around the world have made the decision to study in the United States in 2016. These individuals make up 9% of New York State’s student population, and 10.1% of the State University of New York system (SUNY, 2016). Currently SUNY Oneonta is host to 56 of these international students, whom I was excited to work with through my …

Cultivating Peace Through Teaching History In Rwandan Secondary Schools: Opportunities And Challenges, Brittany Fried

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Education has the ability to cultivate a Culture of Peace or Violence. In Rwanda, pre-1994 formal education became a tool for inciting violence by presenting a discriminatory and identity-based view of history. In the 23 years since the genocide, the Rwandan government has propagated education that promotes national unity and decreases division amongst students. The 2015 national competence-based curriculum (CBC), which incorporates the holistic idea of Education for a Culture of Peace (ECOP), is one pertinent example. This study addresses: (1) the historical narrative portrayed in the secondary-level national curriculum and how it is taught, and (2) the opportunities and …

The Dynamics Of Participatory Monitoring And Evaluation (Pm&E) In Traditional Pakistan., Aamer Shams

Capstone Collection

This research seeks to explore the interpretation and application of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) in the context of Educational Empowerment by analyzing insights gathered from multiple stakeholder groups in four cities of Pakistan, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar. Analysis of the findings reveals nuances of PM&E, including “Equality and Equity, Respect and Tolerance” (pg. 58-61) that limit the potential of this transdisciplinary empowerment process. Empowerment and educational programs often employ the continuous processes of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) to gain an understanding of the implementation, efficiency, impact, and overall performance of the program. M&E also provides valuable information about …

Exploring The Strengths And Challenges Of Co-Creation Of Impact Assessments/ Analysis In Rural Communities: Focus: Hotel Con Corazón In Granada, Nicaragua, Johanna Q. Ulseth

Capstone Collection

Hotel con Corazón, a boutique hotel and social enterprise located in Granada, Nicaragua, through its Foundation, invests 100 percent of its profits in local education programs to empower students, their families and the community to build brighter futures. The Foundation works within a rural locality 20 minutes outside of the city, where the majority of the 3,900 inhabitants live in moderate to severe economic poverty. Completing its eighth year of working in the Las Lagunas community, the Foundation was motivated to carry out an impact assessment in order to learn more about the experiences of the different groups of stakeholders …

Using Feedback To Critically Evaluate And Develop As Teachers, Eliza J. Mandel

Sandanona

This lecture discusses the importance of being critical of one’s own teaching and using feedback in the classroom, and teaching context as a whole, to assess one's teaching. Participants will explore some techniques of asking for feedback in ways to ensure the most relevant and useful feedback.

Assessing The Influence Of Career-Linked Experiential Opportunities On The F-1 Undergraduate Student Enrollment Decision-Making Process, Harrison Fuerst

Capstone Collection

International mobility efforts in the United States have garnered increased attention and funding in recent years, with such government-led initiatives as Generation Study Abroad and 100,000 Strong driving up inbound and outbound student numbers. Recent inbound mobility reports from the Institute of International Education show double-digit percentage increases in international student enrollment. Other countries also experiencing an influx of international students continue to research these trends to shape their own education strategies. Research conducted by the International Education Association of Australia points specifically to hands-on professional experience and enhanced employability as key factors important to Australia’s international student population. As …

A Well-Rounded Experience: Connecting The Home Campus To The Study Abroad Experience And The Study Abroad Experience To The Home Campus, Mary Aurora Grandinetti

Capstone Collection

Many small liberal arts colleges across the United States partner with third-party providers or foreign institutions to provide their students with an opportunity to study abroad. Denison University, a small liberal arts school in Ohio, traditionally sends 50% of its student body to study abroad before they graduate. Since students have the option to spend a semester or two participating in study abroad, it is important for the students to be well prepared, for the experience to be integrated into their overall Denison education and for the students to transition back to campus successfully. To determine how students were preparing …

What It Means To Be A Global Campus: A Case Study Of Internationalization On The University Of Washington Campus, Catherine Rock

Capstone Collection

The following paper presents an analysis of internationalization on the University of Washington (UW) campus. The UW attracts students from all over the world each year while also sending students abroad for a quarter or two. The goals and purpose of gaining an international education, however, are not clear. As a result, key stakeholders are often left out of conversations surrounding international education because of a lack of communication and no centralized purpose. These ideas led to a series of research questions including: Should the UW have an official statement on internationalization and international education? What is the current state …

An Analysis Of Vermont Academy's Internationalization Effort, Xiang Wang Mr.

Capstone Collection

While the concept of delivering global education has become a popular trend among American universities and colleges, American secondary schools, particularly independent schools, are also making global educational opportunities available to their students. Vermont Academy, a 141-year-old independent, coeducational, college preparatory and boarding high school in Saxtons River, Vermont, does not have a formal, comprehensive and well-articulated internationalization plan even though various international components have been existing on campus for years. The International Student Program, trimester abroad programs and several global partnerships are some examples of the current internationalization initiatives at Vermont Academy.

The American Council on Education’s CIGE Center …

Program Design, Delivery, And Evaluation: Lpc Us Host Family Program, Gillian Wigton Bell

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper outlines the design, delivery, and evaluation processes of the 2017 LPC US Host Family Program, a short-term, pre-camp host family experience administered by the LPC Board, a US support group of Luethi-Peterson Camps, International. It seeks to evaluate the program effectiveness and to determine a set of recommendations for future organizers, based upon the results of evaluative surveys and literature review.

A full review of the research proposal was conducted by the SIT IRB, due to the sensitive nature of research participants below the age of 18. Once approved, online surveys were disseminated to participating campers, camper …

Student Perspectives On Proficiency-Based Learning In Vermont's High School Completion Program, Hayley J. Shriner

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) paper examines student perspectives on proficiency-based learning at an adult education center in Vermont. Through Vermont’s High School Completion Program (HSCP), adults can earn their high school diplomas through proficiency-based Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs). This qualitative study focuses on high school-aged students who received referrals to the program from area schools within the context of the current shift toward proficiency-based learning mandated by Vermont Act 77. The study draws on resources specific to Act 77, as well as literature on the nationwide trend toward personalized learning and proficiency-based learning. The researcher uses holistic student …

Estudio Acerca Del Apoyo Educacional Y Laboral Para Alumnos En Situación De Discapacidad Intelectual: El Caso De Cinco Instituciones De Educación Especial En Santiago, Viña Del Mar Y San Antonio / Study On Educational And Work Support For Students In Situations Of Intellectual Disability: The Case Of Five Special Education Institutions In Santiago, Viña Del Mar And San Antonio, Sophia Gomez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How effective are special education organizations and programs in helping students with intellectual disabilities with job pursuits, education, and independence?

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to describe the support that students with intellectual disabilities receive from the special education system and how this support promotes autonomy. The specific objectives are to investigate the teachers’ roles, discover the level of autonomy students have, and identify how the education system supports labor insertion.

Antecedents: Historically, job placement has been difficult for people with disabilities. Many people are misinformed regarding their true abilities. There also exists an ignorance …