Digital Commons Network^™

Instructional Decisions Of Elementary Principals For Implementing Dual Language Programs For Emergent Bilinguals, Susana M. Arredondo, Michelle H. Abrego, Velma D. Menchaca

School Leadership Review

This study explores the instructional decisions made by elementary principals in implementing dual language programs, with a focus on the choice of language for state reading assessments. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research examines the lived experiences of eight principals in a South Texas school district, offering insights into the challenges of maintaining program fidelity while meeting state accountability demands. Key findings highlight the tensions principals face in balancing the integrity of the dual language model with the pressures of standardized testing. The study underscores the need for flexible district policies and enhanced leadership training, advocating for a leadership …

Churches Becoming Models Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Iris Jasmin Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The historical and ongoing trauma from the marginalization of various identities within churches has resulted in a rift that can be seen within and outside of the congregational walls. Some churches are attempting to bridge this divide with diversity, equity, and inclusion values to cultivate meaningful connections that address past marginalization and establish practices that embrace an intersectional theology. Transitioning church communities into diverse, equitable and inclusive spaces where all feel a sense of belonging can be challenging. Most of the prior research has focused on diversification from a racial and/or ethnic standpoint. This multi-case study examined integrative efforts by …

“Because That’S What Scientists Do…. They Like To Make Their Own Stuff”: Exploring Perceptions Of Self As Science-Doers Using The Black Love Framework, Rasheda Likely, Ti’Era Worsley

Faculty Articles

This paper critiques traditional science assessments and advocates for reform-based learning that supports culturally diverse students, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). While NGSS promotes collaborative, inquiry-driven practices, these are often difficult to assess through traditional high-stakes tests, which tend to reinforce systemic biases and marginalize students from non-dominant backgrounds. We examine the Lotions and Potions: Science through Black Hair Care curriculum, which uses a culturally sustaining approach, allowing students to respond flexibly in assessments. This approach enables students to participate fully in science practices without needing to conform to dominant cultural norms. Our findings highlight the benefits …

Bridging The Knowledge Gap: Professional Development Connecting Educators And Caregivers Of Multilingual Learners, Mihaela Gazioglu, Emily Howell, Rebecca Kaminski, Victoria Pennington, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the professional growth of a cohort of teachers working with multilingual learners (MLs) during an MEd program and their recommendations for the development of a literacy course for ML caregivers. In addition, this study explores whether the school district capacity supports teacher growth, as reflected through district representatives’ feedback.

Design/methodology/approach – This design-based research study, informed by the culturally relevant pedagogy and dual capacity building frameworks, explores 30 in-service K-12 teachers and 11 district representatives. Data were collected through semestrial surveys and research logs over two years using mixed methods. …

Multilingual Learners' Digital Book Composing: Examining Circulation Of Translingual, Multimodal Resources In An Elementary Classroom, Lindsey W. Rowe, Victoria Pennington

Publications

Multilingual learners (MLs) often attend English-medium schools in the U.S. An important area of research is understanding how teachers can support MLs’ literacy practices, such as translingual composing, in these contexts. This paper draws on theories of translanguaging and multimodality to explore the semiotic choices of second graders as they engaged in digital book composing following instruction that invited translanguaging. Specifically, we ask: 1) What multimodal, translingual resources did students initially deploy when invited to use their full semiotic (including linguistic) resources to compose texts? And 2) How were these semiotic resources used across time, resulting in students’ creation of …

No. 15, March 2025: California’S Treasures: Supporting Superdiverse Youth Through Research, Policy And Practice, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Linda R. G. Kaminski Ed.D, Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Dayna Mitchell Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

This research and policy brief provides an overview of the Center for Equity for English Learner’s Superdiverse Adolescent Multilingual Learners Resource Guide. The publication follows the Global California 2030 call to recognize and promote the home languages and cultures of English Learners as valuable resources to increase multilingualism within the state. The term “Superdiverse” is used to acknowledge the many facets of diversity that make up the identities of English/Multilingual Learners in addition to the breadth of linguistic diversity encompassed within their language journeys. Twenty-six English/Multilingual Learners between grades seven and twelve were interviewed about their school experiences as culturally …

