Cultivating Lifelong Readers: A Study Of How English Teachers Can Bring Pleasure Back Into The Reading Lives Of Students, Kaylie Jo Schertzing

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has revealed that many of today’s students are not reading for pleasure. Although research shows that recreational reading is linked with academic success, educational policies have left reading for pleasure out of focus and instead emphasize a particular type of reading that is assessed on mandated tests. As a result of curriculum reforms, English Language Arts curriculum has been narrowed and left reading for pleasure out of focus. This project explores the history of curriculum reform in the United States as it relates to the teaching of English Language Arts as well as recent research surrounding how recreational reading …

Identity And Language Socialization Of Asian Transnational Adolescents Across Communities Of Practice: A Critical Narrative Study, Ming-Tso Chien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of the international secondary students in the United States come from Asian countries. Their enrollments are closely connected to the cultural, curricular, and extracurricular diversity of their American schools. Despite their contribution, stereotypical depictions of these students and deficit-informed research still abound in educational settings, leaving serious consequences for the social and academic well-being of the students.

These problematic educational framings about Asian international students and the majoritarian narratives about them are mutually informative. Therefore, to counter the dominant discourses, this multimodal critical narrative study set out to recruit stories from a group of Asian transnational adolescent …

“Reading Is Everywhere:” A Case Study Situating Children's Book Distribution Within The Literacy Practices Of Somali New Mainers, Rachel C H Groenhout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Somalia has a long and rich oral literacy tradition of poetry, proverbs, and songs, while Somalia’s print literacy history has been significantly disrupted by colonization and then the Somali Civil War. Many Somalis have fled the country since the start of the civil war in 1991, and an estimated 10,000 Somalis have made a new home in Maine. When Somali citizens relocated to Maine, they were exposed to Maine’s Raising Readers children’s book distribution program. Raising Readers distributes high-quality, age-appropriate, English-language children’s books during pediatric well-child visits to foster family literacy interactions and children’s emergent literacy skills.

This study explores …

The Impact Of Paired-Partner Reading On Star Reading Scores, Brianna Byer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine how effective paired-partner reading is when used in the classroom with curriculum. Within a 7th grade language arts classroom, this reading strategy focuses on student collaboration, reading comprehension, and providing the opportunity to read aloud on a regular basis. Researchers Stahl, Heubach, and Cramond (1997) stated, “Partner reading provides an opportunity for students to read connected text within a socially supportive context. This context should both motivate children to read well and provide a supportive environment to aid the development of reading skill” (p. 13). The overall goal of this study …

Decolonizing The Brazilian Efl Classroom: Creating Space For Afro-Brazilian Students Of English, Robyn Diane Mosely

Master's Projects and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Afro-Brazilians constitute the majority of Brazil’s total population. When compared to White Brazilians, Afro-Brazilians are more than twice as likely to live in abject poverty. These striking disparities have significant implications for this community and the socioeconomic well-being of the entire country. Securing access to quality secondary education is imperative for the Black communities of Brazil to ascend out of poverty and hardship.

Completing a foreign language program, typically English, followed by successfully passing a rigorous competency exam, is a prerequisite to obtaining a postsecondary degree in Brazil's university system. This assessment can present a dilemma for Black Brazilians …

Censorship In Schools: Reading's Position In The Landscape Of Policy Creation, Rachel Beckham

Honors Theses

Censorship is not new to current issues. It has affected authors and speakers for centuries, but it is especially prevalent today, especially in schools. Teachers and librarians are often challenged for the materials they choose to provide to students. Concerned parents object to the materials for containing sexual content, profanity, or LGBTQ+ characters or themes. This study aims to answer the question, “What role, if any, do books containing controversial topics serve in the literature classrooms of today’s students?” To answer this question, the author of this study conducted a literary analysis on the top three most banned books of …

Exploring The Effects Of Teachers' Motivation To Read On Students' Motivation To Read, Clarice K. Shuman

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Middle school students often lack the motivation to read, and middle school reading teachers often complain of this lack of motivation. Students’ lack of motivation to read seriously affects students’ ability to achieve in their academic classes at the secondary level. This study was based on surveys and interviews from 310 middle school students and their six ELA teachers to explore the relationship between teacher and student motivation to read at the middle school level as well as surveying how do teachers and students at the middle school level describe their motivation to read. Based on the relationship between teacher …

