Digital Commons Network^™

Motivation, Imagination, And The Future Self In Second Language Acquisition, Jason J. Stibi

Projects

This M.A. project explores the theoretical role and classroom implications that imagination has on motivating human behavior, specifically as it relates to second language development. The focus of this project is to examine the current research regarding how imagination and visions of a future self may contribute to motivating language learners. I begin by examining the complex and dynamic nature of human motivation and how a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition prevents over-simplifying the concept of motivation as simple cause-and-effect relationships. Then, I examine the influence possible language learning selves have on motivating individuals, specifically imagining …

Shifting Lenses On Youth Literacy And Identity, Kafi D. Kumasi, Sandra Hughes-Hassell

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Racialized youth, especially those who attend chronically underperforming schools in US's poor and urban communities, can be likened to singing canaries. These young people risk their lives by entering educational institutions that are not equipped to properly prepare them for the future. Historically, the canary served to warn coal miners of the presence of dangerous gases. When the canary stopped singing or was found dead, the miners knew a serious problem required immediate attention. Like canaries, racialized youth in inner-city schools are a litmus test for the health of the entire educational system in the US. In this article they …

Universal Design For Belonging: Living And Working With Diverse Personal Names, Karen E. Pennesi

Anthropology Publications

There is great diversity in the names and naming practices of Canada’s population due to the multiple languages and cultures from which names and name-givers originate. While this diversity means that everyone encounters unfamiliar names, institutional agents who work with the public are continually challenged when attempting to determine a name’s correct pronunciation, spelling, structure and gender. Drawing from over a hundred interviews in London (Ontario) and Montréal (Québec), as well as other published accounts, I outline strategies used by institutional agents to manage name diversity within the constraints of their work tasks. I explain how concern with saving face …

Diversifying The Stem Education To Career Pipeline, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

This webinar will provide participants with the results of the Diversifying STEM Think Tank and provide strategies to enhance diversity in the STEM Education to Career Pipeline. It will further focus on the motivation of Black and Latino students to engage in STEM. With an understanding of strategies to diversify, matriculation to higher education may improve, STEM engagement may be enhanced, and visibility in STEM careers may increase. Diversifying the STEM fields may indirectly impact the socioeconomic status of these communities with opportunities to increase their earning potential, have more consistent employment, and obtain leadership positions; while enhancing the industry …

Diversity Plan: Academic Year 2016/2017 Status Report, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Resources

As a result of the diversity plan implementation, the following took place:

• Held a Diversifying STEM Think Tank in which 75 STEM Professionals/Educators, Community Organizers, Diversity Officers and students discussed strategies to address the racial and gender inequities that exist in the STEM education to career pipeline.
• Implemented Diversity Speaker Series that consisted of four trainings on the following topics: LGBTQIA+ Allyship, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Gifted Students, Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Environment, and Gender Bias Under the Microscope.
• Conducted a Student Diversity Climate Assessment in the Residence Halls examining the issues of race, sexual orientation, sex and gender/gender …

Multilingual Students' Perceptions Of And Experiences With Instructor Feedback Methods In A U.S. First-Year Composition Class, Hong Thi Tuyet Vo

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

While instructor feedback has generally been recognized as an essential factor in enhancing writing proficiency for multilingual writers, little known research has focused on students’ perceptions of and their experiences with different modes of instructor feedback. In addition, impacts of various feedback methods on students’ writing have remained debatable. This case study seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of the meaning and significance of three instructor feedback methods, namely written, oral, and audio-visual feedback, from students’ perspectives. Furthermore, it offers additional insights into the impacts of these three instructor feedback methods on students’ writing. To be more precise, this study …

Teacher Perceptions Of A Culturally Responsive Classroom, Laura Sundberg

Theses and Graduate Projects

Through the use of qualitative research methods, and a literature review of multiple scholars, this paper explored teacher perceptions of culturally responsive classrooms. The intent of qualitative research methods is to describe and clarify human experiences as it appears in people's lives (Polkinghorne,2005). Geneva Gay (as cited in Bazron, et. al. 2005, p. 1) defines culturally responsive teachings in the following way: "using the cultural knowledge, prior experience, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning more relevant and effective for them." For the purpose of this study, teachers were interviewed to gain insight about …

A Handbook And Materials For Ilead: An Intercultural Communication Program Between Intensive English Program And Teacher Education Students, Sharon Tjaden-Glass

Center for International Programs Publications and Presentations

iLEAD is an intercultural communication program for university students that focuses on developing intercultural competence through guided conversations and shared activities. iLEAD stands for “International Language Exchange and Dialogue.” It was developed through a partnership between the Intensive English Program and the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton.