Linguistic Differences Between Spanish And English: Challenges For Native Spanish Speakers And Instructional Strategies For Effective Language Learning, Allison Kassing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This research article presents a contrastive analysis of Spanish and English, highlighting key linguistic differences that contribute to common grammatical errors among Spanish-speaking English learners. The study examines these differences across four linguistic layers: phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Through error analysis, patterns of language transfer were identified and used to develop four 50-minute lesson plans tailored for English Language Learning (ELL) classes with native Spanish speakers. By recognizing students’ prior linguistic knowledge, ELL teachers can anticipate and address common errors more effectively. Special emphasis is placed on phonemes, morphemes, cognates, and sentence orders that do not exist in both …

Heritage Language Learners In The Foreign Language Classroom, Annabel Noar

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Heritage language learners are a heterogenous group themselves, and prevalent contrasts exist between them and foreign language learners. This presents challenges for the amalgamation of heritage language learners and foreign language learners within a single language classroom. Reviewing relevant literature, this paper discusses the differences between heritage language learners and foreign language learners, and how these can be accounted for by educators. It argues that, without specific, individualised differentiation, the foreign language classroom is inappropriate for the heritage language learner due to its inability to sufficiently account for their heterogeneity, diverse backgrounds and unique motivations for language learning. The difficulty …

Design And Validation Of A Cross-Cultural Virtual Exchange Experience Among Bilingual Medical Students, John R. Vaile, Cierrah Doran, Arlene R. Maheu, Valentina Jaramillo, Daniela A. Perez-Chadid, Tomas Fernandez, Carissa Walkosak, Dinah Roll Velez, Sara Carolina Bedoya Osorio, Courtney Seebadri-White, Susan Truong, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Andres Fernandez, Rosemary Frasso

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Exposure to cross-cultural medical education is essential for professionals aiming to work in global health or serve diverse communities. However, traditional in-person exchange programs can be complex, costly, and restricted, particularly during times when travel is limited, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges prompted us to explore novel approaches to support cross-cultural exchange programs. We designed, piloted, and evaluated a cross-cultural virtual exchange experience using case-based learning (CBL). Our study involved 14 bilingual medical students from the United States and Colombia who participated in four virtual CBL sessions. Following each session, participants engaged in guided discussions to reflect …

Cultural Inclusion: Experiences Of Somali Parents In The Pbis System, Destiny R. Stampley

Doctorate in Education

In an effort to support student achievement and decrease disruptive behaviors, many schools have implemented the Positive Behavior and Supports and Intervention (PBIS) framework. Two critical aspects of this framework are cultural inclusion and family engagement, which are used to promote equitable and responsive practices and policies. However, research on the effectiveness of PBIS in diverse schools focuses primarily on what schools do and fails to examine the perspective and experiences of parents. This is especially true for the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, the state with the largest Somali population in the United States. This qualitative study examined the experiences …

The Effect Of Age Of Acquisition On The Development Of Lexical Attainment And Oral Proficiency In English As L2 In Adult Native Arabic Speakers, Mona Ahmed Kamar El-Zaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of the age of acquisition (AoA) on the development of lexical attainment and oral proficiency in English as a second language (L2) among adult native Arabic speakers, focusing on classroom foreign language learners within the Egyptian context. AoA, a critical variable in second language acquisition (SLA) research, is explored in relation to two key domains: lexical knowledge and oral proficiency. The study examines the role of AoA and AoA related effects, such as the order of bilingualism and the length of exposure to rich language input (LoE) as a confounding factor. Through a mixed-methods approach, …

Trauma-Informed Bilingual Counselor Education: Factors To Guide Professional Mental Health Training With Spanish-Speaking Students, Fernando Estrada, Miguel A. Arana