Specificity Of Infant Statistical Word Segmentation, Sara Parvanezadeh Esfahani

Doctoral Dissertations

By their first birthday, infants develop sensitivity to language-general (e.g., transitional probability (TP) between syllables) and language-specific (e.g., lexical stress pattern) cues to identify word boundaries. Across 5 experiments, I investigated two questions: 1) how do English learning 8-month-old infants segment high TP (TP=1; HTP) words in non-native languages that have a different rhythm and prosody? 2) how do English learning 8-month-old infants represent nascent word representations across indexical (i.e., talker’s voice), segmental (i.e., onset consonant) and suprasegmental (i.e., stress pattern) information? To that end, in each experiment, using HTPP, I familiarized infants with a familiarization corpus with two embedded …

Predictive Effects Of Poverty, Gender, Native Language Spoken, And Elpa21 Proficiency On Reading Performance, Carrie Bradow

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the predictive effects of poverty, gender, native language spoken, and English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) proficiency on reading performance measured by the ACT Aspire Summative Reading Assessment for Grades 4, 7, and 10 English language learners in a Northwest Arkansas school district. Through Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the influence of poverty, gender, native language spoken, and ELPA21 proficiency were studied for influences on reading performance. Through a multiple regression analysis I examined the Spring 2019 state assessment and demographic data collected from over 20,000 student records. The findings …

A Discourse Analysis Of Cheers, Paul Wiesenborn

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This paper analyzes the pragmatics features of the language in an episode of the sitcom Cheers to find out what second language learners need to know about the language of the sitcom and about the background knowledge informing it for that episode to be understandable to them and for it thus to be an effective as an instruction tool. To answer this question, the researcher transcribed the speech in the episode and used a speech act theory-based approach to identify and categorize deixis, locutionary forms, illocutionary types, and instances of reduction and types of indirect speech. Categories in these areas …

Identity Tensions And Negotiations Of English Teachers In Costa Rica Through Narrative Inquiry, Hazel Vega Quesada

All Dissertations

This study examined the identity tensions and negotiations of novice three English teachers in Costa Rica, and English as a foreign language context. Grounded in a Communities of Practice framework, this research describes how teachers’ identities are constrained and enabled in complicated academic, social, and political settings. In this study, identity tensions referred to dilemmas that juxtaposed internal and external expectations, values, and practices. Negotiations referred to teachers’ choices, proposals, and changes that denoted their appropriation or contestation of practices and meanings of their communities of practice. I used narrative inquiry to collect and analyze teachers’ experiences learning English and …

Financial Literacy Among Buffalo State College Undergraduate Students, Toni Martinucci

Public Administration Master’s Projects

Financial literacy can be complex and difficult for college students to comprehend. Many students struggle to afford college and are faced with large amounts of student loan debt. Financial awareness needs to be addressed early on for students to make informed decisions about college costs, student debt, and financial aid. However, financial aid applications, terms and conditions, and eligibility requirements are difficult for many students to comprehend on their own. The purpose of this study is to access financial literacy among undergraduate students at Buffalo State College. A quantitative approach is used in this study by implementing a web-based cross-sectional …

Family Writer's Workshop: A Case Study, Alisa Innes

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Today’s students need to be prepared for a successful future in our competitive world. Families and educators need to work together to provide children with a comprehensive literacy foundation. Currently, there are many school-based and community-based family literacy programs that are being implemented. While these programs are successful, they are missing a crucial component: writing intervention. Writing is a skill that our students will need for higher education and future careers.

The problem for this study was that research is lacking in regards to ways to assist parents who are interested in working on writing with their child outside of …

Integrating Media Literacy Into General Education Core Courses For Undergraduates, Christen Embry

Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the essential nature of media literacy, evaluate pre-developed higher education classes for existing media literacy context, and recommend best practices for incorporating media literacy into an undergraduate curriculum. This mixed-methods study of media literacy in undergraduate college courses explored the presence and absence of media literacy lessons within core classes by auditing 15 online course shells accessed through the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Specifically, all the courses surveyed included the first skill of media literacy, Access; 33% of the classes included Analyze; 27% included Creation; 20% included Reflection; and 20% included Action. Once the …

The Benefits Of Dual Immersion Programs On Elementary School Students, Allison E. Williams

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone aims to share the benefits of Dual Immersion Programs at the Elementary school years. Understanding what a Dual Immersion Program is and knowing that there are different models within the program allow for 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 add a target language to enhance the learning of the students. This study looks at the short- and long-term academic and social benefits students can gain from kindergarten through fifth grade …

