Digital Commons Network^™

Self Portraits: How The Arts May Be The Key To Equitable And Authentic Engagement For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Student Populations, Betsy Sostak

Dissertations

As the linguistic and cultural diversity across America’s classrooms steadily increases, educators are searching for ways to meet the needs of their students. The linguistic and cultural resources our students bring are a tremendous asset, yet our country has not been able to fully realize the potential of a diverse population. While multilingual students are often perceived to lack background knowledge, connections to school, and linguistic resources, the arts have the capacity to increase engagement, connect to diverse cultural backgrounds, and transcend language barriers. In this study, I explore the ways in which educational equity may be achieved to a …

Challenges Encountered In The Implementation Of The National Literacy Acceleration Program (Nalap) In The Abura Asebu Kwamankese District, Ghana, Julius Arhin-Asamoah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The National Literacy Acceleration Program (NALAP) aims to enhance early grade primary school pupils' literacy rates, yet national evaluations reveal widespread deficiencies in reading proficiency in both the local language and English. This study examines challenges in implementing NALAP in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese district, Ghana, focusing on the teacher and resource-related issues. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed. The study covered 12 basic schools in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese district. In all, 61 respondents comprising 50 teachers and 11 circuit supervisors were involved in the study. The findings highlight teacher-related issues such as inadequate pedagogical practices, low motivation, …

Linguistic Diversity From The K–12 Classroom To The Writing Center: Rethinking Expectations On Inclusive Grammar Instruction, Zoe Esterly, Hannah L.W Swoyer, Bridget A. Draxler

The Writing Center Journal

Language expresses our values and identities, but in educational spaces, multidialectical and multilingual students’ voices are often silenced in favor of Standard English (Lockett, 2019). As writing tutors and future language arts educators, we have developed a research-based inclusive grammar curriculum and classroom-based resources to expand the conversation surrounding linguistic inclusion. Guided by the principle that all students should be offered the opportunity to learn the conventions of Standard English, we advocate for inclusive teaching of Standard English grammar in K–12 classrooms and writing centers (Godley et al, 2015). Using previous research on multilingual students, linguistic inclusivity, and dialectical diversity, …

Reviving 90s Sitcoms To Teach Black Linguistic Justice Concepts, Teaira Mcmurtry Phd

New Jersey English Journal

In this article, the author elucidates two teaching and learning possibilities in the high school ELA classroom when leveraging Black sitcoms of the 1990s (Family Matters and Amen) to prioritize Black Linguistic Justice.

Crossing Schools, Language, And Migration Borders: The Experiences Of Latinx And Caribbean Emergent Multilingual Mothers In K-12 Public Schools, Michelle Angelo-Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anti-immigrant sentiment and "English-only" ideologies have a significant impact on educational policies, practices, and processes. This includes parental engagement, the quality of education and life opportunities offered to immigrant children, and families’ well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine how Latinx and Caribbean mothers in Florida with various immigration statuses (i.e., undocumented, asylum seekers, refugees, international students, and mixed-status) and often with limited financial resources attempt to steward their children through the U.S. educational system. The research question was: How did emergent multilingual immigrant mothers experience the K-12 education system in Florida? The sub-question was: How did schools …

Exploring College Experiences Of Muslim Students At Four-Year Institutions In Colorado: A Narrative Inquiry, Kamal Gamada Ararso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last two decades, Colorado's number of Muslim Americans (citizens and permanent residents) has substantially increased (Bowen, 2009a; Bowen, 2009b; Mohamed, 2021; Roberts, 2022). This increase is reflected in the growing number of Islamic community centers, emerging Islamic schools, mosques, grocery stores, Muslim cuisines, and the diversity of students in the post-secondary education system (Roberts, 2022). Although centralized data about Muslim college students are hard to find, their presence within the higher education system is well-known. Still, in Colorado, Muslims' religious, racial, cultural, and gendered experiences within the higher education system remained unexplored in the research. Therefore, this exploratory …

Teachers-As-Designer In Culturally Revitalizing And Sustaining Indigenous Education, Joshua Colin Krause

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Despite centuries of colonial attempts to assimilate and eradicate Indigenous ways of life and tongues through the institutions of schooling, communities, students, and teacher-designers are embracing culturally sustaining and revitalizing pedagogies to design curricula from community-driven outcomes backward. Sustaining and revitalizing curricula are place and people-specific and cannot be bought off the shelf, and research in original curriculum design points to the complexities that teacher-designers contend with as they seek community input and put pen to paper to design teaching and learning that is rooted in student identity, holistic wellness, and academic preparedness toward community ends. Research into expert teacher-designers' …

An Equity Framework To Engage Community College Preservice Teachers In Black Liberatory Practices, Denise Farrelly, Joanna Maulbeck, Laura Scheiber

