Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Informal Digital Learning And Pre-Service Physics Teachers’ Willingness To Communicate And Utilize First Language In Classroom: Mediating Roles Of Communication Competence And Anxiety, Wasiu Olayinka Yahaya, Abdulrasaq Akanbi, Abednego Kanu, Yahaya Quadri, Yusuf Olowo

Ohio Journal of Teacher Education

Teaching and learning in the 21st century is flexible due to the usage of digital tools and by extension the development in science and technology. The call for classroom instruction in first language was necessitated due to its efficacy to improve students’ deep understanding of scientific concepts, theoretical and practical explanation behind technological advancement. The current study examined the pre-service physics teachers’ willingness to communicate and utilize first language in classroom instructions as determined by the receptive and productive informal digital learning and when mediated by first language communication anxiety and competence. The study utilized the 157 responses as completed …

Learning In The Third Place: Community-Based Educational Programs At A Bookstore Cafe, Tiana Henry

Capstone Collection

This capstone proposes an alternative learning program, where learning in the third space of a bookstore café is developed in St. Ann, Jamaica. The program responds to gaps in culturally relevant, community-centered educational spaces that reflect Jamaican heritage, support diverse learning styles, and extend beyond traditional classroom structures. A needs assessment consisting of a stakeholder survey and follow-up interviews demonstrated interest in experiential, arts-based, and place-rooted learning opportunities among educators and community members, despite a limited sample size and minimal youth participation. Findings also highlighted the need for stronger community engagement strategies, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and accessible spaces that integrate …

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 …

Comparing Two Emergent Literacy Screeners: The Reading House And Star Early Literacy In A Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (Vpk) Program, Jaime D. Swenbeck

Poster Presentations

Emergent Literacy (EL) refers to the foundational skills that develop from birth through the preschool years and support later reading success (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; Levy et al., 2006). These include basic Print Concepts, Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Letter-Sound Knowledge, and Emergent Writing (Piasta et al., 2021; Puranik et al., 2011). Because they serve as predictors for later literacy success, accurate identification of children struggling to learn EL skills is important. There are various types of tools, ranging from screening tools to diagnostic assessments, that measure children’s EL skills, with assessment times ranging from 10-15 minutes to 45-60 minutes. In …

Improving Learning Habits In High School Ela, Alexander Sinn

Masters Projects

Students lack the habits and skills to process and apply what they have learned. In their secondary education, they are not developing the traits that help them succeed in college courses. Students are not explicitly taught note-taking and other study skills needed to succeed in core academic areas, English Language Arts (ELA) in particular. To address the needs of students, curriculum must incorporate expectations for students in self-efficacy and self-regulatory areas of learning. In the secondary ELA classroom, students should be provided opportunities and experiences to develop good habits. These should be requirements of 9th and 10th grade curriculum. The …

Developing Digital Literacy And Online Safety Skills For Middle Schoolers, Alana Rose Rowley

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The increasing use of technology and social media among adolescents has introduced a range of risks, including cyberbullying, mental health challenges, and physical health concerns related to excessive screen time. Many young students lack the digital literacy skills necessary to navigate online environments safely and responsibly, and remain unaware of the risks. This project addresses this issue by developing a one-day educational lesson for students in grades five through eight at the YMCA of the Central Coast in Monterey, California. The lesson focuses on building digital literacy, promoting mental health, and educating students about the physical effects of excessive technology …

Benefits Of Being Bilingual On The Academic Success Of The Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners, Shary Vaca

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Reframing bilingualism as an academic asset rather than a limitation, this senior capstone research project examines how bilingualism supports the academic success of Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in early education within California’s diverse and growing Hispanic student population. Using a combination of literature reviews, teacher interviews, and surveys from former English language learners, the findings indicate that bilingualism is one of three key benefits for English language learners: enhancing communication skills, strengthening critical thinking, and increasing language competence. In addition, bilingual students demonstrate a unique ability to collaborate effectively, think flexibly across languages, and transfer linguistic knowledge to support …

