Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 13 of 13
Full-Text Articles in Education
A Study Of Six South Texas Mexican Descent Former Students: Elementary School Experiences And Their Influence On The Students' Decision On High School Completion, Lazaro Ramirez
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The purpose of this study was to explore the interactions between elementary school students and school personnel, family members, and community members to identify factors that contributed to South Texas Mexican descent students dropping out of school. A second purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of Mexican descent former high school dropouts’ middle childhood life experiences. A qualitative methodology was utilized for this study. A three-interview series structure was utilized in conducting three one-on-one semi-structured interviews of six South Texas Mexican descent study participants. The findings of the study indicate that student discipline procedures in South Texas schools attended …
Development And Implementation Of Challenge-Based Instruction In Engineering Graphics, Gregory A. Potter
Development And Implementation Of Challenge-Based Instruction In Engineering Graphics, Gregory A. Potter
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This thesis discusses the challenge-based instructional (CBI) lessons currently being developed for the Engineering Graphics course at UTPA. This endeavor concentrates on student retention, as well as the students’ ability to practically apply their new skills. Minority science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students have been found, in recent studies, to depart from STEM undergraduate fields to some extent because of the lack of real world connections to the subject matter. Also, the traditional way of teaching theory first and then assigning a task may actually stifle creative thought and innovation required in later STEM courses. Our use of CBI …
Life Stories Of Four Conjunto Musicians: Adding To The Culturally Relevant Curriculum Of The Rio Grande Valley Schools, Andres Martinez
Life Stories Of Four Conjunto Musicians: Adding To The Culturally Relevant Curriculum Of The Rio Grande Valley Schools, Andres Martinez
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study examines music and culture and their importance in the learning process. As early as 1838, Horace Mann and later John Dewey (1916), Tim Brophy (1992) and others were expounding the benefits of music as a necessary element of the school curriculum. Julio Cammarota (2008), Geneva Gay (2000), Alan Singer (1994), Banks and Banks (1989) and others have argued for the importance of culture in the curriculum to enhance learning. Both elements have a unique place in the school curriculum. A brief history of the genre is presented beginning with the early years (mid 1800s), the development years (early …
Creation Of Post Ap Chemistry Class, Julian Medrano
Creation Of Post Ap Chemistry Class, Julian Medrano
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The creation of a Post AP Chemistry Class to be taught at the high school level for grade 12 students is discussed. The class is to be taught under the supervision of the University of Texas Pan American professors and taught by an MS Chemistry teacher, in order to better transition students into upper level chemistry courses beyond Chemistry 1401 and 1402.
Chemical Education Experiences From The English Language Learner Perspective, Annette Flores
Chemical Education Experiences From The English Language Learner Perspective, Annette Flores
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a region populated by Spanish-speaking immigrants and their descendants producing a large English Language Learner (ELL) student population. ELLs have historically had low literacy rates and achievement levels when compared to their counterparts. In order to address this achievement gap, previous research efforts and curriculum interventions have focused on language acquisition as being the determining factor in ELL education, with little attention given to academic content acquisition. More current research efforts have transitioned into English language acquisition through academic content instruction; this present research study specifically focuses on ELL experiences in chemistry. Participants were …
A Study Of Mexican American Education In The Mercedes Independent School District, 1908-2008: Opportunities And Obstacles?, Beatrice De Leon Edwards
A Study Of Mexican American Education In The Mercedes Independent School District, 1908-2008: Opportunities And Obstacles?, Beatrice De Leon Edwards
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study investigates the educational history of the Mercedes Independent School District of deep south Texas during the twentieth century with a focus on the opportunities and challenges encountered by Mexican American schoolchildren who were served by the district. The methodology selected is qualitative research wherein the researcher is the primary instrument collecting the experiences of participants with direct or indirect knowledge of the school district. Also examined are archival documents such as high school yearbooks, graduate pictures, school board minutes, maps, and newspaper articles. The demographics of the school district have changed from an all-Anglo school district at its …
Educational Effects Of Implementing A K-12 Dual Language Instruction Program In A Community With A High Percentage Of Hispanics And Hispanic English Language Learners, Mario A. Ferron
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Hispanic students have historically exhibited an educational achievement gap in a variety of indicators when compared with grade-level peers from other racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. One of the goals of bilingual education research has been the identification of programs and instructional practices that have been shown to be effective in closing the academic achievement gap for Hispanic students. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the academic programs available in one school district in order to identify which program was most effective in helping Hispanic students reach full educational parity with their native English speaking peers as …