Increasing English Language Learners Vocabulary And Spelling Through Game Interactions, Lucila Chavez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My Capstone Project was intended to increase the language development of English Language Learners due to language barriers. Games became the method to address the need to increase the language and to motivate the students while learning. The audience was third-grade students at Chualar Elementary School. Vocabulary Definitions, syllables awareness, and spelling development were the three learning outcomes of the project. Diversity was also thought about while implementing this capstone project which was addressed through the student's ability to take what they learned from the games outside the class and play it with others. Lev Vygotsky's theory of the importance …

From Lesson Plan To Observation To Self-Assessment In A Chinese As A Second Language Class, Yu-Shan Lin

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

This portfolio is a compilation of what the author has learned in the field of Chinese as a second language in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. There are three main sections in the portfolio. The first section contains the author’s teaching philosophy statement, with a focus on the communicative approach, a game-based approach, and alternative assessment. The second section consists of a reflection on a classroom observation. The main paper presents how the author designed a lesson plan and implemented it, as well as her analysis and introspection on a video recording of the …

A Ruff Day On The Road: How Relocation Affects Children Pre-K Through Third Grade And How A Picture Book Can Help, Bryant Miller

Honors Projects

Moving their home from across town, a couple of states away, or overseas is something most will experience at least once in their lifetime. For all, moving is a big change, but for children, it can have lasting effects. Presumably, social skills, academic development, and family dynamics are all impacted when children move. But how and to what length are these factors influenced? This led to the original research question, how does relocation affect children and how can this transition during relocation be eased? After the first portion of the research was done to answer these questions, the research then …

Creating Counter-Hegemonic Spaces In A Spanish Language Arts Classroom, Mercedes Valenzuela

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This qualitative case study used practitioner research methods to address the question: How does a Mexican American teacher create counter-hegemonic spaces in a Spanish Language Arts classroom utilizing critical race and borderlands theories? The research focused on how I as a teacher-built trust and respect through place—here, the classroom, classroom activities, and discussions—thereby creating a place for students to express their thoughts and feelings and to build relationships with the teacher and their classmates for learning to occur. This study also analyzed how using critical race and borderlands theories influences and shapes Mexican American students’ educational experiences beyond a …

Physical To Cyber: A Case Study Of The Print And Digital Literacy Of Burgeoning Older Adult Learners, Laura Elizabeth Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This intrinsic single case study explored the ways in which two older adult burgeoning literacy learners in a capital city in the U.S. Gulf South utilized the skills of print literacy and digital literacy both together and apart. This study was an investigation of print and digital literacy, individually and combined, in order to examine the way older adult burgeoning literacy learners used one kind of literacy (print) to develop the other (digital). Using semi-structured interviews, observations, and literacy journals, participants’ perceptions were explored. Findings included that fully literate older adults used their literacy to enact and maintain social connections, …

Second/Foreign Language Learners And Narrative Film Comprehension: An Intercultural Reception Study, Natalie Killick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sociocultural concepts (Krashen, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978; Wood et al., 1976) and a constructivist narrative film theory (Bordwell, 1985) offer interdisciplinary insights for a study exploring second/foreign language (L2/FL) interpretations of two intercultural films (films made in linguistically and socioculturally diverse contexts) with English audio/dubbing (Chafe, 1980; Desilla, 2014; Erbaugh, 2010). A qualitative reception study examined the potential of intertextual (i.e., knowledge of other texts) and cultural information as learning scaffolds as well as style and narrative cues as forms of comprehensible input used by post-secondary international Chinese and domestic Canadian students as they watched sequences from Shaolin Soccer (Chow, 2001) …

A Delphi Study Of The Most Effective Actions Taken By Rural Superintendents In California To Improve Achievement For English Learners, Diana Jimenez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to have rural school superintendents whose districts have shown academic improvement as measured by the California School Dashboard identify the actions they have taken to improve academic achievement for English learners. In addition, it was the purpose to rate the effectiveness of the identified actions, and to describe the best methods for implementing the five most effective actions identified from the ratings. Methodology: This study employed a Delphi method, comprising three rounds to collect data. In Round 1, participants were asked to identify what actions they have taken to increase academic outcomes …

Student Preferences About Student-Teacher Communication And Student Perceptions Of Teacher Presence In An Online Middle School, Kyle M. Doty

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative survey study was to determine how middle school students in fully online language arts courses perceived their teachers to be present and what methods of communication with the teacher middle school students desired. The purposive sample was composed of 100 sixth and seventh grade language arts students from a large virtual school in the southeastern United States. Student responses were overwhelmingly skewed, and results from the survey indicated a statistically significant finding. Students in online middle school find their teachers to be present and desire to be communicated with using text messages first and …

The Effectiveness Of Professional Development On The Literature-Based Chinese Teaching, Gracelynn G. Knapp

