Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Developing Spanish-Language Campus Tours To Enhance Accessibility And Competitive Recruitment At The University Of Mississippi, Caitlyn E. Culpepper

Honors Theses

This thesis proposes and outlines an initiative that would bring Spanish-language campus tours and visit resources to the University of Mississippi, increasing accessibility to the campus visit experience while also providing institutional benefits within a competitive recruitment landscape. Through a review of current literature on Hispanic/Latino students in higher education, institutional enrollment and recruitment data, comparative research on peer institutions, and conversations with university professionals, this project explores the role that language accessibility, family engagement, and campus visits play in the college decision-making process.

Findings suggest that Hispanic/Latino students remain an underrepresented yet rapidly growing population in higher education and …

Gendered Politics Of Pictures: How Images In A Pakistani English Textbook Homogenize Female Identities, Liaquat Ali Channa

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative multimodal analytical study draws upon Kress and van Leeuwen’s ideas about pictures and problematizes textbooks of English that supposedly teach only English in Pakistan. It aims to understand the identities of an adult female as shown in the images of an English textbook. It uses Foucault’s theories of discourse and discursive formation, and a Vygotskian sociocultural view of the development of consciousness. By following Braun and Clarke (2006, 2019), all the pictures of the My English Book 4 are first analyzed thematically. Later, O’Toole’s (1994) method of analyzing pictures is employed for a detailed examination of a representative …

Task-Based Language Teaching For Afghans Resettled In The United States Since 2021: Meeting Integration And Employment Needs, Madison E. Wilhelm

Senior Honors Theses

In the aftermath of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the United States military evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom were resettled in the United States. This population has faced many challenges in their resettlement, including barriers to language learning and difficulty finding skilled employment. There is great diversity within this population, including individuals with limited schooling and those with valuable employment skills.

This integrative literature review explores how Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be used as a strategy for Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) with the post-2021 Afghan population in the United States. It …

A Study On Community And Technical College Students' Identification Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Cynthia J. Carow Schiebe

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students could identify culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and, to what extent, in a community or technical college classroom where a set of goals and strategies had been established to guide methodology. Previous research on CRP traditionally focused on the educators’ or administrators’ interpretation of what students had learned when CRP was used as a methodology to reduce the opportunity gap. Students in classrooms where CRP was used were able to identify content that was aligned with their needs and wants, bring their own lives into the class without fear, balance their …

Teaching And Technology: Diagnostic Abilities Of Chatgpt For English Article Usage Errors In Turkish Esl University Students’ Academic Writing, Daniela Hong

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines how the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT can support teachers of Turkish learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) in addressing one of the most persistent cross-linguistic challenges in academic writing: the misuse of the definite article “the.” Because Turkish lacks a grammatical article system entirely, Turkish learners frequently omit or misapply the definite article in ways that reflect deeper structural differences between English and Turkish rather than simple errors. Writing samples were elicited from two proficiency levels of English in Turkish university English courses and analyzed through ChatGPT to determine whether AI could accurately diagnose …

Speaking Of Language: The Relationship Between Language As Capital And Minority Language Education, Alex J. Zelaya

Politics Honors Papers

The future of minority languages not only depends on intergenerational transmission but also on support for immersive instruction in minority languages within the educational system. This paper examines the factors that influence support for minority language education, arguing that language policy is shaped by societal attitudes, which in turn reflect dynamics of power. The paper draws upon Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptualization of different types of capital, including his theory on the relationship between economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital. Within this framework, language functions as a form of capital, reflecting and reinforcing social and economic stratification by conveying status or stigma. …

How To Motivate Hispanic And Latinx Elementary Students To Bridge English Language Proficiency Gaps In A Classroom, Brianna D. Uriostegui

Masters Projects

Limited resources, culturally unresponsive teaching practices, and wide differences in language proficiency levels across classrooms and schools impact minority, diverse students. These issues also affect language classroom teachers responsible for students' language proficiency. This project delves deeper into one marginalized group, Hispanic and Latinx students, by going over the history and challenges this specific group faces. This project also discusses strategies that motivate Hispanic and Latinx students in developing English language proficiency while valuing their linguistic and cultural identities.

The Effects Of Stimulus Disparity On Acquisition Of Chinese Language Learning, Siyi Duan

Thesis Projects

This study examined the effects of stimulus disparity on Chinese characters. Participants were taught Sets of similar and dissimilar characters using a Pre-test–teaching–Post-Test format with stimulus fading supports. Acquisition was measured by sessions to mastery. Results showed that dissimilar Sets were learned more efficiently than similar Sets. Error patterns include repeated use of the same responses across stimuli, and errors within sets. These findings suggest that similarity may slow acquisition and more errors may occur during early learning.

Bridging The Literacy Achievement Gap With Diverse Children's Literature, Sammy Siemon

Masters Projects

Classrooms across the globe contain immensely diverse populations of students, many of which are not well represented in the texts that they interact with inside of the classroom. This becomes especially noticeable in the intervention setting, when students are already reading below the proficiency level for their grade and may already have doubts about their ability to fit in within the learning space. Read-alouds and repeated rereading are often heralded for their impact on literacy development, they can be utilized in the intervention setting using texts that help to foster student identity, empathy and belonging. This project is grounded heavily …

Teaching Isixhosa As A First Additional Language In Former Model C Schools: Implications For Educator Experiences In The Harry Gwala District, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Lundi Nomlala, Lwandile Ncam

