Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Hmongcentric Niche Charter Schools: The Role Of Social Capital On Students’ Perceived Academic Competence, Zha Blong Xiong, Ting Xu, Kyle Nickodem, Malina Her

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Using Coleman’s (1988) social capital theory, this study investigated the connection between family and school social capital and the perceived academic competence of students enrolled in Hmongcentric niche charter schools. The study analyzed 124 participants consisting of third, fourth, and fifth-grade students residing in Minnesota, with 93% identifying as Hmong. Results of structural equation modeling showed that school social capital, as measured by school attachment and school connection, is significantly linked to students’ perceived academic competence. Further analyses suggested that school attachment, especially in charter schools that focus on culture and language, plays a more crucial role in shaping students’ …

Augusto Boal’S Forum Theater In Language And Culture Courses A Reflective Documentation, Mona Eikel-Pohen, Mona Eikel-Pohen

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

This documentation is the revised and translated version of the 2024 article Augusto Boals Forumtheater im Deutschunterricht (Eikel-Pohen 2024). It features new observations from the second iteration of a Forum Theater project in a GER 202 language and culture class from 2025 and is again based on autoethnographic notes (Rodriguez-Mejia 2023: 71). It documents the revised application of Augusto Boal’s Forum Theater applied to language and cultural teaching in a socially critical, holistic, cooperative, intercultural, and practical way. Boal’s method aims at exposing structural oppression and allows individuals to explore options for action through play. The instructor followed Boal’s model …

Book Review Of Re-Membering Culture: Erasure And Renewal In Hmong American Education, Mai H. Vang

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Re-membering Culture: Erasure and Renewal in Hmong American Education is a valuable contribution to the growing field of critical Hmong studies and education studies in general. This ethnographic study critically examines power dynamics between U.S. schools and Hmong Americans by centering narratives that highlight Hmong knowledge systems. The book provides insights from over 50 Hmong American leaders, parents, students, and district staff (Hmong and non-Hmong) that exemplifies re-membering, the recovery of culture and history to reclaim rights, space, and voice in the present. Although education is often seen as the great equalizer, especially for immigrants and refugees, the realities of …

Activity Design Principles To Support Engineering Engagement For Families With Preschool-Age Children From Low-Income English-And Spanish-Speaking Communities, Scott A. Pattison, Smirla Ramos Montañez, Viviana López Burgos, Gina Svarovsky, María Quijano, Amy Corbett, Catherine Wagner, Diana Contreras

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Existing evidence highlights the significance of family STEM learning experiences during early childhood. However, there is a lack of research specific to early childhood family-based learning in the field of engineering, especially with preschool-age children (three to five years old). To address this gap and inform engineering education programs for young children, we conducted a design-based research study in collaboration with 15 Spanish-and English-speaking families with preschool-age children from low-income communities. Our study aimed to develop and test a series of family-based engineering design activities while also identifying underlying design principles. Guided by an asset-based family learning framework, which acknowledges …

From Deficit To Wealth: Amplifying Voices And Cultural Capital Of Latiné Families To Support Multilingual Learner Education, Hazel Vega, Katie M. Crook, Emily Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, C. C. Bates

Publications

Seeking to amplify families’ voices, this study reports on focus groups with Latiné parents of multilingual students (MLs). We draw from two theories: the dual capacity-building framework, which conceptualizes family engagement as a relational and culturally sustaining partnership, and the community cultural wealth theory, which highlights unrecognized forms of capital marginalized populations bring to education. This design-based research (DBR) aimed to build instructional capacity for ML literacy through teacher professional development and a caregiver course for families. This study analyzes data from five focus groups with thirty-five parents and six school staff in five districts in the southeast …

Boundless Possibilities: Reimagining Blackness In Wilson Kwamogi Okello’S On Blackness, Liveliness, And What It Means To Be Human, Duane Ebesu

Journal of Research Initiatives

Wilson Kwamogi Okello's *On Blackness, Liveliness, and What It Means to Be Human* theorizes the inheritances of systemic anti-Blackness while affirming Blackness as a site of creativity, vitality, and world-making. Okello examines how Western humanism and the coloniality of knowledge have excluded and restricted Black life both socially and within educational systems and epistemology. The volume is composed of three parts and critiques the regulative logics of higher education, the aesthetics and relationality of Black life, and the pervasive reach of carceral systems. At its core, Okello proposes a reconceptualization of Blackness in terms of "liveliness," viewing it as a …