Benefits Of Contemporary Literature On Literacy And Cognitive Development In Elementary School Students, Autumn R. Hemenway

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone research project is to examine the benefits of contemporary literature on the literacy and cognitive development of elementary school students. Contemporary literature includes modern texts that reflect diverse experiences, identities, and real-life issues that students can relate to. This study reviews academic articles and interviews with elementary school teachers and school librarians to explore how these resources influence vocabulary development, reading comprehension, student engagement, and critical thinking. The findings indicated that contemporary literature supports literacy growth by increasing student motivation and connection to reading, while also promoting cognitive development through interpretation, perspective taking, and deeper …

The Undergraduate Education And Scientific Literacy: Exploring How College Influences Student Perception Of Covid-19 Events, Peyton Brooking

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Current undergraduate students received much of their education following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these students experienced pandemic events before receiving any or most of their science-based higher education. Exploring their progress through higher education, and how it retroactively influenced their perception of pandemic events, serves as an informative research area. This study explores how undergraduate education in the sciences influences student engagement with complex recent events in science. In addition, this study asked how higher education builds confidence in interpreting this information. Additionally, students were surveyed to understand their scientific literacy baseline at the beginning of …

Piloting A Pediatric Screener For Assessing Emergent Literacy With Preschool Children, Nafia Sarhadi

Poster Presentations

From infancy, children develop literacy knowledge, which provides them with the needed skills for reading in primary school (Castillo-Rabanal &Heitmayer, 2025). Before children start to read, they develop skills that involve increasing their rhyming, alphabet, and vocabulary knowledge. Literacy is considered a social determinant of health as it plays a role in one's physical, social, and emotional maturity (Lesauxet. al, 2007). The Bay Area Women Coalition, (BAWC) Inc. has partnered with the Autism, Pediatric Language & Literacy (APLL) Lab to implement PEEL, following modifications identified by the community. The current pre-to-posttest assessment is unsuitable for community participation. An efficient method …

Comparing Two Emergent Literacy Screeners: The Reading House And Star Early Literacy In A Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (Vpk) Program, Jaime D. Swenbeck

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Having Our Say: A Sociological Examination Of English Instruction In Urban High Schools And Effects On Black And Latino Identities, Jena Marie Escareno

Dissertations

This interdisciplinary study integrates a macro‑sociological perspective on language bias with an examination of English language instructional policies and practices that shape the identities of Black and Latino former urban high school students. Its purpose is to apply a sociological framework capable of illuminating the intersections of language, race, and social justice. By bridging linguistic, sociological, and educational theories, the study seeks to explain why current approaches to language instruction remain ineffective for urban learners and may inadvertently harm minority cultural identities.

Persistent disparities in urban academic achievement often highlight race and ethnicity as explanatory factors without acknowledging how these …

The Parental Experience: First-Generation Students In The Transition From High School To College, Angelica Agudo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of parents and guardians of first-generation Latinx students as they navigated the transition from high school to college in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Despite increasing attention to first-generation student success, limited research has centered parental perspectives, particularly within regionally underresourced Latinx communities. This study addressed this gap by exploring how parents access and interpret institutional resources, the roles they assume in shaping college choice and family dynamics, and how educational institutions can better support families during this critical transition.

This study was guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s …

Greeting Death “Sitting Up:” How Children’S Literature Provides Modern Death Education, Reilly Kendrick

Honors Theses

Western culture places a lot of importance on legacy and friendship as important lessons to learn from death. However, children do not have as much experience with death due to changing cultural customs, and our society lacks a formal death education system that can promote these values and teach children how to respond to death in their lives. Literature, though, can fill this gap in children’s knowledge by teaching the basic physical components of death and philosophical understandings of death. These ideas are learned through vicarious reading, in which children experience the character’s emotions and reactions as they read. The …

Toward A Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning Curriculum For English Language Learners, Lynn Wolfe