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This paper explored educators' experiences of teaching isiXhosa as First Additional Language (FAL) in former Model C schools in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study aimed to understand practical teaching approaches that enhance linguistic diversity and improve IsiXhosa proficiency while addressing systemic challenges. A qualitative case study design was employed, using semi-structured interviews with five IsiXhosa FAL teachers across three schools. The findings revealed the need for partnerships between schools and communities, curriculum revision, including mentorship and professional development for teachers, collaborative learning, and the effective use of technology. However, challenges such as unequal language recognition, insufficient …

Unmasking Barriers: A Critical Examination Of Systemic Challenges Facing Bipoc Pre-Service Teachers, Nia V. Fratrik

Education Doctorate Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions On The Wida Framework To Support Academic Literacy In Multilingual Learners, Laura G. Faris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine teachers’ perceptions of benefits and barriers to using the WIDA Framework to support academic literacy in multilingual learners (MLs).  Content-area teachers of MLs who continue to learn English are teaching academic literacy through complex linguistic structures for students to both comprehend and produce informative textual structures which occur in secondary textual reading and written assessments in the literature and historical content areas. Qualitative methods including reflective journal entries, semi-structured teacher interviews, and classroom observations were used to collect data on teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of using the WIDA Framework to better …

Defining My Country: An Appalachian Educator’S Autoethnography Of Linguistic Erasure And Ai, Kimberly B. Wright

Dissertations

When students use AI writing tools to revise their work, the algorithms often erase the cultural and linguistic markers that constitute their authentic voice. This erasure operates through the same mechanisms that linguistic justice scholars have documented for decades: a dominant language ideology that frames non-dominant expression as deficient and “corrects” it into standardized prose. As a first-generation Appalachian educator who spent years suppressing her own voice to succeed in academic spaces, I recognize this pattern from the inside. Using autoethnography as a methodology, this study examines how my journey from voice erasure to reclamation informs my pedagogy to help …

Experiences Of Hispanic/Latine Graduate Students In Unco’S Audiology And Speech-Language Pathology Programs Within A Hispanic-Serving Institution Context: Qualitative Thematic Analysis From A Moderated Focus Group, Ashley Fuhrman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Existing literature has examined workforce diversity in healthcare as a factor that may shape patient rapport and the delivery of culturally responsive, patient-centered care. Given the increasing demand for audiologists (AuDs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with diverse and multilingual backgrounds, it is important to understand how graduate programs prepare students to serve linguistically and culturally diverse populations. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Hispanic/Latine graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), a recently designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The study explores students’ perceptions of training, support, and experiences in serving diverse populations. …

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

Dungeons And Dragons As Game-Based Learning, Moses Allen

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the use of the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Role-Playing Game as a Game-Based Learning (GBL) model, measuring middle school student perceptions of engagement, motivation, and skill development through interactive storytelling. The study used a Practitioner Research theoretical framework and Thematic Analysis to identify emergent themes from the collected data. The study included gameplay of D&D after school with a small group of participants grades 6-8. Results indicated that participants reported consistently high levels of motivation and engagement. Participants perceived that D&D gameplay promoted the development of 21st Century Skills and middle school curricula skills, specifically …

Learning From Practice: Autoethnographic Reflections & Practitioner Perspectives On Inclusive Engagement For Bipoc, Mml, And Special Education Students, Mikayla A. Aquino

Program in Community Action (PICA)

This study examines how educators conceptualize, enact, and experience inclusive engagement for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, multilingual learners (MLLs), and students with disabilities, and how structural conditions shape their capacity to implement equity-oriented practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with ten educators from Lakewood, Illinois, and Harborview, Connecticut, alongside autoethnographic reflection, this qualitative study centers practitioner voices to investigate the gap between educational policy and classroom practice. Grounded in Bettina Love's abolitionist teaching framework and Alison Kafer's political-relational model of disability, the analysis situates educator experiences within systems shaped by racism, linguistic hierarchy, and ableist normativity. Thematic …

My Journey As A Migrant Bilingual Learner From Student To Teacher: Lessons Learned, Sylvia Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

These reflections in this thesis are an analysis of narratives based on my lived experiences as an immigrant, migrant student who is now a certified Bilingual & Special Education teacher servicing students, many of whom are bilingual, in public school classrooms. My goal is to connect my life experiences to teaching practices and thus embrace and celebrate my linguistic identity. Bilingual educators have a language learning journey that drives their classroom practices. When bilingual teachers reflect on their bilingual trajectory and connect their life experiences to research, they may provide spaces for stronger positive impacts on bilingual students, and their …

Host Families’ Perspectives Of The Impact Of The Commodification Of Education On The Student-Host Family Relationship In Study Abroad, Guadalupe Bustamante

Dissertations

The growing commodification of education has reshaped study abroad in ways that extend beyond marketing and program design. While homestays have traditionally been viewed as the ideal format for cultural immersion and language acquisition, research has largely overlooked how these trends affect the student-host family relationship from the family's perspective.

This study examines whether, and, if so, how Spanish host families perceive their roles and relationships with the American students they host have been impacted by these trends. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, the research focused on representatives from eight families in Madrid, who have hosted U.S. students …

A Phenomenological Study: The Cultural Identity Of Black Transfer Students In Higher Education, Briana Lashon Levi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black transfer students from the California Community College system to Southern Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Guided by two theoretical frameworks, Afrocentric Pedagogy and Black Identity Development Theory (BIDT), the study investigated how participants described and interpreted their cultural identity as they transitioned from a community college to a Southern HBCU. In this study, cultural identity was understood as a holistic construct that included students’ sense of belonging and their experiences of cultural affirmation, which functioned as core components rather than separate constructs from cultural identity. This research specifically focused …