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Latine immigrants confront various forms of violence that increases their risk for traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a need to advance the training of counselors who can work with Spanish-speaking clients exposed to trauma. The goal of this study was to articulate a literature-based conceptualization of trauma-informed bilingual counselor education. The results of a content analysis facilitated a synthesis of the relevant scholarship that highlighted four main facets: (i) integrative translanguage pedagogy, (ii) immigrant trauma exposure and reaction, (iii) culturally responsive socio-emotional interventions, and (iv) bilingual supervisory alliance. These factors can help guide professional graduate training. Implications …

Evolution Of Teachers’ Perspectives On Family Engagement: Building Dual Capacity For Multilingual Learners, Lindsey W. Rowe, Hazel Vega, Emily Howell, Katie M. Crook, C C. Bates, Kavita Mittapelli, Amlam Banerjee

Publications

Family engagement in multilingual learner education offers benefits associated with improved academic performance, stronger parent-teacher communication, and more inclusivity of cultural and linguistic diversity. Responding to calls for professional development that enables teachers to meaningfully involve families, this paper draws from surveys and course assignments to examine how teachers expanded their perceptions about the incorporation of multilingual learner families in a graduate program. We conclude by discussing implications for teacher professional development with specific attention to how teachers can integrate multilingual learner families.

Saudi University-Based Language Instructors’ Professional Identity: A Narrative Study, Husam Alharbi

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Language instructors’ professional identity involves a multitude of factors and characteristics that explain practices, meanings, and values, particularly pedagogical ones, that contribute to the identification of identity(s) (Block, 2007; Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Beijaard et al., 2004; Miller, 2009; Varghese et al., 2005). Guided by narrative approach (Clandinin, 2015; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Connelly & Clandinin, 1988, 1990; Oliver, 1998; Riessman, 2008) and communities of practice (CoP) principles (Wenger, 1998), this study employed eight narrative prompts to answer two research questions: (1) how do Saudi university-based EFL language instructors construct their professional identity without their entitled academic privileges and/or accommodations?; …

Evolution Of Teachers’ Perspectives On Family Engagement: Building Dual Capacity For Multilingual Learners, Hazel Vega, Emily Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, Katie M. Crook, C. C. Bates, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

Family engagement in multilingual learner education offers benefits associated with improved academic performance, stronger parent-teacher communication, and more inclusivity of cultural and linguistic diversity. Responding to calls for professional development that enables teachers to meaningfully involve families, this paper draws from surveys and course assignments to examine how teachers expanded their perceptions about the incorporation of multilingual learner families in a graduate program. We conclude by discussing implications for teacher professional development with specific attention to how teachers can integrate multilingual learner families.

Secondary Stage Students' Perceptions Regarding (Myschool) Learning Management System's Role In Learning English, Huda Ali Sallam

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study set out to explore students' opinions and self-efficacy level in relation to the use of MySchool learning management system. The study has added focus on its usefulness in facilitating English language learning. The study sample involved 420 female secondary stage students within one educational district in Riyadh. The study instrument is a 24-item closed-ended questionnaire which was distributed using a Microsoft Forms link. The items of the questionnaire were divided into four main elements: perceived practicality, perceived usefulness, general satisfaction, and sense of self-efficacy. The obtained data was subsequently analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) 24 …

Speech And Language Assessment Practices For Bilingual Children In The School Setting: Where Do We Go From Here?, Seijra Toogood, Raul Prezas

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

The field of speech-language pathology has demonstrated growth in bilingual assessment and evaluations. However, many questions remain regarding formal and informal assessment practices, intervention recommendations, and cultural competency or responsiveness. Sixty-one SLPs in Virginia completed a survey on demographics, bilingual assessment practices, cultural competence, and language development of ELL students. Seven SLPs who work with bilingual and/or ELL students were also interviewed to ascertain bilingual assessment practices, cultural competence, and language development knowledge. Areas of concern included assessment of bilingual students, lack of developmental norms and standardized assessment tools in languages other than English, and lack of knowledge of …

Empowering Multilingual Learners Through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy And Arts-Based Learning In Burkina Faso, Inoussa Malgoubri