MITESOL Journal: An Online Publication of MITESOL

Project-based learning (PBL) has been demonstrated as an effective strategy for millennial and Gen Z students, particularly in K-12 contexts, but this teaching approach is not commonly used in adult ESL classrooms. This paper suggests that a technology-enhanced PBL approach may transform otherwise teacher-centered and outdated ESL classes by helping English language learners (ELLs) develop linguistic fluency along with technological fluency that is essential for the 21st century workplace. Collaborative PBL activities involving the use of digital tools are presented in the areas of listening/speaking, reading/vocabulary, grammar, and writing, providing a foundation for a technology-enhanced PBL curriculum designed for adult …

Improving Reading Motivation For Upper High School Students: Thematic Book Clubs For The Ela Classroom, Isabella Haskin

Masters Projects

Though strong literacy skills are commonly understood to be essential for a successful life, reading comprehension rates continue to fall in the United States. A major factor in this literacy trend is a disinterest and lack of motivation to read among high school students. Research shows that students lose interest in reading as they progress through school, often due to a lack of choice and relevancy of school assigned texts. To address this issue, this project aims to provide educators with a replicable unit plan that will motivate students to read, and subsequently strengthen their literacy skills. It pairs a …

Addressing The Hidden Curriculum Through Trauma-Informed And Culturally Responsive Teaching For Multilingual Learners, Gabrielle Moeggenborg

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs), including refugee, transient, and culturally and linguistically diverse students, often enter schools with experiences of trauma that impact academic performance, behavior, and sense of belonging. Additionally, the hidden curriculum in U.S. schools reinforces inequities for these students. The purpose of this project was to develop a high-quality, research-based educational handbook integrating trauma-informed practices with culturally responsive teaching to better support MLLs and mitigate the effects of the hidden curriculum. This project involved an extensive review of peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary research on learning theories, trauma, culturally responsive teaching, and multilingual education. Historical and contemporary literature was synthesized to …

Empowerment Or Oppression? College Students’ Interpretations Of Sex And Relationships In The Popular Media, Nicola Mcclung, Riana Pella

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

Scholars have long emphasized the harmful effects of overtly sexist and oppressive media images on young people’s understandings of sex and relationships. Yet, this emphasis on explicit harm leaves a gap in understanding how college students interpret subtle, hidden, and ambiguous media messages. To address this gap, we asked 196 California college students at a large public university to critique a range of mainstream media content—from overtly oppressive, to affirming of nondominant gender identities, to containing mixed messages about empowerment and oppression. Responses were coded using our media literacy scoring guide for assessing students’ ability to critically analyze media messages …

Interpreting Mandates Through A Bilingual Lens: Dual Language Immersion Teachers’ Experiences With Georgia’S Structured Literacy Law: A Mixed Methods Study Of Policy Implementation In Georgia Dual Language Programs, Grethel Pedroarena

Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D.) Dissertations

This qualitative-dominant mixed methods study investigates how Georgia’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) teachers interpret and implement state literacy mandates, specifically House Bill 307 (HB 307). The research addresses a critical gap in policy-to-practice understanding, as current structured literacy requirements are primarily grounded in monolingual English frameworks that often overlook the instructional realities of bilingual classrooms. The study is theoretically anchored in Translanguaging Pedagogy, Sociocultural Theory, and Teacher Agency Theory.

Data were collected through a statewide survey of 38 DLI teachers and five in-depth phenomenological interviews. Findings reveal that teachers’ interpretations of the mandate are shaped less by the legislative text …

Community-Based Program To Support The Occupational Needs Of Middle Eastern Refugee Women Transitioning Into Western Society, Zuha A. Mohammad, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Middle Eastern refugee women resettling in Western societies often experience barriers that disrupt participation in meaningful occupations, including language barriers, unfamiliar systems, financial challenges, and social isolation. These challenges can limit independence and community participation during the resettlement process. Occupational therapy is well-positioned to address these barriers through culturally responsive, occupation-based interventions.

This capstone project developed and implemented a community-based program designed to support Middle Eastern refugee women during early resettlement. The program focused on key areas including system navigation, financial literacy, home safety, stress management, self-advocacy, and community engagement. Educational sessions and practical activities were used to promote skill …