Digital Commons Network^™

English Language Learners In The Classroom: Perspectives And Teaching Approaches Using Art Integration, Kimberly M. Rodriguez

Honors College Theses

Art is a sensory language. In language learning, visual literacy is an essential factor in developing interlanguage. Art can interchange cultural understanding and promote social learning. The research gathered is based on the perspectives of teachers in the neighboring schools located in Georgia. The purpose of this paper is to examine how teachers can support language learning using visual literacy. Teachers are asked to participate in an interview to record their experiences in language learning. In the completion of the data collected, the analysis gives a deeper understanding of how to improve accommodating language learners in the classroom using visual …

Cognate Facilitation And Processing In English-Speaking Learners Of German, Kaitlin L. Young

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

Within the field of second language acquisition, research finds that increased exposure to input results in improved proficiency, especially when those activities are challenging yet manageable for the language learner’s current level. Because of this, listening exercises and speech processing are considered integral to language acquisition, even leading to recommendations of frequent, authentic use of the target language (TL). Instructors’ TL authenticity is, however, sometimes stunted by the demand for comprehensible input and facilitation of classroom activities; they make use of simpler syntax, stronger enunciation, and more cognates (words sharing origins, meanings, and form across languages) than in casual speech. …

Stakeholder Perspectives On A Strand Within A Traditional School Chinese Immersion Program: A Case Study, Erica M. Caine

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Dual language immersion programs have continued to grow in North Carolina, providing students with learning opportunities focused on bilingualism, biliteracy, and sociocultural competency. This qualitative case study explored the influence of ecological systems on internal stakeholders (teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators) within one dual language strand within a school’s Chinese immersion program in North Carolina. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory was utilized as the framework for this study. Data were collected through focus groups, interviews, and document analysis to examine the perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders pertaining to the program’s integration into the larger school setting. The analyzed data …

Enhancing University Students’ Listening Comprehension Using The Toefl Learning English Application (Mall) : A Quantitative Study, Andrian Nuriza Johan, Sri Wuli Fitriati, Januarius Wuli Mujiyanto, Widhiyanto Wuli Widhiyanto

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study investigates the effectiveness of the TOEFL Learning English Application in enhancing the listening comprehension skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and explores students’ perceptions of its use. A descriptive quantitative design was employed involving 45 English Education students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo. Pre- and post-tests measured listening comprehension gains, while a questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model assessed student perceptions. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in listening scores, as well as generally positive perceptions regarding the application’s accessibility, usability, and ability to reduce learning anxiety. These findings support using the TOEFL Learning English …

Resisting Neoliberalism: Testimonios Of Language Teachers As Social Activists, David Martinez-Prieto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the testimonios of Mexican language teachers who experienced the violent and institutional imposition of neoliberal policies at the main university at the state of Puebla. Through the analysis of testimonios, language teachers narrated their own trajectories to resist the implementation of the neoliberal policies, such as the restriction of teaching freedom for educators, the elimination of the right to free education for students, and the current subjugation educators experience at the site of study. Based on the Foucauldian concepts of sovereign and institutional power, along with governmentality, this article analyzes the activism of language teachers, and …

Decolonizing Educational Research: Pláticas As Sites Of Reciprocity, Vulnerability, And Reflexivity, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Boston Metco Program: Recent Alumni Experiences And Educational Equity, Maya Hernandez

Honors Theses

This project focuses on contemporary school integration practices by examining, in particular, the Boston METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Inc) program and the experiences of its recent alumni. The METCO program, the United States’ longest-running voluntary school desegregation program, was created in 1966 to give students of color from the city of Boston better educational opportunities by busing them to the surrounding suburbs for school. To this day, it is a program meant to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation, by permitting students from Boston to attend public schools beyond district lines, in the suburbs. My …

Pre-Service Teacher Preparation In Over-/Underrepresentation Of Students From Culturally Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds In Special Education: A Systematic Review Of State-Level Policies, Enos Yushu Liu

Honors Theses

Students from culturally linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds require equitable access to special education services to support success in school. Overrepresentation and underrepresentation of students from CLD backgrounds are two issues that policymakers and school leaders need to address, and having teachers knowledgeable in these issues is essential. To determine if pre-service teachers are being trained in understanding over-/ underrepresentation issues, researchers conducted a systematic review of state-level teacher competency policies. Pre-service teacher competencies were coded for the presence of nine key elements related to culturally responsive special education identification practices. The results show that relatively few states require comprehensive pre-service …

