Education Commons^™

Effects Of Incorporating Multiculturalism In A High School Civics Classroom For Increased Student Interest And Engagement, Alison Beatt Ellertson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study is, what are the effects of incorporating multiculturalism in a high school civics classroom for increased student interest and engagement? This action research study was conducted in a ninth grade civics classroom over the course of three weeks and in three separate class periods. There were 85 students included in the research. Students were observed, interviewed and participated in a survey. The research compared a unit that had limited multicultural elements to a unit that fit a multicultural framework and curriculum. Findings suggest that relevancy is key to keeping students interest and introducing …

What Makes An Effective Bullying Prevention Program In Urban Middle Schools?, Diane Louise Durnick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-bullying curriculums and programs available for middle schools to reduce bullying behaviors among students. Research involved identifying what has been proven to reduce bullying behaviors in schools, as well as, what students say best reduces bully behaviors at school. The curriculums were then evaluated against proven best practices, and a whole-school plan was created to apply at an urban middle school incorporating the best strategies to be most effective in reducing bullying behaviors.

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 …

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 …

Critical Literacy For Linguistically Diverse Students, Jennifer Ann King

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is how can a critical literacy unit on exploring identity enable secondary ELLs to find voice and take action? It documents the creation of a twelve lesson unit organized around three target texts and one digital storytelling project. These lessons blend the components of the SIOP Model for effective instruction of English learners (Echevarría, Short, and Vogt, 2013) with activities to promote critical literacy. Additionally, the author documents the relevant research used in the creation of the curriculum along with the successes and challenges of the curriculum development process. In reflecting on the …

Exploring Attitudes Toward Teacher Led Parent Advocacy Models That Address Racial Education Inequity, Paula Yadel Cole

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The question addressed in this project is, “what are teachers and parents’ attitudes toward a teacher led parent advocacy model that addresses education inequity in Minnesota?” The premise of this work is that according to available research, current models for parent engagement in schools are not relevant to families of color. In depth interviews were conducted to understand how six families perceive the education system and how empowered they feel about leading their children towards higher education. The author also collected questionnaire responses to investigate how teachers feel about leading instruction at a potential parent leadership academy. The findings conclude …

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 …

How Can Critical Literacy Be Used To Address Social Justice Issues Through A First Grade Social Studies Read Aloud Curriculum?, Katie L. Lorenz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can critical literacy be used to address social justice issues through a first grade social studies read aloud curriculum? The goal of research was to create a read aloud unit that reinforces social studies standards while addressing social justice issues and teaching students to evaluate text and challenge the power of text through a critical literacy approach to instruction. This curriculum relies on current research pertaining to critical literacy, effective classroom read aloud practices, and a backward design lesson template model. The author describes the details of the curriculum and connects …

Former English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their K-12 Educational Experiences, Corissa Rae Michaelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study four former English learners between the ages of 21 and 24 were interviewed in order to answer the following questions: What perceptions do participants have of their K-12 educational experiences? What perceptions do participants have regarding deficit thinking in their K-12 educational experiences? What responses do participants have to deficit thinking they might have experienced? What in-school factors, if any, might have improved participants’ educational experiences? Data from individual interviews was analyzed using the constant-comparison method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Major findings of this study were that participants had a more positive learning experience in ESL …

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.

Culturally Responsive Math Curriculum: First Grade Dual Language Immersion Addition Unit, Alia R. Morales Towns

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The results of state educational testing show achievement gaps between students of color and white students in many states. This gap is also found in the testing data for school districts that implement dual language immersion using English and Spanish. Research demonstrates that curricula that incorporate theories and practices related to equity, social justice and culturally and linguistically responsive instruction can support efforts to close the gap in achievement. The purpose of this project was to create a standards-based, culturally and linguistically responsive mathematics unit of study, with a focus on social justice, to begin to close the racial achievement …

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 …

The Beauty Of Hatred: The Mcdonogh Three’S Untold Stories, Leslie Theresa Hitchens

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The Beauty of Hatred is a dissertation written to share the lived experiences of three primary participants of the educational desegregation movement of New Orleans public schools through a qualitative research approach. The methods used in this research were focus group interviews and document analysis. Two interviews were conducted to gather information about the events of the November 14, 1960 desegregation and their reflections on how it shaped their lives. The participants recalled life events from their experiences desegregating McDonough 19 in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans. This study focuses on the primary experiences of Gail Etienne, Leona …

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 …