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

While representation of teachers of color remains startlingly low nationwide, it is critical to recognize that increasing diversity is not enough to increase access to an inequitable system. Centering the strengths of Black students, on both an individual and institutional level, through culturally and historically-responsive pedagogical and curricular practices is a crucial step toward equitizing the teaching workforce. Using a culturally and historically-responsive literacy (HRL) framework, we discuss and reflect upon practical classroom-based approaches to engage community college preservice teachers in responsive pedagogical practices that are aligned with the legacy of Black literary societies. The paper is divided into four …

Decolonizing French: Afrophonics In Ken Bugul’S Aller Et Retour (2013), Hapsatou Wane

The Coastal Review

This article explores the innovative language strategies employed by Senegalese writer Ken Bugul in her novel Aller et retour to construct a dynamic and interconnected linguistic landscape that challenges fixed language boundaries. Ken Bugul's "langue fabriquée" combines elements of French, Wolof, and English, reflecting a transglocal dimension that embodies the essence of afrophonics—a poetics of resistance that empowers local cultures in a globalized context. Through a detailed analysis of Ken Bugul's linguistic choices, including the use of quotation marks, footnotes, and arbitrary transcription, the study reveals how she creates a language that defies categorization and decolonizes French without resorting to …

Word Choice: A Neglected But Key Skill For Ell Writers, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

With all of the urgent, critical issues confronting education in general, and literacy practices in particular, why write a column on something as obscure as word choice? Word choice (sometimes called vocabulary choice or diction) often drops to the bottom of the “To Do” list for English as a Second Language (ESL), English, bilingual, and language arts teachers. Even when teachers are able to focus on writing to begin with (writing development is often the first thing cut when lessons run over), teachers of English language learners (ELLs) are too preoccupied with teaching grammar, spelling, organization, syntax, genres, and building …

No. 12, October 2023. The Impact Of The Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program: Expanding Opportunities To Grow The Profession, Linda R. G. Kaminski , Ed.D., Magaly Lavadenz , Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas , Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

This research brief presents a study on the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP), a legislature-approved initiative to help California schools meet the growing demand for bilingual teachers in alignment with increasing state policies promoting multilingualism. The BTPDP funded eight grantees to support their preparation and professional development of bilingual educators. The study examines the BTPDP implementation from 2017-2021 to document trends in program impact and develop policy and program recommendations that address bilingual teacher shortages. Key findings revealed successes in increasing the bilingual teacher workforce as well as challenges that must be addressed to ensure the state’s vision can …

An Analysis Of Paid Agent Contracts Utilized In The Recruitment Of International Students At University System Of Georgia Institutions, Jeremiah Lee Pitts

Theses and Dissertations

Many colleges and universities view international student recruitment as the solution to their financial pressures, but they lack the ability to effectively reach international markets. While many students desire to study internationally, they lack the knowledge and resources to explore their options. Paid agents bridge the information and opportunity gaps between institutions and prospective international students. However, the use of paid agents is fraught with many dangers. Paid agent contracts govern the relationships between these entities in the absence of regulations. This study explored the paid agent contracts employed by colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia to …

English Language Learners And Their Access To Postsecondary Education: Examining Their Achievements And College Readiness Through Educators’ Experiences And Perspectives, Anna Kalinowska

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to bring awareness to the issue of English learners (ELs) being unprepared for college and to study the beliefs and perceptions of educators regarding the factors that contribute to the creation of an achievement gap between EL students and traditional students. The study involved an analysis of trends in the perceptions of school counselors, teachers, and administrators regarding EL students being ready to attend college. Data were collected from nine participants from three public high schools in Pinellas County using Zoom and email interviews and then analyzed. Four main themes emerged from the …

Using L1 Student Narratives And Peer Teaching To Increase Secondary Education Mathematical Understanding, Marco Antonio Martinez Leandro

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological study research presents an option to use both discourse in the native language and technology as an alternative to improve the understanding of mathematics in secondary education. 13 students whose native language is Spanish attended a high school in a large urban school district in the Southwest of the United States, participated in this study.

The study's main objective was to observe the effects of using students' discourse in their language and the support of technology to increase their academic literacy in mathematics. Solution-based pedagogy was central to helping students achieve the Development of Academic Literacy in Mathematics …

A Case Study For The Leadership Initiative For Supporting (Bilingual) Teacher Acquisition (Lista), Sarah M. Straub, Brian Uriegas, Tingting Xu

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This paper presents a qualitative pilot study program evaluation of the Leadership Initiative for Strategic (Bilingual) Teacher Acquisition (LISTA) program in a rural region of Texas. The LISTA program aimed to empower bilingual leaders in education by addressing the limited availability of leadership coaching, particularly tailored to recognize and affirm the cultural capital of Hispanic/Latino leaders. The sessions were organized and developed by an experienced leadership coach with a strong focus on equity and social justice in the education and nonprofit sectors. Through a methodology encompassing open-ended survey questions, focus groups, and reflective journals, this evaluation assesses the program's impact …