The Rescue Of Wahutedew’Á And The Epistemological Reforestation: An Analysis Of Time In A Terra Dos Mil Povos, By Kaká Werá Jecupé, Ivo Cruz

The Coastal Review

It is estimated that in 1500, the year the Portuguese arrived in America, there was a population of 2,431,000 inhabitants, according to historian John Hemming (1978), who occupied the lands that we now know as Brazil. These peoples had their own culture whose cosmology was destroyed and erased over time by a violent process of colonization. Even though entire groups were decimated, much of their influence is still alive in Brazilian culture. This influence can be found in vocabulary, cuisine, and even religious practices. With the aim of rescuing ancestral narratives and knowledge of various native peoples, Kaká Werá Jecupé …

Light And Darkness For Aesthetic Pleasure: An Exploration Of J.M.G. Le Clézio’S Early Writings And Jun’Ichiro Tanizaki’S In Praise Of Shadows, Kenichiro Otani

The Coastal Review

Building upon comparative principles, this semantic reading of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s essay In Praise of Shadows and J.M.G. Le Clézio’s early writings illustrates how both the Franco-Mauritian author and the Japanese writer problematize modern Western perception laden with concepts stifling flexible imagination through the mysterious worldview of light/darkness. They also simultaneously express the hope that another way of life leading to liberation is possible. Delving into the spiritual confinement of the subject, they demonstrate how keeping rich creativity within one’s heart can be an escape from a stagnant society. Albeit in very different mediums, Tanizaki and Le Clézio assert that the …

Elementary Teachers’ Experiences Of Implementing Culturally Responsive And Inclusive Education In New York State, Grace Pai

Publications and Research

Many states in the United States have adopted culturally responsive sustaining education (CRSE) as a pedagogical framework to promote inclusive education and positive student outcomes for all students, including those from marginalized groups. Yet there is a paucity of knowledge on teachers’ attitudes towards and experiences of implementing these initiatives. This study draws on survey data to explore how urban and rural/suburban elementary school teachers across the state of New York understand and implement the state’s CRSE framework. Results show that although CRSE is not necessarily a top priority of many schools across the state, teachers generally have positive perceptions …

Supporting English Language Learners In Agricultural Education: A Document Analysis, Ellie Chitwood

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In Nebraska’s rural agricultural education classrooms, increasing numbers of students learn English as a second language, yet support tailored for these learners remains limited. This study explores how English Language Learner (ELL) resources are organized, accessed, and utilized within Nebraska’s agricultural education system. Drawing on Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and leadership education frameworks, a qualitative document analysis examined state policies, Educational Service Unit (ESU) supports, and professional development materials. Findings reveal a coherent statewide policy overshadowed by uneven regional implementation and limited agricultural contextualization. Despite resource disparities and technological constraints, agricultural educators demonstrate leadership by innovating bilingual supports and fostering …

Teacher Professional Development Related To Emergent Bilinguals: Teacher Perceptions And Experiences, Courtney Simko

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As of 2021, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that there are 5.3 million students whose first language is one other than English, or are emergent bilinguals (EBs), in the United States. If teachers are not prepared adequately, they are not able to meet the needs of students appropriately. The following study sought to determine whether or not public school elementary teachers in Southeastern Michigan felt prepared to teach EBs, as well as their perceptions of the training they received. This information is important, as it is necessary to identify gaps in professional learning by determining whether teachers feel …

Lost In Translation: The Absence Of Untranslatable Words In The English Classroom, Ashley Boledovic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This qualitative study explores the impact of lexical gaps and untranslatable words on self-expression and communication in English-speaking classrooms. Seven interviews were conducted with bilingual or non-native English speakers representing a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, including Arabic, Portuguese, Marathi, Hindi, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Each interview investigated how language impacts self-expression, or the ability to communicate thoughts, emotions, and identity within the classroom. The findings suggest that untranslatable words and cultural concepts from participants’ native languages offer insights into cultural perspectives, which are often undervalued and not represented in English-speaking classrooms. Additionally, all participants desired greater language inclusivity …

Peace Education: Exploring Educational Possibilities, Erica Ferrer Ariza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peace Education is a growing field of study that includes different approaches to understanding and promoting peace, conflict resolution, and social justice. Peace education can be a strategic area for societies that have experienced various forms of direct or indirect violence as is the case of Colombia, South America, which has undergone prolonged periods of violence and internal conflict. Considering that peace is contextual and should be defined and decided on by the people involved in the target context, this work aims to illuminate how a peace education process can be experienced by teachers and students and the forms it …

Exploring The Impacts Of Secondary/Foreign Language Development On Childhood Development, Malone A. Ingram