Hijos Como Mediadores Lingüísticos Entre Padres Y Diferentes Entidades Sociales, Mercedes Huerta
Hijos Como Mediadores Lingüísticos Entre Padres Y Diferentes Entidades Sociales, Mercedes Huerta
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Este estudio se apoyó fundamentalmente en el análisis de encuestas en las que participaron hijos de familias migrantes. Los encuestados, cuando eran menores de edad, sirvieron como mediadores lingüísticos entre sus padres y diferentes entidades sociales. El objetivo del estudio fue descubrir el impacto emocional, académico, intrafamiliar y social que la experiencia de ser mediadores lingüísticos dejó en la vida de los participantes. Los encuestados, que ahora son mayores de edad, analizaron en retrospectiva las experiencias que vivieron cuando ayudaron a sus padres fungiendo como mediadores lingüísticos. Así mismo, los participantes tuvieron la oportunidad de compartir anécdotas y comentarios con …
A Case Study Of Spanish Language Use In A Texas Border Colonia, Maria E. Diaz
A Case Study Of Spanish Language Use In A Texas Border Colonia, Maria E. Diaz
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This case study reveals a Spanish language marginalization in a South Texas community of mostly Latinos, who are the fastest growing group in the U.S. (Colombi & Roca, 2003); furthermore, approximately 77% of English language learners (ELLs) have Spanish as their heritage language (Hopstock & Stephenson, 2003). Nevertheless, ELLs do not receive much academic literacy support in their first language in many schools (Zehler et al., 2003). Thus, out-of- school social practices play an important role on maintaining a native language (e.g., Burrows-Goodwill, 2009; Reyes, 2006). However, researchers have not explored this phenomenon in Texas border colonias, or unincorporated areas …
At-Risk Hispanic Students' Perception Of Afterschool Programs: A New Model Targeting The Needs Of English Language Learners, Cynthia Wise Galvan
At-Risk Hispanic Students' Perception Of Afterschool Programs: A New Model Targeting The Needs Of English Language Learners, Cynthia Wise Galvan
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The purpose of this study was to explore 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) as support systems for at-risk Hispanic youth. Expanding upon previous theories that analyzed afterschool programs and bilingual programs separately, this study sought to understand how 3rd, 4th and 5th grade at-risk Hispanic youth attending the 21st CCLC, Afterschool Centers on Education, perceive the afterschool programs in a small school district in South Texas. The study analyzed five afterschool program constructs pertaining to what literature says are best practices for afterschool programs and bilingual programs inclusive of safety, self-esteem, interactive, and engaging, language, and cultural characteristics. This …
Attitudes Of Parents And Teachers Toward Bilingual Education, Gilda Rios
Attitudes Of Parents And Teachers Toward Bilingual Education, Gilda Rios
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The importance of bilingual education has caught the attention of public school administrators. The current study used a quantitative approach to investigate the perceptions of bilingual education of teachers and parents from a selected elementary school in South Texas. Bilingual education is used in this study to describe the study of two languages among students. The term “bilingual education” can have multiple meanings to many people so we wanted to understand what people believed of educating students among two languages being that the area in which this study was conducted has traditionally rejected bilingual education. There were a total of …
Inglés Con Barreras, Monica D. Pestana
Inglés Con Barreras, Monica D. Pestana
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
El propósito principal de esta tesis es demostrar, por medio del análisis detallado, factores tanto internos como externos, que impiden el aprendizaje de inglés en inmigrantes en Estados Unidos. Se descubrirán situaciones que la sociedad no toma en consideración por el hecho de ser poco notorias al momento de actuar en un grupo opresor. Por otro lado, se darán soluciones a dichos factores que afectan el aprendizaje de una nueva cultura. Se presentarán métodos de enseñanza para inmigrantes de diferentes edades y con diferentes circunstancias, y se intentará entrar en el subconsciente de las personas que crean el problema sin …
Academic And Social Aspects Of Recent Immigrant Children's School Experiences In A Public Elementary School In A U.S.- Mexico Border Town In South Texas, Alicia Judith Bolt
Academic And Social Aspects Of Recent Immigrant Children's School Experiences In A Public Elementary School In A U.S.- Mexico Border Town In South Texas, Alicia Judith Bolt
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
In this study I examined school experiences of recent immigrant students who came to the Ollin South elementary school in Texas, U.S., with prior schooling in Yolitzli, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Using an ethnographic perspective, I analyzed how children and their parents and teachers described children's schooling experiences, challenges, and transition processes. I conducted semi-structured and open-ended interviews with ten students enrolled in 1st through 5th grade in a public elementary school in Ollin, Texas. I also interviewed the parents and teachers of the students to gain a broader perspective of student experiences and schooling processes on both sides of the border. …