Education Commons^™

Mirrors Of Learning: Amplifying Engagement And Retention With Culturally Relevant Teaching In 21st-Century Education, Britney Buckner

Honors College Theses

This research investigates the impact of Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) on student engagement and information retention, in alignment with 21st-century learning objectives. CRT, which incorporates educational content reflecting the diverse identities of students, fosters a deeper connection to the material and aligns with the fundamental purpose of education in preparing students for societal and global contexts. By mirroring their realities in the curriculum, students are motivated to learn and retain information, recognizing its relevance to their lives. This increased retention is essential for accurately assessing student knowledge against state and national benchmarks, indicative of successful 21st-century education. Furthermore, CRT supports …

Exploring Early Language Acquisition Through English And French, Rebecca C. Aguilar

Honors Capstones

Knowing that there is no singular event that leads to learning a language, and factoring in the extent an individual’s culture can affect language learning, this study emphasizes the importance of a cross-linguistic approach to continue to broaden the scope of language acquisition research. The primary objective is to identify and analyze the critical commonalities in the initial stages of learning English and French as first languages through two major categories: speech/language and culture. This project carried out an analytical review of 24 pieces of relevant literature, in both languages, in an effort to highlight key findings. Those findings include: …

Benefits Of Dual Immersion Programs On Elementary School Students, Belle Sanchez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project aims to share the benefits of dual immersion programs in elementary school years. Understanding what a dual immersion program is and knowing the different models within the program allow parents to select which program is best suited for their students. A key point in clarification is that a dual immersion program does not aim to replace an English, or standard, education program, but adds a target language to enhance the students learning. This study looks at the overall benefits that students can gain in elementary school, from kindergarten through fifth grade, sometimes through eighth grade. …

Graduate Student Instructors Coping Strategies And Concurrent Impact On Learning, Teaching, And Research, Razak K. Dwomoh, Boatemaa Tawiah-Sarpong

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Acculturation stress is ubiquitous among international students. There is a preponderance of the use of social support in dealing with stressors by international students. This paper investigates Ghanaian graduate student instructors’ (GGSIs) coping strategies for mitigating stress in learning, teaching, and research. Primary data collection was in-depth semi-structured interviews. Focus group discussions served as complementary data. Seven participants were purposefully selected using a criterion-based selection from a midwestern U.S. public university. Thematic analysis yielded substantial results. The results show that GGSIs use social support for learning, not teaching or research. Preferable strategies for teaching are professional work ethics and setting …

A Memorable Mentor, Sumaiya Haider

be Still

A person can come into your life for a moment, but make an impact that lasts a lifetime. This piece reflects my gratitude for my attending and all the teachers in my life who gave me the opportunity to learn and grow into the person I am today. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

English Teachers' Opinions On Challenges Face In Teaching English As Foreign Language: The Case Of Jalalabad Selected Secondary Schools, Fahim Rahimi, Hangama Samadi

Journal of Research Initiatives

One important goal of teaching is to achieve learning outcomes. It has been observed in universities that many students have different levels of English language proficiency. However, they study in the same English courses at the school level. The main objective of this study is to learn the challenges that exist in teaching the English language as a foreign language in secondary schools that affect the English proficiency of students. In addition, ways in which these challenges will be overcome is reviewed. The data collection tools were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data from English language teachers in selected …

The Motivations Of Learning Foreign Languages: A Descriptive Case Study Of Polyglots, Noprival Noprival, Zainal Rafli, Nuruddin Nuruddin

The Qualitative Report

Polyglots are extraordinary people in terms of language ability. Therefore, it is interesting to academically explore their motivations for learning several languages. This research is novel compared to previous studies because scant extant research exists of polyglots’ motivation for learning several languages. To this end, researchers collected data from semi structured interviews obtained from five informants. The method that we used was a descriptive case study. Findings showed that the polyglots’ motivation for learning multiple foreign languages were (a) pleasure, (b) social intercourse, (c) professional purposes, and (d) academic purposes. Mostly, the previous research revealed that motivation for people learning …

Exploring Teaching Language With Culture, Sixin Fu

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio contains the author's insights into teaching a second language, which she gained while in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University (USU). It is organized in two major sections: teaching perspectives and research perspectives. The content reflects the author’s main focus and value on language teaching as a graduate instructor and student.

