Digital Commons Network^™

Escuchemos Las Voces Bilingües De Nuestros Educadores Rurales: Who And What Matters For The Education Of Secondary English Learners In A Rural Florida School Community, Nidza V. Marichal

The Rural Educator

Guided by constructive epistemology and grounded in Greenwood’s place-conscious education theory and critical race theory in education, (CRT), this narrative-informed qualitative study critically examines how the lived experiences of three bilingual educators shape their work with English Learners (ELs or multilingual learners, MLs) in a Florida rural school community. Primary data consist of videorecorded interviews and photo elicitation that illuminated teachers’ told life narratives. Findings from this study demonstrate that the voices of the bilingual teachers matter for improving EL education in this rural community. The teachers’ reflections about their “ontological-becoming,” their engagement with the rural school community, and the …

Multilingual Educators In Superdiverse Rural Schools: Placing Administrators And Teachers’ Cultural And Linguistic Wealth At The Center Of Rural Education, Carla Paciotto, Gloria A. Delany-Barmann

The Rural Educator

Centered on reconceptualizations of “rural” and “rurality” that reimagine and transcend the “traditional imaginaries” of rural educational settings as places of disadvantage and isolation, this article presents the partial results of a mixed methods study funded by the Spencer Foundation about expanded and pivotal roles played by rural multilingual (ML) teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators in two rural school districts located in U.S. Midwest COVID-19 hotspots. The pandemic made the historical struggles and inequities that ML students face in U.S. schools glaringly evident, as ML families experienced a disproportionately negative impact of the virus on their health and financial stability and …

Rural Undergraduate Students’ Narratives Of English Language Learning Within Multilingual Classroom Contexts: A Namibian Perspective, Annaly M. Strauss, Joanne M. Marshall

The Rural Educator

This article presents findings on how preservice teachers navigate teaching and learning in a multilingual rural environment as English learners (ELs) during their teacher preparation program. The study used a qualitative research design to collect and analyze data. The conceptual framework of the study was based on culturally responsive pedagogy and place-based education theory. In this study, preservice teachers from multilingual rural backgrounds who wished to teach in multilingual rural settings illustrated their coping strategies for rural realities and how the rural context affected their commitment to their studies. The findings revealed preservice teachers’ narratives under the categories of culturally …

Unpacking English Language Teachers’ Perceptions And Practices Of Translanguaging: A Case Study Of Secondary Schools In China, Yuling Chen, Fan Fang, Weilei Zhang

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Translanguaging has gained prominence as a viable tactic to assist the language learning of L2 learners due to the increasing variety of classrooms globally. Translanguaging pedagogy has been recently studied in diverse contexts. However, most of the research on translanguaging, especially in the Chinese context, is focused on higher education. Limited attention has been paid to secondary school. Therefore, this qualitative case study aims to fill this gap by investigating how language educators employ translanguaging in their English teaching in secondary schools. Data was collected from 4 Chinese EFL teachers across 2 secondary schools through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews, …

Building Group Rapport In Institutional Face To-Face Interactions: An Exploration Of Korean Language Classroom Discourse, Anna Hyun-Joo Do

Publications and Research

When people are engaged in any interaction, they are likely to respond to each other's verbal and nonverbal cues. Such responsiveness is a crucial factor in the notion of rapport. In this paper, the author posits that the same human dynamics that govern everyday conversations are at play in the context of institutional conversations, specifically among participants of classroom discourse. The purpose of this study is to develop key aspects of "conversational involvement" (Duranti, 1986; Goodwin, 1986; Gumperz, 1982; Tannen, 1985) as group rapport within language classroom discourse, and to provide observable phenomena, including participants’ verbal and nonverbal cues, that …

Curriculum Inquiry To Strengthen Teacher Preparation For Supporting Multilingual Learners In Rural Settings, Christiana K. Kfouri, Marjorie W. Rowe