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The central topic of my research project explores the positive impacts that early second language acquisition has on childhood development . I examine its effect through the lens of bilingual education in Missoula County Public Schools, identifying possible shortcomings in the language education programs in elementary schools, as well as feasible solutions. I approach this research from two distinct directions: a literature review and original data collection. I will analyse existing studies and information relating to bilingualism and its positive impact on childhood development. This will provide context and support for my interview questions. Next, for my own independent research, …

Minding The Gap: How Do New Lcap Requirements Address Equity For English Learners?, Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Raquel Gonzalez, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D., Gisela O'Brien, Ph.D., Hannah Catron, M.A., Jeimee Estrada-Miller, Ph.D., M.P.P.

Reports

California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), signed into law in 2013, centers equity as a key to increased and improved services for three targeted student subgroups, including English Learners (ELs), low-income students, and foster youth. As a component of LCFF, districts develop Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to specify their goals and strategies for using LCFF funds for equity and continuous improvement purposes. In this report, Lavadenz and colleagues use a sample of 26 California public school districts with high numbers/percentages of ELs, finding that although some progress has been made, public schools continue to miss the mark in …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

Spanish-Speaking Interpreters’ Perspectives: How Latinx Immigrant Caregivers Navigate The Special Education Process, Lizeth B. Tomas Flores

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The study examined the experiences of Spanish-speaking interpreters working with Latinx immigrant caregivers during the special education process, their perspectives on how caregivers and the IEP professional committee members participate in the process, aiming to gain a better understanding of how Latinx immigrant families navigate the special education process. Interpreters play a crucial role in the special education process for families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as they facilitate the transmission of information between caregivers and special education teams. Interviews were conducted with six special education interpreters in a southwestern suburban school district in the United States. A qualitative …

School Contexts And The Construction Of Literacy Practices And Identities Among Middle School Students Of Color, Eugene K. Gyekye

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation investigates how middle school students of color construct and negotiate their literacy identities within an urban public school's institutional, classroom, and online contexts. The study is situated at Oakville Middle School, a culturally and linguistically diverse setting that reflects the complexities of adolescent literacy education in contemporary urban environments. The research explores how students' literacy practices are shaped by their interactions with school structures, pedagogical approaches, peer dynamics, and digital platforms and how these experiences influence their development as literate individuals.

The study responds to the persistent challenge of educational inequity, particularly the disconnect between students' cultural identities …

Exploring The Educational Gap Of Virginia English Language Learners: Challenges And Opportunities For Academic Success, Amanda Purcell, Sochitl Rodriguez Kauffman

UROP Posters

English Language Learners (ELLs) in the state of Virginia have significantly lower scores in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment exam than those of their English-speaking peers. The SOL measures students’ mastery of knowledge and skills taught in the classroom, and over the last decade, passing rates of the assessment’s core subjects amongst ELLs have continued to decrease and remain relatively low. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the average passing rate for ELLs who took the Writing SOL was only 26%, with Science being not much higher at 29%, and Reading at 33%. For the non-ELL student body, average rates …

The B3 Scholar Seal: Designing And Implementing An Alternative To The Sobl At A Hispanic-Serving Institution In South Texas, Katherine Christoffersen, Dania López García

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This chapter describes how the Bilingualism, Biculturalism, and Biliteracy (B3) Institute at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) developed the B3 Scholar Seal. Since its founding, UTRGV has provided a rare example of dual language education at the university level, offering courses taught bilingually or in Spanish across diverse disciplines. However, the language of these courses was not formally recognized upon graduation. The B3 Institute developed the B3 Scholar Seal to acknowledge students who successfully complete five courses, including at least three courses taught in Spanish or bilingually and at least one course, including culturally sustaining pedagogy. In …

Teaching Cuba In Georgia Today, Eric Kartchner

The Coastal Review

This essay details a college professor's approach to teaching a course on Cuban history and culture. The professor's pedagogical choices were influenced by Ada Ferrer's book, Cuba: An American History, and José Antonio Bowen's work on fostering independent thinking. The syllabus covered pre-Columbian Cuba, Spanish rule, the wars of independence, the Castro era, and significant cultural aspects like music and religion. The course emphasized multiple perspectives and encouraged student-led research, challenging preconceived notions about Cuba's complex relationship with the United States. The professor aimed to promote critical thinking and understanding through student-driven inquiry.