The educational context: There is a stark difference in how domestic and international students experience the university. The majority of university students fit into the description of traditional, residential students. However, many international students do not fit the traditional, residential student demographic. Many of our international students who come …

An Examination Of Concepts Of School Readiness Among Parents And Educators In Ireland, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Emer Ring, Noirin Hayes, Patsy Stafford, Siobhan Keegan, Cathy Kelleher, Martina Ozonyia, Mary Moloney, Deirdre Breathnach, Des Carswell, Des Mccafferty, Anne O'Keefe, Aisling Leavy, Ruth Madden

Reports

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs commissioned research through the Irish Research Council (IRC) to examine concepts of school readiness as they are understood by early years educators and managers, primary school principals, junior infant teachers and parents of children participating in the first Free Preschool Year in Ireland. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving interviews, an online survey and “draw and tell” sessions with children. Representative samples of FPSY settings and primary schools were selected and an online survey based on the findings of the qualitative phase was sent to 500 pre-primary settings and 500 primary schools. In …

Helping Students Develop Affirmative Evidence Of Cross-Cultural Competency, Neil Hamilton, Jeff Maleska

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Teachers' Understanding Of Culturally And Linguistically Differentiated Instruction For English Language Learners, Poorandai Itwaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A large school district in the northeastern United States struggled with teaching middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) to succeed in reading and writing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers' perceptions regarding what they could do to increase academic achievement for ELLs. The conceptual framework emerged from Weimer's learning-centered teaching, which aligns with Dewey's social constructivism. Ten purposefully sampled teachers agreed to be interviewed in the attempt to answer the research questions about instructional strategies teachers believed were best to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate instruction for ELLs and what teachers believed could be done to …

How Whiteness Is Preserved: The Racialization Of Immigrants & Assimilation In Education, Hadiel Mohamed

Capstone Collection

This research aims to answer how educators can incorporate ethnic/racial identity development in the classroom for youth of color who are driven to pursue Whiteness. This quest begins by understanding Whiteness and its role within ethnic/racial identity and educational systems. The societal avoidance of discussing race furthers the perpetuation of Whiteness as the norm and removes the value of marginalized histories and voices. We can witness the preservation of Whiteness through immigration laws, the void of ethnic/racial identity exploration in schools, and the mono-cultured representation in classrooms. Therefore, this research explores assimilation and the racialization of immigrants through a macro-, …

Cultural Studies In The Mandarin-English Dual Immersion Classroom: A Case Study, Vivian Zhang

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis uses a Mandarin-English dual immersion program at a Southern California public elementary school as a case study to examine how culture is taught and learned in the dual immersion setting. Based on classroom observations and interviews with students, staff, and parents, this thesis argues that concepts of “China” and “Chinese culture” are conveyed, constructed, and negotiated by students as well as teachers, both implicitly and explicitly.

Mexican-Origin Youth's Risk Behavior From Adolescence To Young Adulthood: The Role Of Familism Values, Lorey A. Wheeler, Katharine H. Zeiders, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Sue A. Rodriguez De Jesus, Norma J. Perez-Brena

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally-relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and familism values in 492 youth from 12 to 22 years of age. Participants were older and younger siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who reported on their risk behaviors in interviews spaced over eight years. Multilevel cohort-sequential growth models …

An Autoethnography Of A Novice Esl Teacher: Plato’S Cave And English Language Teaching In Japan, Kevin Lemberger

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This autoethnography documents the author’s one-year experience teaching English in Honjo, Japan. The author details daily life in the public schools and introduces World Englishes. Chapter 1 includes definitions and examples of autoethnography as well as the author’s background, which qualified him for employment in Japan. Chapter 2 is a literature review of research on varieties of English and how they are evolving and being used in classrooms in Japan. The author suggests that Baudrillard’s simulation and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave provide a framework for analyzing current teaching methods and materials being used in the national core curriculum in …

Multilingual Writers’ Perceptions And Use Of L1 In A U.S. Composition Class: A Case Study Of Nepalese Students, Shyam Bahadur Pandey