The Rural Educator

Multilingual learners (MLs) represent a substantial, growing segment of the PreK–12 population, including in rural areas. Several forces contribute to the increase of ML students in rural schools (e.g., immigrant labor, refugee crises). As we undergo a major cultural shift from a society that was (misguidedly) viewed as monolingual to one that is now undoubtedly multilingual, many teacher education programs have not sufficiently transformed how they prepare educators for linguistic and cultural diversity. Rural teachers indicate that teacher preparation does not include effective strategies and resources instrumental to meeting the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of MLs. Moreover, educators may …

Aspirational Mexican American Parenting In The Rural South: Multilingualism, Hard Work, And The Middle Class, Alma D. Stevenson, Scott Beck

The Rural Educator

This study examined the parenting choices of Mexican-heritage former child migrant farmworkers who are now financially stable and raising their own children in the rural South. The study yielded multiple significant findings using data collected during semi-structured, bilingual focus groups and analyzed through grounded theory coding. The participants spoke of painful childhood memories of how their poverty and biculturalism left them isolated. Now, as adults, they have sought middle-class belonging for themselves and their children. They described their “pedagogies of the home” as seeking to preserve their linguistic heritage, teach the value of hard work, and facilitate their children’s upward …

Biliteracy Development Of Spanish-English Bilingual Children: A Closer Look Into The Role Of Morphological Awareness, Grace Morgan, Jamie Smith

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

No abstract provided.

How Multilingual Writers Talk About, Write About, And Engage With Sources In First-Year Composition, Mary Ann Zehr

English Theses & Dissertations

This study makes a contribution to the rhetoric and composition field by documenting the research and writing processes of a diverse group of 15 multilingual writers in first-year composition (FYC) at a small private southeastern university. I collected and analyzed data from three assignments: 1) a video think-aloud capturing participants’ first online search for sources, 2) a two-page reflection on the use of sources in the first full draft of students’ research paper, and 3) their first full draft of the research paper. The study is the first to systematically examine how multilingual writers in FYC at a U.S. university …

Gsep Research Symposium Proceedings - 2024

GSEP Research Symposium

The 8th Annual GSEP Research Symposium, was themed "Dismantling Barriers between Research and Practice: Shining a Light on Global Interdisciplinary Solutions," took place on July 18-19, 2024, at the picturesque Château d'Hauteville in Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz, Switzerland.

The annual symposium is hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP). The symposium served as a dynamic platform for students, faculty, alums, and staff to come together and explore innovative ideas across multiple disciplines. Featuring 69 selected presentations under five distinct tracks, the proceedings showcase groundbreaking research, foster meaningful discussions, and promote professional development.

The symposium aimed to bridge …

“Not The Player Nor The Coach”: Considerations For Peer-Tutor Education In Heritage Language Writing Centers, Agustina Carando, Claire J. Lozano

The Writing Center Journal

This study analyzes the experiences of undergraduate peer-tutors in a heritage language writing center (HLWC) located at a large public university in the United States. As former heritage language (HL) students themselves, tutors have to navigate the complexities of being bilingual advocates for their tutees while promoting the linguistic ideals of the academic community, where literacy expectations can be more rigid. In order to delve into their experiences at the center, this qualitative investigation examines the end-of- term reflections of 19 Spanish HL tutors working at a Spanish HLWC, addressing the following questions: (1) How do tutors perceive their role …

Relations Among Degree Of Bilingualism And Bilateral Information Processing In Children And Adults, Francisco J. Sierra, Amy A. Weimer, Yu-Cheng Lin, Jerwen Jou, Nayda Castillo, Cedar Garcia, Michelle Suarez, Flor I. Garcia, Gabriela Aleman, Edson Ortiz, Francheli Romero

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Aims and objectives:

The primary goal of this study was to examine whether degree of bilingualism related to dichotic listening accuracy, a measure of bilateral processing, after controlling for age and income.

Methodology:

Participants included 59 children ages 6–11 years (M = 7.86, SD = 1.81) and 61 adults (18–83 years) (M = 34.02, SD = 15.70). Participants completed demographic surveys, vocabulary assessments in English and Spanish, and a dichotic listening test.