Educator Equity And Pedagogy: Multilingual Learners In Rural Schools, Marsha R. Martin Kerr

Doctor of Education

This sequential explanatory mixed-method design study aims to understand and identify educator experiences and beliefs and how they affect equitable pedagogy with multilingual learners(MLLs) in rural K-12 public schools today. The research questions the significance of equitable pedagogy, systems, and resistances instructing MLLs to create dialogue supporting educator self-awareness, critical thinking, and collaboration while supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultivating a positive school climate through multicultural education. The theoretical framework threads social learning theory through psychological mechanisms of observance and behavior from others, and social theory examines educational institutions through sociological perspectives and methodologies. These theories support teaching and learning …

A Morphosyntactic Study Of Arab American Code-Switching, Qamar Bazar

Publications and Research

This study examines the morphosyntactic behavior of Arabic lexical items in English-dominant speech among Arab American bilinguals. Based on original survey data from 22 participants between the ages of 16 and 32, the paper focuses on specific Arabic words, such as yani, khalas, and ana, in English conversations across informal and professional settings. The analysis shows that these lexical items function as free morphemes and are inserted without disrupting English syntax, often serving discourse, emotional, or identity-marking purposes. Grounded in sociolinguistic theory and Poplack’s model of intra-sentential code-switching, this paper argues that code-switching among Arab Americans is intentional and …

Culturally Responsive Social Emotional Learning Intervention On Parents And Its Impact On Family Well-Being, May Duong

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines how Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)-based parent education can bridge cultural divides and strengthen family-school partnerships in increasingly diverse educational settings. Conducted at an independent California elementary school where student demographics shifted to become more diverse in the last ten years, the research addresses a critical gap: while parent education is essential to child development, it remains overlooked in SEL implementation. The research investigates whether Western-based SEL frameworks, which emphasize individualism, can effectively support families from collectivist cultures. Through the EQ Gym program—a culturally responsive parent education initiative—the study explores three key questions: how school-based SEL research can address …

Developing Concepts In Second Language (L2) Science From ‘Bits And Pieces’ Of Prior Knowledge: A Multiple Case Study Of Spanish-Speaking 4th And 5th Graders, María Isabel Martínez-Cuenca

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Earth science concepts sit at the intersection of the compounding difficulties English language learners’ (ELLs) face in content-integrated instruction. Emerging first language (L1) skills, emerging L2 language, and the difficulty of science terms interact with second language (L2) content learning. Moreover, L2 science concepts rarely develop incidentally through L2 socialization and instruction in the same naturalistic way as they do in the L1. Leveraging L1 resources may help ELLs in this process, yet there is a dearth of studies that consistently do so. This dissertation explores how, and the extent to which, leveraging ELLs’ pre-existing knowledge may support science and …

A Comparative Case Study Of Learners Experiencing Interdependent Empowered Care In Marginalizing Contexts, Elizabeth Gil

GSE Faculty Publications

This comparative case study’s purpose is to explore how multi-age learn-
ers, both adults and children, from immigrant backgrounds experienced
care in two educational settings in the United States and Ireland. Using
data from two separate qualitative studies, this paper draws on the
authors’ conceptualization of interdependent empowered care (IEC) to
argue that the settings exemplified three separate, but interrelated, care
elements: 1) identity-affirming counterspaces; 2) interdependency and
reciprocity; and 3) a means to achieve greater empowerment and agency.
This cross-national study illuminates the role of care in educational set-
tings to understand how it helps multi-age learners from immigrant …

Science, Students, And Self: An Autoethnography Of One Middle School Science Teacher’S Experiences And Challenges With Implementing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Alexandra Dalton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is an autoethnographic inquiry into how the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy into the middle school classroom is filled with challenges and wins. In this dissertation I explore how implementing culturally relevant pedagogy helped me connect more with my students which in turn increased their academic success, cultural competence, and critical consciousness. I was able to accomplish this by using the research within my own classroom and reflecting on how my students reacted to the changes in my pedagogy. Using the methodology of autoethnography, I was able to incorporate my own personal experiences as research. I also include …

The Perceived Frequency And Effects Of Multilingual Communication In Youth And Adolescent Soccer, Simao M. Araujo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In professional soccer, the topic of multilingual communication has been widely researched; however, there appears to be a gap in the literature concerning how multilingual use is perceived by athletes and coaches at the youth and adolescent level of the sport. In the present study, male soccer athletes ages 10 to 18 years old and their coaches completed a questionnaire in which they rated both perceived frequency of use and perceived effects of using multilingual communication in youth and adolescent soccer. Specifically, these questionnaires elicited quantitative information regarding categories such as tactical advantages, words of encouragement, general expressions, and group …