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis shares a qualitative study of multilingual student writers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the use of L1 (i.e., Nepali) in L2 (i.e., English) writing. The research questions include: 1) What are Nepalese students’ attitudes toward using their L1 in a first-year composition class in the U.S.? and 2) How do Nepalese undergraduate students in a U.S. composition class use their L1 for the research writing process? A case study research design was adopted to shed light on the lived experiences multilingual writers in U.S. university writing programs. Nepalese students were recruited from two multilingual sections of English 101 Composition …

Examining Elementary Teachers' Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Katherine A. Silva

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine if elementary teachers in Central Illinois are implementing culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices, since the United States and Central Illinois are becoming more diverse. Central Illinois is characterized by primarily White, rural communities and schools. Thus, some teachers may not have the theoretical or practical skills to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. A quantitative study utilizing a survey-questionnaire method was designed to examine if kindergarten through fifth grade teachers are implementing CRT in Central Illinois. The researcher examined which CRT practices teachers are doing the most and …

Relevant And Represented: The Presence Of Special Populations In Trade Books, Jessica Krahnke

Masters Theses

This study provides insight into the presence of special populations in trade books. Special populations are defined as a population that has been assigned a label for the sake of educational interventions; in this case, special populations refer to thirteen categories of disability as well as English Language Learners. Past winners of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award were analyzed for the presence of special populations, how special populations were portrayed, and any significant patterns over time regarding the presence of special populations. Results indicated a lack of characters belonging to special populations, characters in a special population most …

Sonic Borderland Literacies: A Re/Mix Of Culturally Relevant Education, Cecilia A. Valenzuela

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

This paper describes the importance of everyday sounds and silences, and it explores how we might use critical listening practices within educational realms. It considers an arts-based approach that introduces a remix of methods grounded in borderland feminisms, cultural sound studies, and visceral literacies. I call this critical dissonance and I illustrate this methodology through dissonant borderland soundtracks that represent multidimensional, multitemporal and embodied ways of knowing. I also introduce conceptual tools and practices that feel and listen to and for marginalized narratives. When thinking about educational contexts, we must recognize that our lived experiences also include sonic and viscerally …

Educating English As A New Language Students Using A Multimedia Based Approach: How Educators Can Assist Enl Students In The Mainstream Classroom, Ashley Marie Jones

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This project will delve into the realm of English as a New Language (ENL) in the mainstream classroom. The main research will be conducted in a secondary school setting, specifically a freshman level English class. This research will be based on observation and interaction with both students and educators. The main topic being explored will be the theory that ENL learners can be educated successfully right alongside their peers through the use of multimedia platforms such as images to accompany lessons, and iPad apps. The research will investigate how students are currently learning in mainstream classrooms and how this can …

Global Competence Survey Development, Kathryn Brantley Todd

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The research objective for this dissertation study was to build a preliminary survey that would, in its final form, allow educators and administrators to establish baseline information on individuals’ global competence characteristics prior to instruction, cross-cultural experience, international study or collaboration. A secondary aim concerned length: The intent was to keep the eventual final survey at 15 minutes or less to make it adaptable to a variety of settings. The researcher extracted terms and phrases from existing global competence definitions (e.g., Boix-Mansilla, Jackson, Asia Society & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2011; Hunter, 2005), related literature (e.g., Lambert, 1994), …

The Power Of Languages: Linguistic Discourse On Migration And Cultural Diversity, Eva Núñez-Méndez

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

En estos días que corren casi a diario vemos titulares en los periódicos y en los medios de comunicación sobre la situación de los refugiados de Siria tratando de cruzar Europa hacia Alemania, buscando seguridad y oportunidades. Muchos de ellos barajan la idea de que se trata de una fase temporal y de que van a volver a sus hogares cuando se termine la guerra civil. Otros optarán por quedarse en el nuevo país de acogida en el que aprender una segunda lengua será una tarea imprescindible para sobrevivir.

La migración no resulta un fenómeno nuevo en la historia de …

Taking It To Heart : A Case Study Of Supporting English Language Learners Through Culturally Responsive Teaching, Collaboration, And Esol-Focused Leadership, Gretchen Oliver Oliver

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A continued increase in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools has made educators consider the ways they approach teaching and learning for these students. Culturally responsive teaching is one way many educators have attempted to meet ELLs’ unique needs, valuing the cultural and linguistic diversity that they bring to school with them. Moreover, through collaboration and ESOL-focused leadership, educators are able to take a system-approach to teaching and learning for these students, and in doing so, they are able to provide ELLs with meaningful and authentic learning experiences that will allow them to be inclusive members …