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The surge in Chinese language learning as CSL/CFL increases needs for quality teacher professional development training. Although researchers report advantages of employing literature and confirm the value of literature in teaching foreign language, few studies focused on CSL/CFL teacher training, specifically, for the use of literature-based Chinese language teaching for CSL/CFL classes. Professional Development (PD) provided opportunities for Chinese teachers to learn and practice strategies that are necessary to teach CSL/CFL with literature-based teaching. The researcher conducted the PD training evaluation to determine the significant effect on the Chinese teachers’ confidence, attitude, and overall preparedness for teaching literature to non-Chinese …

Social Interaction With Native Speakers’ Effect On Foreign Language Enjoyment And Foreign Language Anxiety, Emma Stravers

Selected Honors Theses

This study yielded data surrounding the relationship between knowing a native speaker and foreign language acquisition, alongside the factors of foreign language enjoyment and foreign language anxiety. Through a survey conducted with 46 language learners from a variety of backgrounds who were contacted through social media, the research questions guiding the study were answered with implications for all language learners both inside and outside the classroom. Through statistical analysis, data proved that knowing a native speaker of the target language is a significant predictor of language learners having a higher perception of proficiency. A higher perception of proficiency is also …

From Language To Literacy: Structural Features Of Acquired Languages Facilitating English Morphological Awareness, Erin N. Callahan

Selected Honors Theses

Morphological awareness is a crucial metalinguistic skill, specifically for English Language Learners (ELLs). Since languages differ widely in degree of orthographic opacity, degree of morphological fusion, and degree of morphological synthesis, this thesis sought to evaluate the impact of the structural features of other languages upon ELLs’ levels of English morphological awareness. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship between morphological awareness and perceived levels of literacy and oracy proficiency. Multilingual individuals responded to an online survey containing a morphological awareness task and a language history questionnaire. Each language represented in the sample was coded according to its structural features. Subsequently, …

Social Interaction With Native Speakers’ Effect On Foreign Language Enjoyment And Foreign Language Anxiety, Emma Stravers

Selected Honors Theses

This study yielded data surrounding the relationship between knowing a native speaker and foreign language acquisition, alongside the factors of foreign language enjoyment and foreign language anxiety. Through a survey conducted with 46 language learners from a variety of backgrounds who were contacted through social media, the research questions guiding the study were answered with implications for all language learners both inside and outside the classroom. Through statistical analysis, data proved that knowing a native speaker of the target language is a significant predictor of language learners having a higher perception of proficiency. A higher perception of proficiency is also …

Supporting Black Children Within A Eurocratic Educational System: Making Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Foundational To The Role Of The Literacy Coach, Jennipher C.K. Frazier

Theses and Dissertations

This critical qualitative study documented what was learned about the process of making culturally relevant teaching foundational to the commitment of a literacy coach while working closely with a kindergarten and first grade teacher for one school year. Critical Race and Black Critical (BlackCrit) theories were the driving theoretical frameworks used to design the study, represent findings, and provide insight into the process of working to make culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) foundational to the role of a literacy coach with a particular focus on supporting the Black child. The methods used to gain knowledge about CRP as foundational to the …

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, How Should We Read: Applying Principles Of Literacy Development To Shared Book-Reading Experiences, Kalika Melody Burnett Bridwell

Senior Theses

Literacy has long been recognized as critical to success in and out of the classroom (Duchouquette, 2014; Hernandez, 2011; National Center for Family Literacy, 2008), having significant impact on students’ ability to achieve positive outcomes in academic, professional, social, and personal domains. Research suggests that this correlation is established at an early age (Cunningham & Zibulsky, 2011, Storch & Whitehurst, 2002, National Center for Family Literacy, 2008), giving urgency to the provision of high-quality early literacy education and to the identification of best practices in this area. Outside of explicit teaching, one of the most popular of these practices is …

Tutoring In A Liminal Space: Writing Center Tutors' Understandings And Applications Of Translingual And Anti-Racist Practices, Sharada Krishnamurthy

Theses and Dissertations

Despite presenting themselves as supportive, student-centered spaces that help writers and writing at all levels, writing centers, due to their monolingual bias and adherence to "standard" American English (SAE) norms, fail to support and include the language practices of all students, in particular, students of color (Grimm, 2009; Greenfield, 2019; Salem, 2014). To address this problem, the Midlantic writing center embarked on transforming their writing center to a more inclusive and socially just space. This ethno-case study, informed by translanguaging as a critical theory and pedagogy, explored the Midlantic writing center tutors' understanding of translingual and anti-racist practices, and their …