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores how culturally sustaining pedagogy and arts-based learning can engage multilingual learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL) in Burkina Faso. The research emphasizes the incorporation of local cultural elements and learners' linguistic backgrounds into the EAL curriculum to address challenges such as limited classroom interactions (Somé-Guiebré, 2020) and monolingual instructional strategies with inadequate cultural representation (Ndlangamandla, 2024). This qualitative study integrates culturally relevant materials, including Forum Theater, slam poetry, and griot-style storytelling, to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment. Data consisted of observation, images from arts-based workshops and pre- and post-workshop interviews with selected teachers …

Ethnomathematics Projects For Projective Geometry In Distance Learning, Wen-Haw Chen, Ja'faruddin Arsyad Ide

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This article reports on an ethnomathematics project we developed and implemented in an online learning environment to connect with students’ cultural backgrounds and to highlight the links between their environment, culture, and mathematics. The project is based on Simple House Theory, a framework that involves the application of projective geometry in the design of traditional houses and building numbers. Our results show that this approach fostered active participation and engagement despite the standard constraints and challenges of distance learning.

Sara Above, Sothear Nget

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This is a creative literary work from Sothear Nget.

Reclaiming And Celebrating Our Names: Storytelling-As-Connection Through An Elementary-Middle School Partnership, Christina M. Ponzio, Janine Kopera, Jennifer Krueger, Katharine Kwiatkowski, Heather Shiveley

Michigan Reading Journal

Affirming each student’s identity is fundamental to fostering the connection needed for our students to grow as a community of readers and writers across the year–and this begins when teachers learn their students’ names. This article highlights how students, teachers and literacy coaches through a partnership between an elementary school and middle school in southeast Michigan connected together through storytelling as an avenue to reclaim and celebrate their names. The second author shares her collaboration as the literacy coach with elementary teachers, which began with a read aloud of read Alma and How She Got Her Name (Martinez-Neal, 2018) and …

Developing The Reading Skill And Intercultural Communicative Competence Using Multicultural Narratives At Tertiary Level In Palestine, Hassan Abdul Hamid Naqeeb

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of teaching multicultural narratives using intensive reading skills on promoting the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and improving reading skill achievement at the tertiary level in Palestine. Methodology: To achieve this purpose, the researcher randomly selected 160 university freshmen students learning English as an obligatory course at tertiary level in Palestine during the second semester of the academic skills evenly into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were taught the same multicultural narratives using the intensive reading skills by the researcher himself. They were assessed using the …

Translanguaging: Old Wine In A New Bottle, Or New Wine?, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

The conversation about translanguaging is creating waves around the world, and Illinois is no exception. This column serves to remind the reader of some of the antecedents to this influential concept (“old wine”), predicts how this movement may affect your education setting (“new bottle”), and lays out a few of the aspects of translanguaging that may indeed be “new wine.”

The Effectiveness Of Using Al Hodhud Application To Teach Reading Skills In Arabic As A Second Language In The International Baccalaureate System For Kindergarten Students, Samaa Bassem Haroun, Mohammad M. T. Habib Samkari

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى فاعلية تطبيق "الهدهد" في تنمية مهارات القراءة باللغة العربية كلغة ثانية لدى طلبة رياض الأطفال في برنامج البكالوريا الدولية، وقد أجريت الدراسة في مدرسة المواهب الإنجليزية في محافظة العاصمة عمان في الأردن خلال الفصل الدراسي الثاني من العام الدراسي 2022-2023. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام المنهج شبه التجريبي، وتم اختيار مجموعة الدراسة عمدياً، وتألفت المجموعة من (40) طفلاً من مرحلة رياض الأطفال، وتألفت العينة من مجموعة واحدة درست استخدام تطبيق الهدهد، وتم تطبيق الاختبار القبلي والبعدي، وبعد تطبيق الدراسة وإجراء التحليل الإحصائي أظهرت نتائج فاعلية تطبيق الهدهد في تنمية مهارات القراءة باللغة العربية كلغة ثانية، وأظهرت …