Data and analysis:

Multiple linear regressions examined whether the degree of bilingualism predicted bilateral processing.

Findings:

Degree of bilingualism predicted bilateral processing in the whole sample …

Colorado's Multilingual Learners And The Read Act: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Brooke K. Sassi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act) through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis, focusing on the discursive construction of the Act and its impact on educational opportunities for multilingual learners. The study explores the role of power and knowledge in shaping the READ Act and addresses the ideological tensions and power imbalances that arise from a policy primarily designed for monolingual, English-speaking students. Drawing on personal experiences and extensive research, this analysis highlights the shortcomings of a phonics-heavy approach mandated by the READ Act, particularly for multilingual learners who require a more …

Impact Of Dialogic Reading Intervention On Language And Literacy Development Of Young Dual Language Learners, Ekta Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a pressing need for research on early language intervention for dual language learners (DLLs) at risk of developmental delays, especially young children who are non-Spanish speakers. Despite the projection that 62% of the nation's children will be children of color by 2050, there is a significant research gap in this area (Lin et al., 2023). This study aims to fill this gap and recommend effective early language interventions for DLLs. The present study uses a single-case design to determine the impact of Dialogic Reading on vocabulary and alphabetical knowledge of preschoolers aged 36 to 60 months in English …

The Impact Of The First Language Usage For Chinese Undergraduate International Students, Qiunan Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

English as the “lingua franca” serves as a bridge across diverse nations, cultures, and economies and plays an important role in modern society, which has increased the number of English language learners around the world. In the United States, over 30% of international students are from China, with the majority being undergraduate students. A significant number of Chinese students need to enroll in English learning courses when they attend universities in the U.S. due to insufficient English language test scores. Chinese international students often incorporate their first language (L1) when they are learning English in the U.S. Therefore, understanding the …

Principal Agency 50 Years After The Lau Decision: Building And Sustaining Bilingual Education Programs For Asian Languages, Kevin M. Wong, Zhongfeng Tian

Education Division Scholarship

This study examined how three champion principals of Asian language dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs—Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin—in California have navigated the oscillating language-in-education policies after the Lau decision. We explored principals' various roles through a lens of agency in a social justice leadership framework, specifically considering the opportunities and challenges for agentive leadership from three different phases: foregrounding and engaging, planning and implementing, and evaluating and sustaining. Findings demonstrate that the success of DLBE programs goes beyond the overarching language policies that supposedly enable bilingual education; rather it hinges on the bottom-up commitment, collaboration and resilience of principals, …

Promoting Emergent Literacy In Preschool Through Extended Discourse: Covert Translanguaging In A Mandarin Immersion Environment, Robin E. Harvey, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Rich oral language practices, including the opportunity and ability to participate in cognitively and linguistically challenging extended discourse, are foundational to early literacy development. To meet children’s needs in their first exposure to the languages of schooling, educators may engage students in extended discourse multilingually. The current study focuses on student-centered translanguaging conversations to examine strategies that preschool teachers employ to support young children’s emerging bilingual and biliteracy development in a Mandarin immersion preschool serving primarily nonheritage learners of Mandarin in the United States. Findings indicate that, despite the school’s Mandarin-only policy, teachers engaged in covert translanguaging practices to extend …

Interactions With New-To-Teacher Language Resources: Supporting Translingual Composing In A Multilingual Elementary Classroom, Lindsey W. Rowe

Publications

Educators should support multilingual students’ translingual writing. However, it can be challenging for teachers to support students’ composing in languages that teachers do not speak. Drawing on a community translanguaging lens, this paper explores this issue by asking: How did teachers talk about and interact with language resources that were new to them while supporting translingual writing in an English-medium classroom? Data were collected using ethnographic and practitioner research methods across 1 year in one second-grade writing workshop in the U.S. Students spoke Spanish, Korean, French, Tagalog, or English, and classroom teachers spoke English and Spanish. Data analysis first involved …

