Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Amjambo Africa! (December 2022), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In this Issue

Amjambo Arts ..........................2

Holiday Greetings .................... 3

Education .................................. 4

Domestic Violence ...................5

Editorial .....................................6

Tips & Info ................................7

World Market Basket ...............8

Chance to Advance ..................9

Updates from Africa ..............10

Refugee Camp in Uganda .....11

All about the Workforce ........12

Legislative Update .............13-15

In 7 languages

Election Season..................16-17

Health & Wellness........18-23,25

In 7 languages

Financial Literacy/Cars .........24

Service Org. columns....... 26-27

Ukraine/New Voices ..............28

COCOMaine: New Leader ....29

"So Many Hopes": A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Children's Picture Books That Portray Refugees, Janine J. Darragh, Jane E. Kelley

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Researchers used content analysis to analyze 40 award-winning and “best of” children’s picture books that portray refugees to answer the questions: How are refugees depicted in picture books? What messages are embedded in those depictions? Results show patterns and themes regarding depictions of trauma and violence in conjunction with setting as well as the portrayal of the arts as a vehicle for refugees to ignite personal agency in coping with the trauma they experienced. Implications for practice are discussed.

Student And Teacher Perspectives On Asynchronous Learning During The Covid Pandemic, Michele Ehrhart

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The COVID Pandemic shut down schools across the country, leaving K-12 schools unprepared for virtual learning. In this mixed methods study, I examined data gathered from my 8th-grade science classes to assess the effectiveness of asynchronous instruction. My original research question was: How much if at all, did learning outcomes differ as a function of how the lessons were taught (uninterrupted instructional video versus interrupted/interactive Edpuzzle video)? Based on a preliminary examination of data, my study expanded into how self-regulated learning affected students’ comprehension, interest, and motivation. Study results showed no statistical differences in students’ comprehension based on how lessons …

Language Ideologies And Racialization Of Language: Multilingual Learners' Experiences In The First Year In A Community College., Yohimar Sivira Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges have become key sites for preparing diverse and immigrant students for the transition to the workforce and four-year institutions. Yet, despite the recent growths of Multilingual Learners in community colleges, few studies focus on how students experience the first year in college after completing their ESL programs and their relations with instructors and how instructors perceive and interact with students institutionally classified as English as a Second Language (ESL) students. I use theories of language ideologies and racialization of language to understand multilingual learners’ experiences in the first year of college and how interaction with instructors shaped those …

An Interprofessional Prediabetes And Diabetes Self--Management Education Quality Improvement Project Among Vulnerable Populations At A Tuberculosis Hospital, Robert Saul Castro Natal

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Patients greatly benefit from diabetes self-management education (DSME) as it boosts knowledge and self-efficacy, decreases body weight, fasting blood sugar, and hemoglobin A₁C levels, and improves overall health outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Unfortunately, many individuals with prediabetes and diabetes who qualify for DSMEs do not attend these classes nor receive sufficient prediabetes and diabetes support elsewhere to attain guideline recommended metrics. However, individuals from vulnerable populations and without DSME education experience disproportionate diabetes-related complications worsening health outcomes. Aims: Increase general prediabetes and diabetes knowledge, facilitate behavior change, improve glycemic, metabolic, and lipid values, and increase …

Encountering American Higher Education: First-Year Academic Transition Of International Undergraduate Students In The United States, Masha Krsmanovic

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored how international undergraduate students perceive their academic transition into American higher education. Schlossberg’s (1984) 4S Transition Theory served as the framework for exploring what academic challenges, if any, international students experience during their first year of undergraduate studies in a new cultural and educational setting. The findings revealed that students’ academic transition into the U.S. higher education was characterized by difficulties in understanding the academic system of their new environment; overcoming educational, instructional and pedagogical differences; building social relationships with domestic students; and receiving the support necessary from the appropriate institutional services.

How Does Children’S Literature Portray Global Perspectives?, Bogum Yoon

Journal of Global Education and Research

The need for global education is increasing in this global era, and children’s literature becomes an essential resource to address this need. However, there is little research on how global perspectives are depicted in children’s literature. The current study fills the gap in our understanding by examining contemporary children’s picture books that were published in the United States from 2010 to 2016. Findings show that the picture books reflect several important elements of global education. However, there is an imbalance among the topics and genres. Although global awareness through environmental issues was emphasized through informational texts, transnational story lines on …

The Greatest Teacher: Modeling Jesus In Urban Education, Harley Rusk

Senior Honors Theses

Several key best practices from urban education research are reflected in the pedagogy of Jesus Christ, providing a practical foundation for Christian educators in urban schools. Related to the prevalence of poverty and trauma are the practices of learning students’ backgrounds to better interpret behavior, which Jesus reflects by healing before teaching, and holding high standards, demonstrated in Jesus’ interaction with the rich man and the Sermon on the Mount. Related to racial diversity are the practices of addressing implicit bias, a crucial part of being Christlike, and connecting instruction to students’ culture, like Jesus did through parables. Christians can …

More Than A Single Story: Culturally Diverse Literature And Social Inclusion In Elementary Classrooms, Amanda Works

Senior Honors Theses

This paper aims to consider the existing literature regarding culturally diverse literature, social inclusion, and children’s literature as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. These three concepts form a conceptual framework that supports the research study, which explored the use of culturally diverse literature and any correlation with social inclusion. Four elementary teachers participated in semi-structured interviews focused on two research questions: “What impacts the use of culturally diverse literature in elementary classrooms?” and “Does culturally diverse literature affect social inclusion in elementary classrooms?”. Through thematic, qualitative analysis, the study identified three central themes: (1) levels of choice based on …

Oral And Written Corrective Feedback In Dual Language Immersion Portuguese Classes, Janaina Quadros

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

This portfolio results from the classes, readings, writings, class observations, and reflections during my time in the MSLT program. It comprises three major components: teaching philosophy, reflections through class observations, and a reflection paper on corrective feedback. Besides that, the reader will find some background about the author’s educational and professional journey and intentions for the future.