Sib Hlub Sib Pab As Cultural Capital: Community Cultural Wealth, Radical Love, And A Hmoob Language Teacher’S Determination, Ariana Yang

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This theoretical article examines a form of cultural capital, sib hlub sib pab as capital, that emerged out of my dissertation research with HMoob American teachers. Drawing on the structure of Yosso’s (2005) theory of community cultural wealth (CCW) and literature on radical love (Freire, 1970; hooks, 2003, 2006), this article outlines an alternative form of cultural capital: sib hlub sib pab as capital, which encompasses an obligation to community and relationality rooted in radical love. Although this is a primarily theoretical article, I provide an excerpt from an interview with a HMoob language teacher and her struggles with building …

Hmoob Eldership As Pedagogy: Reclaiming Hmoob Knowledge As Hmoob Education, Thong Vang

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

For centuries non-HMoob people and scholars have sought to label and define who HMoob people are, but this paper reclaims and repositions HMoob people as agentic and reinforces our people’s power to define themselves as we have for centuries. This paper also addresses problematic discourse about HMoob people and HMoob education, such as “peb HMoob tsis muaj kev kawm”1 or “peb tsis muaj kev txawj hab kev ntse le lwm paab lwm pawg.”2 Departing from such deficit discourse, this paper explores HMoob eldership as pedagogy as one way that HMoob people have valid knowledge systems. HMoob eldership as pedagogy examines …

Hmong Narratives As Testimony, Pa N. Vue

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Refugees are often depicted in studies and popular media as helpless and in need of rescuing. In the song “Hmoob Zaj,” which was released on YouTube in 2019, Hmong rapper Shong Lee humanizes Hmong refugee experiences by sharing a story that has been “secreted” (M. Vang, 2021, p. 10) by the U.S. government. Through the public archiving of this story on YouTube, Lee presents what Espiritu (2014) calls an “oppositional narrative” (p. 163) that speaks back to the empire. He asserts a critical stance to challenge the dominant narrative, validate the experiential knowledge of Hmong people, contribute to Hmong collective …

“My Own Kwv Txhiaj: Reflecting On Self Learning Of A Hmong Oral Tradition”, Chong A. Moua

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This piece is inspired by the life of my mother, Yaj Mim Hawj, sister, Npib, and father, Npuag Looj. I have yet to tell them but this is my way of thanking them for showing me what it means to love my language. I also want to thank the teachers who’ve been a part of my kwv txhiaj learning journey: Mai Na M. Lee, Bounthavy Kiatoukaysy Thao, and Caroline Paaj Zaub Thao-Vue.

Restructuring A Developmental Esl Course At An Urban Community College: Asking The Right Questions, Deniz Gokcora, Raymond Oenbring

Michigan Reading Journal

This article provides an example of the integration of topics of race and racial awareness and anti-racist pedagogy into an ESL developmental writing course in a community college setting. The study describes how the lead author has redesigned an ESL developmental writing course at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) to include an explicit focus on critical racial pedagogy and social justice topics to foster students’ critical thinking and encourage students to be socially responsible individuals in a challenging global world. The manuscript offers insights into how an advanced ESL remedial writing course can be a suitable setting to …

Toward A Theory Of An Integrated Theoretical Approach Of Literacy For Black Boys, Aaron M. Johnson

Michigan Reading Journal

In the education landscape the literacy of Black boys is viewed from deficit framing. Often, educators, politicians, and laypeople point to scores on standardized assessments such as the MSTEP, NAEP, ACT, SAT, and NWEA, these tests only tell a part of the story. The part of the story that those assessments do tell is the abject failure of schools’ ability to engage Black boys in school-based literacy and catapult them into proficient and advanced proficient reading levels. The part of the story that those assessments do not tell is the literate lives that Black boys lead. Furthermore, schools do a …

Leadership And Service: Kenyan Teachers Bringing Community Cultural Wealth Into Practice, Peter Njagi Mwangi

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study explores the complex leadership tasks high school Kenyan teachers provide in their communities, giving a detailed look at how these educators balance their responsibilities as both classroom teachers and community leaders. Historically, Kenyan communities are frequently viewed through a deficit lens, and this study sets out how the cultural wealth of the dynamic teacher and learner communities cross the boundaries between local communities and educational institutions. To enable a new type of bridging school and the community, this study reveals the interconnectedness of school and community through the interplay of teachers moving fluidly in both spaces and influencing …