Responding To The Needs Of Early Literacy Teachers: Designing Online Professional Development To Improve Writing Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Katie M. Crook, Lindsey W. Rowe, Hazel Vega, Emily Howell, C C. Bates, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

While the population of multilingual learners (MLs) in the United States has grown rapidly in recent years, many teachers feel unprepared to teach them. The professional development (PD) teachers receive is often misaligned with their particular needs and experiences. This design-based research study examined the development and impact of online PD designed with teacher input to improve writing instruction for young MLs. Data were collected over twelve months from 25 teachers in six Southeastern U.S. school districts. Researchers evaluated the impact of the PD on teachers’ knowledge and self-efficacy for teaching writing to MLs. Findings highlight how teachers made instructional …

The Morris Intercultural Education Initiative: A Decade Of Advancing Democracy Through Community-Engaged Learning In The Rural Midwest, Cristina Ortiz, Tammy Berberi, Thomas Genova, Windy Roberts

Anthropology Publications

While ethnoracial diversity is associated with metropolitan areas in the popular imagination, Latinx people have been moving increasingly into rural spaces during this century. Rural communities often have less infrastructure to adapt to changing linguistic and intercultural circumstances than do their urban counterparts. Following a community needs and assets assessment, the Morris Intercultural Education Initiative (MIEI) was founded in 2013 as a collaboration between the University of Minnesota Morris Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships, the local Latinx population, and the area school district to address disparities in literacy and academic outcomes and to promote community integration in West …

Los Beneficios De La Enseñanza De Lenguas Extranjeras Con Cuentos Bilingües En Escuelas Rurales, Morgan Gosdin

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

This action research explores and reflects on the use of bilingual storytelling as a model for foreign language education in third-grade classrooms. Previous research indicates that familiar stories foster an ideal environment for young learners, shifting the focus to language rather than content (Kirsch, 2008). Stories invoke curiosity in students and allow learners to view a foreign language as comparable to their own rather than simply a list of rules and vocabulary words. The action research, conducted in rural Middle Georgia third-grade classrooms, incorporates cultural and linguistic education. A class of undergraduate language students conducted biweekly lessons reading Spanish stories, …

Disproportionality Of English Learners In Special Education, Alysa Gordon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the presence of disproportionality of English learners in special education. The search process yielded evidence of both overrepresentation and underrepresentation of English learners in special education, with some studies indicating disproportionality in specific disability categories. Underrepresentation was found to be present in categories of emotional behavioral disability, speech and language impairment, other health impairment, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. Overrepresentation was found to be present in multiple disability categories, especially with specific learning disabilities and speech language impairment. Potential variables that could be contributors to overrepresentation were found to be educators’ …

Stories Of Navigating Higher Education Toward Success: A Narrative Inquiry On The Experiences Of Thai American College Students, Archawee Dhamavasi

Dissertations of Practice

This narrative inquiry explores the experiences of Thai American college students, focusing on how cultural identity influences their academic success, sense of belonging, and progress toward graduation. Despite the growing body of research on Asian American students in higher education, Thai Americans remain an underrepresented and understudied group. Through in-depth interviews, this study examined how participants navigated dual cultural identities and drew upon familial values, community engagement, and cultural practices to define their place in academic and social environments. Findings revealed that cultural identity is a dynamic and lived experience, deeply intertwined with students’ motivations, behaviors, and aspirations. Using Yosso’s …

An Exploration Of Change In Teachers’ Sel Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Beliefs After Participation In A Sel Professional Development Course For Uruguayan Teachers Of Secondary Schools, Sheila Coli

Dissertations of Practice

This convergent mixed-methods study explored how secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Uruguay changed their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of social emotional learning (SEL), and their beliefs about their role in SEL integration, after participating in a six-week online professional development (PD) course. Amid increased international emphasis on the importance of social and emotional competencies (SECs) for students’ academic and personal success, Uruguay’s EFL national curriculum calls for the promotion of these competencies, yet offers limited guidelines or training for their EFL educators. The PD course was designed by the researcher to address this gap, providing …