In the teaching perspectives section, the author shares the professional environment that she wants to work in, her teaching philosophy statement, and the professional development in language education through observing her colleagues’ teaching. In the research perspectives, two research papers and …

English As A Foreign Language Teachers Tags. Students Perceptions Of The Efl Teachers, Stefany Castiblanco Páez

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

In the process of learning a foreign language, most people consider the teachers’ profile as one of the most determinant factors when deciding whether to enroll in a program of English as a foreign language. Frequently, EFL teachers are tagged under two groups: Native English Speakers or Non-Native English Speakers; and Trained teachers or Untrained teachers. However, EFL teachers who are NNESs usually face some discriminatory practices because, despite having been trained to teach, some companies, colleagues, and students tend to undervalue them. This report seeks to answer the following questions: what are students’ perceptions of EFL teachers at a …

Educating For Global Competence: Co-Constructing Outcomes In The Field: An Action Research Project, Kristina A. Van Winkle

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Capacity building for globally competent educators is a 21st Century imperative to address contemporary complex and constantly changing challenges. This action research project is grounded in positive psychology, positive organizational scholarship, relational cultural theory, and relational leadership practices. It sought to identify adaptive challenges educators face as they try to integrate globally competent teaching practices into their curricula, demonstrate learning and growth experienced by the educators in this project, and provide guidance and solutions to the challenges globally competent educators face. Six educators participated in this three-phase project, which included focus groups, reflective journal entries, and an exit interview. Data …

Using A Smart Phone To Learn Spanish: Does It Work And Will Students Use It?, Andrew J. Demil, Alysha Assaf, Ryan Cragun

The Coastal Review: An Online Peer-reviewed Journal

Over time, mobile devices have penetrated the classroom, requiring new and beneficial ways to implement classroom instruction. Research suggests that Short Message Service (SMS) based instruction is an effective tool for acquiring second language (L2) vocabulary and idiom knowledge (Hayati, Jalilifar, & Mashhadi; Lu,). Additionally, studies have found that students believe that mobile learning (m-learning) is beneficial to acquiring a second language (Cavus & Ibrahim; Hayati, Jalilifar, & Mashhadi; Lu, 2008). This study examined whether m-learning can lead to Spanish vocabulary familiarity and if sentence comprehension outperforms reading definitions. Participants were 29 native English speakers studying Spanish as a second …

El Uso De Canciones En Inglés Como Recurso Didáctico Para Facilitar El Aprendizaje De La Habilidad De Comprensión Oral En Los Estudiantes De Cuarto Grado De La Institución Educativa Distrital Jóse Felíx Restrepo, Liyin Lesson Cordoba Chala, Diego Andres Rocha Lara, Sandra Milena Vanegas Guardo

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

La presente investigación se planteó como objetivo formular una propuesta de intervención pedagógica que, mediante el uso de canciones como recurso didáctico, facilitara el aprendizaje de la habilidad de comprensión oral en inglés en estudiantes de grado cuarto del colegio José Félix Restrepo. Este objetivo implicó la adopción de un enfoque mixto, mediante un método de investigación exploratorio que involucró el desarrollo del diseño instruccional ADDIE (análisis, diseño, desarrollo, implementación y evaluación). Dichas fases contribuyeron a la consolidación de la propuesta y a la recolección de información durante su implementación, la cual se realizó a partir de una prueba diagnóstica, …

Breaking The Secrets Behind The Polyglots: How Do They Acquire Many Languages?, Noprival Noprival, Zainal Rafli, Nuruddin Nuruddin

The Qualitative Report

In this study, participants acquired three types of language, those are regional, national and foreign ones. The purpose of this research was to explore how Indonesian polyglots acquire several different languages. We collected data through demographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews obtained from nine participants. Four salient themes and sub-themes that emerged in this research were (a) mastering languages through instructed learning (learning in formal educational institution and learning in informal educational institution), (b) gaining extra amounts of languages input beyond the classroom (getting more access to a national language environment and getting more access to foreign languages environment), (c) learning …

Variability By Individual Student Characteristics Of Student Satisfaction With Promising International Student Teaching Practices, Clayton A. Smith, George Zhou, Michael Potter, Deena Wang, Miranda Pecoraro, Renan Paulino

Education Publications

This paper explores promising teaching practices for teaching linguistically and culturally diverse international students by identifying the teaching practices that have high levels of international student satisfaction and student perceptions of learning. Data were collected through an online survey at a mid-sized Canadian public comprehensive university. Variability of student satisfaction by individual student characteristics (e.g., level of study, year of study, age, gender, field of study, country of origin, length of time studying outside country of origin, parents’ educational level, and study location) is presented. Recommendations for professional practice are discussed

Playful Practice: The Democratic Potential Of Reacting To The Past As Experiential Learning, Kyle Chong

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

This paper utilises a theoretical approach to discuss the subversive potential of the Reacting to the Past role-playing game pedagogy to expand experiential learning in higher education. Doing so, this paper asserts, also creates experiences that are not simply focused on the vocational outcomes of university education. Rather, that the soft skills and critical civic engagement enabled by focus on argument and rhetoric. These skills are necessary for radical democratic engagement enable more effective public practices of confronting injustice in a neoliberal curricular climate.