Photovoice As An Act Of Agency To Decenter Whiteness In P-12 Classrooms, Crystal V. Shelby-Caffey, Jinan Al-Hunayan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Given the lack of diversity in the P–12 teaching force, we contend that white normativity is prevalent and remains mostly unchallenged in these settings. Acknowledging such inequities requires an intentional focus on equity in teacher education programs. The project described here facilitated in-service teachers’ growth in becoming culturally competent and critically conscious by using Photovoice in P–12 classrooms. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that uses photography to examine the lived experiences of participants. Photovoice was used to examine school-based practices that erased and silenced students while offering an inflection point from which the in-service teachers could develop and …

Culturally Responsive Practices In Graduate Training: Challenges, Strategies, And Recommendations, Khadija Ali, Jolinpreet Dhami, Odessa Luna

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

This paper examines three women of color perspectives on the relevance of incorporating culture and race discussions, activities, and assignments into graduate courses. The authors provide a description of their upbringing to highlight how their personal experiences shaped their perspective on culture and race in educational settings. The challenges of delivering instruction to encompass culture are discussed alongside a student’s evaluation of these barriers. In addition, instructors outline strategies they have implemented to incorporate a culturally responsive practice. Lastly, the authors present recommendations to urge other faculty members and students to use and advocate for culturally responsive practices.

Stock Stories Versus Counterstories: A Contemporary Retelling And Centering Of Disenfranchised Narratives, Karen C. Pitt

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines the literacy narratives of disfranchised educators. It unveils the toll the “literacy myth” has taken on their educational pursuits in American institutions. Through these published narratives, the study explores the ways in which the Eurocentric ideology dominates academic institutions, noting the marginalizing effects this dominant ideology has had on minoritized students, teachers, and administrators. Understanding that the narrators have remained at the margins in their own stories, this study seeks to address this shortfall by exploring the author’s own literacy teaching narrative. It uses critical race theory (CRT) and CRT counterstory as an innovative methodology to retell …

A Look At Diversity Through The Lens Of Universal Design For Learning And Differentiated Instruction To Better Educate Learners, Mokysha Benford

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

In addition to the COrona VIrus Disease (COVID) gap, the teacher shortage, and increasing accountability, schools and classrooms continue to grow more and more diverse. This diversity presents its own set of challenges as teachers are expected to meet the needs of all learners. In addition to linguistic, religious, gender, sexual preference, race, socioeconomic status, and family structure diversity, students bring their varied culture and prior experiences to the classroom, and this impacts learning. This article presents a critical review of literature that examines Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction to address the instructional challenges diversity can create. It …

Identity And Coping: Deaf Sign Language Interpreters And Secondary Traumatic Stress, Debra L. Russell, Cathy J. Chovaz, Wayne Nicholson, Margie English, Victoria Paquette

Journal of Interpretation

This article describes the results of a mixed methods study with 47 Deaf sign language interpreters (D-SLIs) and their experiences with secondary traumatic stress (STS). By replicating Daly and Chovaz (2020) research, this study contributes data based on the unique experiences of Canadian and American Deaf interpreters and allows us to contrast the findings to the original study with non-Deaf interpreters (ND-SLIs). The findings reveal that the majority of D-SLIs did not experience clinical levels of STS, compassion satisfaction, anxiety, or burnout. In looking at the results, one-third of the D-SLIs showed comparable levels of STS and compassion satisfaction but …

The Role Social Emotional Learning (Sel) Plays In The Education Of Refugee Els, Peter A. Walblay

Masters Theses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to explore and collect data to demonstrate areas of need in the modern education system. Specifically, this research focuses on the socioemotional learning scenarios that may be absent in the teaching of refugee ELs. Lastly, this thesis works to provide suggestions about how to use this data to further develop best practices in teaching to better serve all students.

SUBJECTS: The subjects in this thesis are refugee English Language Learners (ELs) in classrooms throughout the Midwest region of the United States; with a specific focus on a public high …

So You Want To Teach Abroad?: A Guide For Prospective English Language Teachers, Michelle Mcmurray

TESOL MA Projects

Teaching English abroad has been one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. There are so many benefits to teaching English abroad, such as the opportunity to travel around the world and engage with other cultures, learn new languages, and develop both personal and professional skills. I have been fortunate to teach in China, Kenya, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. My teaching responsibilities varied greatly in each country, and while these experiences were incredibly positive overall, each brought its own set of unique challenges. I often felt underqualified or too inexperienced for my roles, found myself in …

Effects Of Language Status, Community Advice, And Parent Beliefs On Heritage Language Maintenance In The U.S.: A Scoping Review, Jasmine Loeung

University Honors Theses

This scoping review examines the effects of language status, community advice to parents, and parents' beliefs on heritage language maintenance within a U.S. context. A total of 34 articles met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes were identified as follows: (1) status of a language in society affects maintenance, (2) parents' beliefs about the impact of the heritage language affect family language practices, (3) community advice impacts parents' beliefs and practices, (4) other factors affecting maintenance of the heritage language across generations. Overall, HL maintenance was observed as a dynamic relationship between a variety of factors, with individuals as well …