The reflection paper focuses on oral and written corrective feedback in second language classes. It is the result of reviews of pertinent literature and the author’s experience as a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Portuguese teacher. It gives an overview of the importance of …

Harnessing Cultural Epistemology In Literacy Studies: Take A Walk In My Shoes, Isela Almaguer

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The influence of our increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse school age population is experienced throughout our educational system. Teachers diversify their pedagogical practices to best meet students’ needs in their classrooms, thereby amplifying the importance of valuing culturally and linguistically diverse learners’ rich and plentiful cultural knowledge. It is essential to expand our literacy lens to include multifaceted and multidimensional opportunities which acknowledge and respect the cultural and linguistic learner diversity that reverberates across cultures. Engaging students in culturally relevant pedagogy accelerates learning by helping students make connections to concepts and topics. The impact is twofold as culturally relevant pedagogy …

Community In Culture: The Role Of Multicultural Education In Elementary School, Michaela Novack

Senior Honors Theses

Racism, bias, and discrimination plagues all areas of society, including the school systems. With the wrong perspective, diversity causes division, and it is impacting students, even in elementary schools. This thesis will examine research about the issue of racism and bias in elementary schools and suggest the solution of cultural integration experiences with practical strategies. It will demonstrate how cultural diversity in instruction encourages students to identify stereotypes, readjust their perspectives of culture, and identify and appreciate their cultural differences. This instruction can be achieved through a variety of methods including virtual field trips, diverse literature, and class activities. The …

Influence Of Restorative Practices On The Middle-School Classroom, As Reported By Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Y. Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the influence that restorative practices have on the middle school classroom environment. For the purpose of this study, seven middle school teachers were selected who have implemented restorative practices in their middle school classrooms to provide feedback. Findings suggest that overall restorative practices have a positive influence on the classroom. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and school and district support staff to help create a positive campus culture between students and adults in middle school classrooms. The …

Language Brokering In Immigrant Families, Jessica Manuel

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on children's language brokering in immigrant families. A practice engaged in by many immigrant youth who interpret and translate oral and written language for their own family. Typically, these language events occur as part of everyday life and involve the need for communication. In this case the brokers that we will be focusing on are children and adolescents with parents whose primary language is Spanish. Many of these children are a reliable source for their parents to communicate and understand a primary language in a country where they migrated to.

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 …

Refugee-Background Students In New Zealand And The United States: Roots And Results Of Educational Policies And Practices, Jody L. Mcbrien, Maria Hayward

Journal of Global Education and Research

Both the United States (US) and New Zealand (NZ) have been resettling refugees since the Second World War. As such, and because of several international treaties signed by both countries, they must concern themselves with the education of resettled refugee students in their nations. In this study, the researchers examine the international agreements and national resettlement policies that shape these nations’ refugee education policies. Second, educational practices for refugee students in the US and NZ using phenomenological qualitative research based on observations, interviews, and focus groups with teachers and refugee students are examined. The researchers conclude that the more systematic …

Academic Discourse Socialization Of International Graduate Students: The Negotiation Of Participation In Classroom Speaking Activities, Guoyong Wu

All Dissertations

As the graduate student body in American universities becomes more and more diverse in this globalized era, it has become critical to understand how newcomers from different linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds acquire dominant language and academic practices, and how local academic communities themselves may or may not be transformed as a result of such diversity (Morita, 2004).

This dissertation conducted a qualitative descriptive study to investigate the socialization process primarily through classroom oral activities participation, for a group of international Chinese Ph.D. students to achieve their goals and thrive during their academic programs. As pressure increases on Ph.D. students …

The Impact Of Funds Of Knowledge On Elementary Multilingual Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Connection To Their Teacher And The Classroom, Kelli Lowe

All Dissertations

The U.S. population is rapidly becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse, and the education system is ill-equipped to meet the needs of these diverse learners thus creating large achievement gaps. In South Carolina, two factors contributing to an inadequate education system are the lack of teacher preparation programs that address cultural diversity and a predominantly White teacher workforce for an ever-growing diverse student body. The combination of these two factors is particularly detrimental to multilingual learners in the most critical time of a child’s development. This qualitative study was part of a collaboration and combined improvement science with design thinking …

Building Teachers’ Cultural Capital In The Classroom: Using Funds Of Knowledge To Support Multilingual Learners, Lindsey Skirtich

All Dissertations

This qualitative study has a collaborative focus and blends improvement science with Design Thinking to first understand teachers’ perceptions of their ability to serve ML students and second, how the utilization of the Funds of Knowledge (FoK) can assist teachers in serving ML students. The purpose of this study is to use the Funds of Knowledge to build the capacity of teachers to connect with students through their lived experiences.

Through collaboration and reflection, this study investigated teachers’ perceptions and focused on increasing teachers’ ability to serve ML students utilizing a framework intended to connect students’ backgrounds to the classroom.

Esl To Composition Transitions: Investigating The Differences In Disciplinary Values Among Two-Year College Faculty, Amy M. Flessert

English Theses & Dissertations

In this qualitative methods study, I draw on Paul Kei Matsuda’s 1999 article “Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor” to examine if, more than 20 years after its publication, there is still a significant disciplinary division between ESL writing and first-year college composition. I surveyed writing instructors from both ESL and ENG at Mid-Atlantic Community College (MACC) regarding what they value as “good” writing. I also worked with three faculty members – one in ENG, one in ESL, and a third who teaches in both departments, serving, in this study and the department, as a “bridge” …