The Role Of Icts In The Initial Education Of Foreign Language Teachers, Heisson Javier Sánchez Peña, Andrea Yulitza Castro Gómez

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este informe de semillero de investigación presenta tres constructos teóricos que sirven como base para entender los procesos tecnológicos implicados en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. De igual manera, permite conocer los resultados del análisis de un cuestionario que recoge las opiniones de los estudiantes de primero a sexto semestre, de la Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras, de la universidad de La Salle, sobre el valor de una herramienta tecnológica - curso Pearson English Interactive de la plataforma My English Lab de Pearson- para el aprendizaje del inglés y potenciar el desarrollo de la autonomía, …

Oral History Conversation With Nick Sandoval, Kristina Overman, Parker Shultz, Courtney Coddington, Roc Beas

Philosophy 332: Business Ethics

No abstract provided.

H.E.L.L.A.: A Bay Area Critical Racial Affinity Group Committed To Healing, Empowerment, Love, Liberation, And Action, Farima Pour-Khorshid

School of Education Faculty Research

Despite repeated pleas for diversifying a predominantly White U.S. teacher workforce, a significant teacher diversity gap persists in almost every state of the country (Boser, 2014). Teachers of Color who enter the profession with commitments to social justice, in particular, face an array of racist structural and interpersonal challenges often leading to their burnout and in some cases push out from the field (Kohli & Pizarro, 2016). In response to neoliberal, color evasive, and apolitical approaches to teacher support, educators and organizers have reclaimed and reframed their pedagogies through critical professional development (Kohli, Picower, Martinez, & Ortiz, 2015) to center …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.

Enhancing The Acquisition Of Discipline-Specific Vocabulary Through Student Concordancing, David W. Longstreth Jr.

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This Master’s Project focuses on advanced-level English learners' acquisition of discipline-specific vocabulary as they transition from intensive English programs into English-medium university coursework. During this period, the number of discipline-specific terms students must master quickly and independently can be overwhelming. To address this problem, this M.A. Project argues that vocabulary-acquisition strategies should be foregrounded in intensive English programs, and that instructors should train students to supplement traditional vocabulary learning methods with independent concordancing strategies. Using concordancers, students can research vocabulary items by scanning a corpus (a large collection of texts) to retrieve examples of discipline-specific terms within authentic texts, revealing …

Promoting Completion Of Advance Directives In A Hispanic Religious Congregation: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Luis Daniel San Miguel, Mary Jo Clark

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Hispanics utilize more aggressive medical treatment at the end of life and are less likely to receive end-of-life care consistent with their wishes than nonHispanic Whites. Hispanics are less likely than nonHispanic Whites to have an advance directive (AD). Increasing AD completion among Hispanics can promote end-of-life care consistent with their wishes, diminish healthcare disparities, and eliminate unnecessary healthcare spending. Objectives: To promote completion of advance directives by increasing knowledge, positive attitudes, and comfort with advance care planning (ACP) among Hispanics through culturally sensitive interventions. Intervention: The project was conducted in Spanish and implemented among a …

Imágenes Como Recurso Pedagógico Para La Enseñanza De Vocabulario En Inglés En Estudiantes De Primaria Del Colegio Francisco De Paula Santander Ied, Zuleika Guzmán Torres, Ángela María Lozano Rodríguez, Viviana Brigitte Ruda Espitia, Laura María Vargas Jiménez

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este trabajo de investigación se realizó durante el primer y segundo semestre del 2013 y el primer semestre del 2014. Los objetivos de esta investigación buscan diagnosticar el nivel de inglés de los estudiantes, implementar imágenes como estrategia para la enseñanza de inglés y finalmente evidenciar qué tan efectiva es ésta estrategia. La investigación se realizó bajo la metodología Investigación – Acción con análisis de contenidos. En los resultados se evidencia la efectividad que tuvieron las ayudas visuales desarrolladas durante la práctica pedagógica en el aprendizaje de vocabulario en inglés en los aspectos fonológico, semántico y ortográfico. En el aspecto …

Culturally Relevant Booktalking: Using A Mixed Reality Simulation With Preservice School Librarians, Janice Underwood, Sue Crownfield Kimmel, Danielle Forest, Gail K. Dickinson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The role of school librarians is often overlooked in advancing a respect for cultural diversity among youth, yet librarians are in key positions to champion for social justice reform in educational settings. In this qualitative study, we examine preservice school librarians' experiences with booktalking multicultural literature in a mixed reality simulation environment, as a vehicle to introduce social justice issues. Our purpose was to explore the booktalking experience as a means of developing preservice librarians' understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy, a stance concerned with developing cultural competence and critical consciousness. Our findings revealed that preservice librarians gained different levels of …

Influencia De Las Tic En La Comprensión Lectora De Estudiantes De Primer Grado Del Colegio La Candelaria, Edna Margarita Guzmán Polania