Hampering The Dogmatization Within The System By Building An Itinerant Practice In Bilingual Education And Dual-Language Programs, Jose Orozco, Michael Whitacre

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This paper focuses on dual-language programs and the transformation of implementation through the lens of Itinerant Curriculum Theory (ICT), curricularized language, and personal pedagogies, and how it impacts the way educators work within a dual-language program. The pedagogies of educator practices and influences included individuals with different ideologies, education, experience, distinct backgrounds, methods, and aspirations were part of the interactive mechanisms and educator practices that were analyzed. Thus, it concludes that the mindset and pedagogical approach affects the implementation of any program or model and shows how disparate agendas shape the program, its implementation, and the effect on the child.

Teaching Reading Comprehension To English Language Learners In A System With A Low Proportion Of Language Minority Students, Chutikarn Cotham

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study investigated reading instruction for English language learners (ELLs) by examining teachers' experiences and perspectives on teaching ELL students reading comprehension in an educational system with a low proportion of language minority students. The study addressed the prevalent concern of reading comprehension difficulties among ELLs and the need to bridge the gap between research-based strategies and practices in public schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four educators actively engaged in teaching ELLs at the upper elementary through high school levels. Thematic analysis of the data revealed several themes that were sorted into four main categories: training, curriculum, experience, and …

Transitioning To English: Teaching Foundational English Literacy Skills In Early‬ ‭Exit Transitional Bilingual Classes, Kate Wiegman

Masters Projects

Students enrolled in a transitional bilingual education program receive instruction in their native language with increasing amounts of English each year. This is an attempt for efficacy on the part of the United States school system, but English learners still consistently score lower on reading assessments than their White classmates. The White-Hispanic fourth grade reading achievement gap is evidence of this (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). While there are several different bilingual instructional models in use throughout the U.S., transitional bilingual education (TBE) classrooms are one of its weaker forms (Wright, 2022, 120). This is why teachers in TBE …

Reflections And Revelations In Autoethnography: A Review Of Meaningful Journeys Of Quest And Identity Transformation, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

In this review of—Meaningful Journeys: Autoethnographies of Quest and Identity Transformation, edited by Alec Grant, Ph.D., and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lloyd-Parkes, Ph.D., I have made an effort to offer my evaluation that explores the autoethnographies of quest and identity transformation (Grant & Lloyd-Parkes, 2024). The book presents a curated anthology of personal ethnographic narratives, each grounded in the foundational concepts, philosophical insights, and linguistic roots of “journeying,” “questing,” and both ancient and contemporary interpretations of “pilgrimage.” As an autoethnographer, even during the different phases of life—personal and professional—I have been through the different roots of transformation, and now, at …

Strategies To Improve The Achievement Of Multilingual Learners, Breanna Marie Mason

Masters Projects

With the increase of the number of multilingual (ML) students in schools today, more strategies and practices are being researched and published. However, the achievement of these students continues to fall significantly below the achievement of their non-ML peers. Although teachers are receiving some training about culturally-relevant teaching practices, they are rarely given time to adjust these strategies based on the needs of their students to support a productive implementation. Teachers need more support and time to do so. This project focuses on both the strategies teachers and school staff should be implementing, along with a guide for implementation. Without …

Language Ideologies And Use Among Latine Children In A Dual Language Program In Southern California: A Qualitative Approach, Xochitl Morales

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Through a critical race and LatCrit framework, this research examined the language ideologies of young Latine children enrolled in Spanish dual-language programs. Specifically, I examined how and why the children chose to speak English and Spanish at home and school. A qualitative approach was used to understand the participants in their natural environment. The participants were five third-grade students (two males and three females), and their parents, five females and one male, and a the student’s third-grade teacher. The data collected included participant observations at home and at school as well as both formal interviews and informal conversations with students, …

Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences In Teaching Multilingual Children In Public Mainstream Schools In Tennessee, Maria Dias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study, grounded in a phenomenological perspective, delves into the lived experiences of early childhood teachers who teach multilingual children in mainstream classrooms in Tennessee. Amidst the rising number of multilingual learners in mainstream educational settings and the dearth of adequate teacher training to address their needs, this research illuminates the experiences of these teachers. Furthermore, it seeks to advocate for the integration of translanguaging pedagogy into teacher training programs and state policies. This study employed a qualitative study using the three-in-depth-interview series from a phenomenological perspective (Seidman, 2019). The first interview focused on participants’ overall teaching experiences and …

Cultivating Cross-Cultural Connections Through Language Learning Circles In Early Childhood Programs, Joy Lee Hernandez, Abha Gupta

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Spanish is the second most common language among US children aged 5–17, with 26.8% speaking it at home. To foster cultural understanding and promote positive relationships, it's crucial to introduce young children to different languages and cultures. Preschool language education can cultivate respect and empathy, building more inclusive communities. Culturally responsive education equips children with skills to value diversity, creating a harmonious cultural climate. This article highlights the importance of learning another language (e.g., Spanish) and introduces Language Learning Circles (LCC) for preschoolers. Research indicates ages 3–6 are optimal for language acquisition, emphasizing the need for early exposure to enhance …

Using Improvement Science To Increase The Achievement Of Multilingual Learners, Jamie L. Mccarthy

All Dissertations

The population in the United States continues to become more diverse each year. Our education system is not designed to support students that do not have English as a first language. The population of multilingual learners are falling behind their English Proficient peers. Inadequate teacher training and program design are contributing factors as to why multilingual learners are not demonstrating an appropriate rate of academic growth each year. This improvement science study was designed to determine a method that would decrease the achievement gap between multilingual learners and English proficient student groups. The teachers and I studied different co-teaching models …

Increasing Secondary Students’ Spanish Oral Language Proficiency, Courtney Kozak

Masters Projects

Research has demonstrated the importance of students becoming orally proficient after taking foreign language classes. This project explores what can be done to combat the issue of students failing to gain an oral proficiency. It addresses instructional design and teacher impact, as well as student contribution to the issue. Multiple studies were reviewed on the best research backed practices for proficiency growth. After reading through all the research, it was determined that a proficiency-based instructional style that followed ACTFL World Readiness standards is the ideal approach. Going hand in hand with a proficiency-based instructional style is a classroom design of …

Integrating Research-Based Indicators Of Emergent Biliteracy Teaching Practices For Emerging Bilingual Learners, Julia Guadalupe Cuevas Guerra

Human Development and School Services Faculty Publications

This research explored how bilingual teachers of young Dual Language Leaners ages 0-3 integrated Reyes and Azuara’s (2008) Ecological Model of Emergent Biliteracy in their classrooms to foster bilingualism, biliteracy, and academic success. Dual Language Learners are the fastest-growing population of young children in the country that speak a language other than English. As so, the early childhood workforce must integrate the Ecological Model of Emergent Biliteracy for emergent biliteracy development and equitable emergent biliteracy teaching practices to support the natural biliteracy development of young Spanish-English Dual Language Learners. Qualitative data was collected through interviews and observations and were analyzed …

A Critical Discourse On Asian American Stereotypes And Pedagogical Strategies Against Anti-Asian Racism, Ryan Shin, Maria Lim, Oksun Lee, Ahran Koo, Kevin Hsieh, Min Gu, Jaehan Bae

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In this article, we address the three derogatory stereotypes and tropes of anti-Asian racism: model minority, perpetual foreigner, and yellow peril. We problematize how each of the three stereotypes was formed and has been sustained, affecting our art classroom and professional practices. After that, we offer the novel and futuristic conception of Asian American inclusivity as a critical project in our society. Lastly, in challenging the three Asian stereotypes and embracing Asian American inclusivity, we offer S-R-C teaching strategies (Sense of Belonging, Resist, and Coalition Building) to confront anti-Asian racism and violence. The strategies are designed to help art educators …