Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Unveiling Spanish Language Attitudes In A Los Angeles School And A Third-Generation Multigenerational Mexican-American Family, Eric Alvarez

International Journal of the Linguistic Association of the Southwest

This chapter unearths some of the diverse attitudes towards Spanish of a third-generation child in Los Angeles (L.A.), California, her family members, and school personnel. L.A. is a tension-ridden contact zone (Pratt, 1991) where Spanish has traditionally been subjugated and is still a lesser-taught language (LTL) despite decades of research showing that bilingual education positively impacts student attitudes (Potowski & Muñoz-Basols, 2020). Lack of continuity (Caloi & Torregrossa, 2021) in formal instruction and inconsistent heritage Spanish use in the home may entail divergent attitudes towards Spanish, possibly hindering multigenerational transmission. Decades-long turbulent California language policies (CLP) (Macias, 2001) have consistently …

Teacher Motivational Behaviors In A Remote Versus An In-Person Class, Mariia Shishmareva, Jennifer Bown, Teresa Bell, Dr. Wendy Baker Smemoe, Dan Dewey

Faculty Publications

Motivation in language learning has been studied for quite a long time. However, until recent years, the focus has been on motivation in face-to-face (FTF) learning environments. Motivation in online learning can be different due to many factors. This study compared how a language instructor used motivational strategies in a FTF vs. in a synchronous online class; and how students reacted to these motivational strategies. For these purposes the Motivational Orientation of Language Teaching (MOLT) was used for observations. Results showed that while the teacher used many of the same motivational strategies in both sections, strategies in the categories social …

Assessing Writing - What Doesn't Work, But Is Used Anyway, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This is an excerpt from my book, Johnson, A. (2024). Being and becoming teachers of writing: A meaning-based approach. Routledge. It should be out in March/April of 2024.

https://www.routledge.com/Being-and-Becoming-Teachers-of-Writing-A-Meaning-Based-Approach-to-Authentic/Johnson/p/book/9781032355726

Structured Literacy Is Really Controlled Literacy: Units Of Study Is Not A Balanced Approach, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Students’ Oral Proficiency In French Through Call In One Tanzanian Public Secondary Schools, Godfrey Alexander Massawe

Master of Education

Oral proficiency is a crucial aspect of language learning; however, the complexities of fluency and accuracy make the study of speaking skills challenging. Recently, secondary school students have been struggling to improve speaking competency, therefore, this study aimed to identify substantial enhancements in language skills, particularly focussing on the aspects of speaking through the implementation of CALL in a Form six class in one of the Tanzanian Public secondary Schools. The study was predominantly Participatory Action Research (PAR) involving 2 teachers in the following principal procedures: reconnaissance, planning, action, observation, and reflection. A mixed-methods approach was employed whereby qualitative data …

Blog-Assisted Language Learning For Enhancing Proficiency In Essay Writing Among National Technical Award Level 4 Students In Mwanza, Simon Sitta Mabula Matondo

Master of Education

Students at tertiary institutions, like National Technical Award level 4, are encouraged to master writing proficiency to succeed in writing assignments and examinations. Since academic achievements depend on writing activities, it is better to find a better strategy that can improve poor writing proficiency at this level. The current study looks into how blog-assisted language learning can help NTA Level 4 students become more proficient essay writers. The study was conducted in the Mwanza region, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to determine the current writing proficiency levels of NTA level 4 students in essay writing before using blog-assisted …

Exploring The Use Of Comics In The Teaching Of English Language In One Tanzanian Secondary School, Irene Juma Maganga

Master of Education

The changing demands of EFL teaching and learning made many language scholars find ways to address the teaching of EFL. This shift in demand requires modern English language teaching approaches that facilitate interaction and engagement. The shift from Kiswahili to English as a medium of instruction in Tanzania secondary schools’ results in persistently low student performance in English language examinations. This study explores the potential of comics as a teaching tool to enhance language teaching. The researcher adopted the qualitative research approach, and an action research design was done in one school in the Ruvuma region at Tunduru district council …