The Congruity/Incongruity Of Efl Teachers’ Beliefs About Listening Instruction And Their Listening Instructional Practices, Mohammad Nabi Karimi, Mostafa Nazari

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While research on EFL teachers’ beliefs and the realization of these beliefs in their classroom practices has recently gained momentum in the field of applied linguistics, the study of teachers’ beliefs as they relate to listening has received insufficient attention in the literature. This study was conducted to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ beliefs about listening and their beliefs-driven instructional practices. To this end, a listening beliefs questionnaire was administered to a total of 85 teachers (BA= 49, MA= 36), followed by classroom observation of 12 teachers (6 teachers per group) who were given an audio to teach. The results revealed …

What Efl Student Teachers Think About Their Professional Preparation: Evaluation Of An English Language Teacher Education Programme In Spain, Juan De Dios Martínez Agudo

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Given the importance of programme evaluation in the EFL teacher education, this research paper of exploratory-interpretive nature mainly focuses on both strengths and weaknesses identified through the analysis and/or critical evaluation of an EFL teacher education programme carried out in Spain. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used in the study. The current TEFL programme has several strengths, but also certain significant shortcomings in light of the high percentage of undecided responses. The TEFL programme was evaluated positively by participant student teachers in general, in terms of pedagogic competence and promotion of reflection, although more input on English proficiency …

The Contextual Motivational Conditions For L2 Pedagogy: A Case Study From The Arabian Gulf, Muhammad Athar Shah

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on a mixed-method research study into situated motivational conditions available for the English language (L2) pedagogy at a university in Saudi Arabia. The current study evaluated the L2 Learning Experience of the students by focusing on the key contextual factors that included teachers’ pedagogical practices, group dynamics in the classrooms, and English language course. Framed within the interpretive paradigm, the study utilised a structured questionnaire, followed by open-ended interviews with purposefully chosen language learners for data collection. The conceptual framework of the study was based on Dornyei’s (2005, 2009) L2 Motivational Self System – one of the …

Quality Teaching Practices As Reported By Aboriginal Parents, Students And Their Teachers: Comparisons And Contrasts, Brian Ellis Lewthwaite, Helen Boon, Tammi Webber, Gail Laffin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper summarizes the findings from the first phase of a three-part project which, overall, investigates what Aboriginal¹ students perceive as the qualities and actions of effective teachers and subsequently seeks to determine the impact of the enactment of these identified qualities on educational outcomes. This first phase of the research was centered on gathering accounts of quality teachers and teaching practice from students, parents and their teachers from phenomenologically aligned interviews. Similar and contrasting themes among these three groups are presented, with the intention of exposing potential mismatch in perception of the construct of ‘quality’ teaching. Finally, we …

Exploring Models Of Team Teaching In Initial Foreign/Second Language Teacher Education: A Study In Situated Collaboration, Malba Barahona

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The demonstrable potential of team teaching as a productive mechanism for developing collaborative teacher learning is now broadly understood in the field of teacher education. However, there is less evidence of the use of such collaborative teaching as a means of strengthening initial foreign/second language teacher education. This paper reports on the findings of a multiple case study in Chile that explored team teaching in a foreign language teacher education program. The study is illuminated through the lens of cultural historical activity theory framework (CHAT) and draws on the analysis of semi-structured interviews, work shadowing observations and reflections. The outcomes …

Cultural Bias In English Language Arts Curriculum And Its Effect On African American And Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners In A Municipal School, Shelia Yvette Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many rightly assume that textbooks prior to 1970 in the United States were not culturally responsive to African Americans, and that assumption includes that some research has been conducted on culturally responsive textbooks and African Americans since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, even in today's 21st century market, textbook editors and publishers continue to manufacture textbooks that now include African Americans and other ethnicities, but only occasionally in roles that build up the cultural capital of those people groups. In the 21st century there is an urgent need for culturally responsive teaching, "an approach that empowers students intellectually, …

Understanding Translanguaging And Identity Among Korean Bilingual Adults, Nancy Ryoo

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study, conducted at a Northern California university, explored how six Korean bilingual adults expressed their unique identities while utilizing both Korean and English in their daily and academic lives. The six study participants shared their journeys as bilingual adults who migrated to the United States from South Korea to attend graduate school. Several will return to South Korea at the conclusion of their graduate studies. Research data included narratives from in-depth personal interviews as well as focus group discussions.

This qualitative study postulated that translanguaging is commonly observed within bilingual/multilingual populations and can be utilized as a source …