From Homeland To Hostland: Language Ownership Of Heritage Dialect And Narratives Of Third Culture Kids Of The Gulf, Maryam Aref

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study is to examine Arab Adult Third Culture Kids’ sense of heritage language ownership and their identity constructions in relation to their transnational Arab Gulf context. The present study has three main aims: to ascertain their sense of ownership towards their heritage dialects, to understand the basis for their claimed or denied ownership, and to investigate the positions they ascribed to themselves and others in relation to their belonging and transnational and linguistic experiences. The study aims to fill the gap where there is a scarcity of sociolinguistic research around Arab Third Culture Kids in …

Khaled Hosseini’S Judgment In The Kite Runner Towards Pashtun And Hazara Identities, Bilal Waziri, Dawod Mangal, Kamaldeen Kamal

Journal of Research Initiatives

This book review offers a compelling examination of Khaled Hosseini's portrayal of Pashtun and Hazara identities in his acclaimed novel, *The Kite Runner*. Through a literary-ethnographic lens, the research delves into how narrative techniques can construct, amplify, or distort ethnic representations, particularly within the tumultuous backdrop of Afghanistan. The novel is scrutinized for its stark depiction of Pashtuns as oppressors and Hazaras as perennial victims, which risks perpetuating a simplistic and problematic singular narrative. Employing a library-based qualitative approach, this paper thoughtfully interprets textual evidence within the rich sociocultural and historical landscape of Afghanistan. The findings reveal that while the …

Multi-Generational Biases Perceived By Women To Senior Leadership Positions In Non-Profit Higher Education, Regina Watkins, Deanna R. Davis

Journal of Research Initiatives

Women remain underrepresented in senior leadership in both public and private industry and in non-profit postsecondary education. One reason that has been identified for the gender disparity in senior leadership positions is second-generation or implicit biases. The problem addressed in this study was the existence and persistence of second-generation biases that contribute to the lack of active senior women mentors, potentially inhibiting junior women from Generation X and millennials from achieving senior leadership status in non-profit higher education. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of perceptions of second-generation biases, …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Teacher Attitudes Toward Multilingual Pedagogies, Lauren H. Ramers

Dissertations

In an increasingly globalized world, substantial numbers of multilingual learners occupy K–12 and higher education spaces bringing diverse linguistic resources that, when intentionally and appropriately leveraged, can significantly enhance English language learning outcomes. Multilingual pedagogies, which honor and build upon students' full linguistic repertoires, are essential for fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. This quantitative exploratory study investigated teachers' attitudes toward multilingual teaching with the goal of developing a reliable survey instrument—the Multilingual Pedagogy Scale (MPS)—to measure how teachers perceive language learning in multilingual classrooms and what they report doing in their classrooms.

First, a review of the research helped …

Understanding Black Students Experiences Through Faithcrit, P. J. Welch, Timothy P. Westbrook, Larissa Malone

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Abstract

Many faith-based higher education institutions have sought to improve the experiences of Black students. Yet, they often fail to understand Black students' unique experiences. What are the experiences of Black students at a Christian higher education institution? This qualitative study explores the experiences of Black students at one Christian higher education institution, focusing on their social experiences, retention strategies, and faith in their academic journey. Black alumni and current students were interviewed about Black students' experiences and retention at a Christian institution. This study utilizes the theoretical lens of FaithCrit, a new branch within critical race theory that delves …

Preparing Educators To Meet The Unique Needs Of Multilingual Learners, Anna Adamo

Masters Projects

Effectively educating multilingual learners requires knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching, as well as an understanding of translanguaging techniques. Research shows that the population of multilingual learners continues to grow in the United States, however, qualified educators with knowledge of the specific needs of this population are lacking. This project explores the need for ongoing support for secondary novice and non-ESL certified educators who teach multilingual students. Included in this project is a complete full year of professional development sessions ranging from culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices, guidelines for accommodations and modifications, opportunities for classroom observations, and technology …

Photography: Capturing Culture And Unifying People, Amina Yussifova

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

Perspectives On Poetry, Sabrina Grossman

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

How Can We Learn English Through Movies And Tv Shows, Bianca Lobato

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

Gradual Activism In The Poem, "Mujer Negra", By Nancy Morejón, Leila Adelstein

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

English Study As Agateway To Philosophy, Laura Drescher

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

Exploring Culture Through Language: A Journey In The Humanities, Tetiana Zinchenko

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

English Study As A Gateway To Religious Exploration, Aline Oliveira

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

Music, The Language & Culture “Teacher”, Jian Gai

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.