Exploring Teachers’ Use Of Oral Questioning In Enhancing Oral Communication Skills. The Case Of One Secondary School In Sumbawanga Municipality, Tanzania, Michael Joachim Nyandwi

Master of Education

This study investigated the teachers' use of oral questioning practices, and challenges in developing oral communication skills (OCS) among secondary school students in Sumbawanga Municipality. A qualitative approach was used to explore the use of oral questioning practices in enhancing OCS.  A case study design was employed to focus on one secondary school. A purposive sampling technique was used to obtain one experienced English teacher, and nine students from one class as they had been using Kiswahili in primary school as a medium of instruction, and when the study was conducted, they were in their first year of secondary education …

Teachers’ Perception On The Use Of Play To Develop Children's Literacy In Pre-Primary Education In Tanzania., Kessia Kiwia

Master of Education

This study delves into challenges and opportunities in integrating play-based learning in Temeke, Tanzania's pre-primary classrooms. Despite national policies endorsing play-based early childhood education, translating these policies into effective practices encounters substantial barriers.

Semi-structured interviews with six Temeke public school pre-primary teachers unveil the complex landscape they navigate. Barriers include limited resources, inadequate training, time constraints, academic pressures, cultural dismissal of play, and overcrowded classrooms. These hinder play-based learning's effective implementation, impacting its developmental benefits for young learners.

Insufficient resources limit access to conducive play-based education materials and spaces. Teachers need enhanced play pedagogy training. Time constraints and academic pressures …

Parental Involvement In Children's Writing, Bronte Peta Kelso-Marsh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research suggests that parental involvement is important for supporting children’s early literacy development. However, much of the existing research has focused on reading outcomes, and studies have seldom examined the influence of parental involvement on children’s writing outcomes. Learning to write is a complex process. Furthermore, although writing is a necessary skill required throughout schooling and the workforce, evidence from international studies suggests children’s writing performance is in decline. Theoretical models of writing have proposed the importance of contextual factors in shaping children’s writing acquisition and development, which may include parents. However, whilst previous research suggests parental involvement in supporting …

Foundational Literacy And Numeracy: Using Learning Assessment Data In The Asia-Pacific Region. Policy Brief, Adeola Monty

Literacy and numeracy

This policy brief has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) Regional Conference, held in Manila from 5 to 7 November 2024. This brief is in response to the conference sub-theme of, ‘Learning, equity and well-being: foundational literacy, numeracy and the use of learning assessment data.’ This sits under the overarching conference theme, ‘Educational planning in Asia: Common vision and future prospects.’ The remainder of this paper is divided into 3 sections. It begins by outlining ACER’s definition of a learning assessment, followed by an overview of the …

Child Language And Happiness Behaviors: Evaluating The Effects Of Caregiver Coaching, Ashlen Grubbs

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Caregivers of young children who have or are at risk for disabilities may struggle supporting their child’s language development. This study used a tailored rapid coaching intervention to teach a caregiver different naturalistic language interventions that can be used with their child during play. Evidence-based naturalistic skills for increasing child communication were chosen to teach the caregiver based on baseline levels of skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored RCI (training and coaching) with caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Like other studies, this study involved evaluating child-level communication but extended child measures …

When Would You Feel Like A Writer? Exploring Writing With Newcomer Students, Sinélia Peixoto, Thea Williamson

English Faculty Publications

The authors share a story of a middle school writer's experience navigating across languages in an English for Speakers of Other Languages support classroom.