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este proyecto plantea la necesidad de usar las TIC como apoyo pedagógico, describe de qué manera se están usando en el aula, e identifica las ventajas y desventajas frente a la enseñanza y el aprendizaje.Como apoyo pedagógico las TIC no se limitan a emitir información; influyen en procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, especialmente en la comprensión lectora, es el caso particular de este estudio, con los niños de primero de primaria. En ese sentido, el objetivo de esta investigación es identificar los factores que facilitan la comprensión lectora por medio del uso de las TIC, analizar cómo los docentes las aplican en …

Didáctica De La Enseñanza Del Inglés En Los Semestres Primero, Quinto Y Octavo De La Licenciatura En Lengua Castellana, Inglés Y Francés En La Universidad De La Salle, Jenifer Pérez Morales, Diana Yessenia Ramírez Roncancio

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de investigación da cuenta de la descripción de las didácticas del inglés en la Universidad de La Salle de la Licenciatura en Lengua Castellana, Inglés y Francés, así como la identificación de los procesos de enseñanza, la revisión del rol de los actores principales en el proceso didáctico (docente-estudiante) y la explicación de la didácticas de la enseñanza del inglés. Para la fundamentación teórica, se tuvieron en cuenta algunos autores como Alicia Camillioni (2007), Jeremy Harmer (2011) y Nunan (1999) citando a Stephen Krashen, entre otros autores importantes en el tema de esta investigación, la didáctica (didáctica …

Análisis De Las Prácticas De Enseñanza De Un Profesor De Inglés Del Programa De Licenciatura En Lengua Castellana, Inglés Y Francés. Un Estudio De Caso, Bertha Catherine Vela Acosta

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este proyecto de investigación caracteriza las prácticas de enseñanza del inglés de los profesores de la Facultad de Licenciatura en Lengua Castellana, Inglés y Francés, teniendo en cuenta sus propias reflexiones, su papel de profesor universitario, y sus estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje directas e indirectas, así como las teorías y conocimientos aplicados en el aula; indaga por las estrategias didácticas en cuanto al: nivel del docente, a las estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje en educación superior, y el papel del profesor y del estudiante universitario en la docencia del idioma extranjero ELT. Es un estudio de corte cualitativo a …

Community Learning In Alcála De Henares: Symbiotic Learning Blurs The Line Between Teacher And Students, Emily Dushek

International ResearchScape Journal

This article about experiential learning explores the challenges and rewards of international service-learning within a Spanish community in Alcalá de Henares. The paper describes the author’s experience as a teacher of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in Comisiones Obreras (the “Workers’ Commissions”). In order to teach adult learners English, the author developed a form of “symbiotic learning.” This paper is part of the “From Praxis to Press” section of the journal.

The Academic And Cultural Adaptation Of Chinese International Students At Umass Boston: The Struggles And Progress From The Perspectives Of Students And Professors, Pingping Chen, Theodora Chocos, Lorena Fuentes

English Faculty Publication Series

This panel will articulate the struggles and progress of Chinese international students in their learning processes at UMass Boston. Additionally, the challenges some professors have faced in teaching Chinese international students and the pedagogical practice they have used to engage these learners in their courses will be addressed.

This panel was presented as part of the 2014 8th Annual University Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Technology on May 15, 2014. The theme of the conference was "Teaching both What and How for Deep Learning at Every Level."

Redefining Pedagogy: Dialogues On Transformative Immersion, Praxis, And Reflection, William H. Robertson, Judith Munter

William H. Robertson

This article examines transformative teaching and learning in higher education today, with a focus on faculty member as change agent. Developed from fourteen months of ongoing, critical dialogue, the article describes and deconstructs faculty members’ lived experiences as scholars-practitioners in three nations and their corresponding roles in institutions of higher learning in the U.S. As multi-culturally situated practitioners, each one describes the role of diverse international/intercultural lived experiences, including Fulbright exchanges, community based research, and service-learning in and with diverse communities. The voice of an emerging scholar, (graduate student) as discussant is interspersed throughout the dialogue, connecting faculty members’ experiences …

Entre Familia: Immigrant Parents’ Strategies For Involvement In Children’S Schooling, Luis E. Poza, Maneka Deanna Brooks, Guadalupe Valdés

Faculty Publications

Teachers and administrators in schools with large, working-class Latino populations often complain of parents’ indifference or lack of involvement in children’s schooling because of their low visibility at school events and relatively little face-to-face communication with teachers and school administration. In a series of semi-structured interviews with Latino immigrant parents, this study finds that, despite different educational experiences than those of their children in the United States, these parents engage in many of the parent involvement strategies observed by previous research to be most beneficial, though often through avenues bypassing the school itself. This finding presses schools and districts to …