Linking Language Use Practices And Valued Teacher Capabilities: A Mixed Methods Study Of English-As-A-Foreign-Language Teacher Educators, Adeline De Angelis

Dissertation Collection

This mixed-methods study explored how much English-as-a-foreign-language teacher educators used English, Spanish, or a combination of those languages in teaching content courses (e.g., pedagogy, linguistics) and how their language use practices related to the teacher capabilities they most valued. Quantitative data was collected with a survey of 115 teacher educators from 21 Ecuadorian universities. Most participants reported teaching in English while incorporating some Spanish, usually in minimal amounts; most believed in minimizing Spanish. Ordinary least squares regression analysis indicated the amount of Spanish included related to teacher educators’ prioritization of teacher empowerment over accountability to standards and to teacher educators’ …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Dialogical Demands Of Florida's 10th Grade B.E.S.T. English Language Arts Standards, Amanda Nb Kaplowitz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigates the extent to which the Florida B.E.S.T (Benchmark for Excellent Student Thinking) English Language Arts (ELA) standards demand that students participate in dialogic interactions within the 10th grade ELA classroom. Dialogic demands, characterized by active discourse and collaborative sense-making, are the opportunities students interact with one another or with a text. The dialogic elements of classroom pedagogy are an increasingly recognized critical component of effective literacy instruction in contrast with the monologic classroom where teachers are the primary source of information. A Critical Discourse Analysis through the lens of Fairclough is used as this research aims to …

The Critical Need For Early Language Access For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children, Kinya D. Embry-Wright

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are referred to as the experts of communication (ASHA, n.d.) utilizing their specialized training, extensive education, and clinical expertise to work with individuals across the lifespan with a variety of different speech and language delays, disorders, and deficits. However, when working with deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children, there is often precedent given to speech and listening (M. L. Hall et al., 2019). For example, ASHA only recently updated their DHH portal to include American Sign Language (ASL), though they still list it on some webpages as an Augmentative …

Toward The Next Generation Of Research In Adult Literacy Instruction, Rebecca Clark-Stallkamp, Barbara B. Lockee

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

In November 2019, the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) from 2017 (Institute of Education Sciences [IES], 2019) depicted no significant change in the concerning status of adult literacy in the US. More than 52% of adults between 16 and 45 scored below functionally literate levels. While shortcomings are attributed to various factors such as high attrition rates in program, ill-conceived policy planning, and more, significant focus is placed on the impact of effective instruction. The study reviews core cognitive component theory experimentation and instructional intervention research in adult literacy to explain contributions and limitations in current …

Critical Writing About Literature, Erika L. Bass

Faculty Book Gallery

This free custom textbook includes openly-licensed and public domain works for the University of Northern Iowa course ENGLISH 2120: Critical Writing about Literature. It introduces readers to the knowledge and skills necessary to critically read, interpret, and analyze literature. The editor--Dr. Erika L. Bass--chose these readings to orient readers to important concepts and literature genres, as well as develop writing skills. While these chapters were chosen from other OER textbooks, I took care in selecting the chapters that are relevant to course objectives and will help students transfer skills from one class to the next, regardless of major. -- Provided …

Effectiveness Of Automated Formative Feedback In An Online Tutorial For Promoting Summarizing, Veronika Barkela, Miriam Leuchter

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

We conducted a study with the aim to investigate the effectiveness of automated formative feedback in improving students’ ability to summarize. One-hundred and thirty-eight undergraduate students in an elementary education program were asked to summarize six scientific texts, with the experimental group (N=87) receiving automated formative feedback in a computer-based learning environment (FALB). FALB provides automated feedback about content coverage, copying words avoidance, redundancy avoidance, relevance, and length. Comparing the experimental group to a control group (N=51), results implied that summarizing skills could be fostered when interacting with FALB. In particular, the automated formative feedback promoted the adherence to the …

Feminist Pedagogy In The Esl Classroom: A Retrospective Qualitative Case Study, Lindsei Pereira Da Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Even though feminist pedagogy in the context of higher education has been widely researched, there is a dearth of scholarship available when it comes to feminist pedagogy in the context of English as a Second Language. The present retrospective qualitative case study investigated the ways in which feminist pedagogy is represented in the teaching philosophies and intended teaching practices of ESL instructors in the Summer 2023 Fulbright Pre-Academic Program. The research findings indicate that feminist pedagogy was represented in the teaching philosophies and intended teaching practices of the ESL instructors in several ways, despite the fact that they had not …