Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Primary Teachers' Concerns, Self-Efficacy, Attitudes, Intentions, And Challenges Of Implementing Inclusive Pedagogy In English Literacy Classrooms For Bilingual Dyslexic Students In The Uae, Robin Ogdol, Jose Roan Adorna, Romee Capate, Aisha Alteneiji

All Works

The United Arab Emirates has embraced inclusive education across all academic levels since 2006. However, the degree of teacher acceptance of inclusive practice varies. This mixed-methods case study investigated 48 primary school teachers’ concerns, self-efficacy, attitudes, and intentions regarding inclusive pedagogy in English literacy for bilingual dyslexic students aged 5-11. It also identified challenges faced by teachers in mainstream classes. Using correlation analysis, results showed negative associations between teachers’ concerns and efficacy, attitudes, and intentions for inclusive practices. On the other hand, positive associations were found between teacher efficacy, attitude, and intentions for inclusive practices. Challenges included reconciling the bilingual …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Benefits Of Teaching Pre-Literacy In Waldorf Education In Early Childhood, April Guerrero

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of teaching pre-literacy in Waldorf education in early childhood. In Waldorf Education, literacy development incorporates differentiated instructions that fosters cognitive and social emotional learning of their students. Through the use of literature review and several teachers in various grades of Waldorf schools, the result findings revealed that pedagogical practices around literacy instructions promote critical thinking skills, nurtures children’s creative expression, and imagination. Literacy curriculum in Waldorf schools allows students to create tangible evidence of self-expressions and communication skills. Given its emphasis on holistic curriculum, it allows teachers to engage with their diverse …

Exploring The Curriculum Potential Of The Welsh Word Cynefin By Examining Its New Materialist And Contemplative Pedagogical Resonances, Dylan Adams

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Cynefin is a key word in the new curriculum for Wales. Yet it is a word that is difficult to define. It has no direct English translation and originates from Welsh hill farming where it was used by farmers to describe how sheep would form a mysterious attachment to different parts of common land. Subsequently, it has come to be associated with a person’s relationship to a place, where they feel at home. This article examines how the concept of cynefin potentially resonates with posthumanist and contemplative pedagogical perspectives. In doing so, it aims to answer the question, “how could …

An Examination Of The International Baccalaureate’S Approaches To Learning As Humanizing, Leah Yates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of 21st-century skill frameworks characterized as being universal, transferrable, and future-facing are ubiquitous among international educational organizations (Suto & Eccles, 2014). The International Baccalaureate (IB) incorporates a similarly articulated universal, transferrable, and future-facing set of skills called the Approaches to Learning (ATL) in its four programmes (International Baccalaureate, 2022b). However, critiques of the IB as being Eurocentric and solely concerned with the development of learners for Western educational experiences calls for a critical examination of the ATL as promoting monocultural skills which are not contextual, personalized, or humanizing (Refai, 2020). This multiple-case study and document review utilized the …

Supporting Preservice Teachers Of Color In Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Kimberly M. Korpita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While learning how to become culturally and critically conscious educators and advocates for their PK-12 students, racially minoritized preservice teachers often feel isolated. More research is needed to learn how teacher preparation programs could consistently empower rather than isolate preservice teachers of color as they engage in coursework involving culturally relevant pedagogy.

This study focused on the experiences of preservice teachers of color engaging in culturally relevant pedagogy coursework in a K-12 teacher preparation program at a predominately White institution. In partnership with this teacher preparation program, one current preservice teachers of color, five former alumni of color, and three …

Curriculum Curation: Centering Mirrors And Windows In An Inclusive Bookshelf Project, Kelly P. Vaughan

Education Department Faculty Articles

From increasing calls for multicultural and inclusive books to media stories about books being banned in elementary schools,  curriculum debates have become increasingly contentious. These debates illuminate key questions in curriculum studies: What is the knowledge of most worth? And who decides? In this article, I utilize a curriculum studies in education framework to engage and extend the literature supporting multicultural and inclusive children’s literature and critical literacy while emphasizing the role of teachers-as-curators. After analyzing the results of a year-long project in which preservice teachers (PSTs) curated collections of multicultural books representing a mirrors and windows approach to text …

The Relationship Between Classroom Management, Cultural Responsiveness, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Students' Perceptions Of Effective Teaching And Learning In The 21st Century Secondary Classroom: A Quantitative Correlational Study, Angela Herring Donaldson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective classroom management plays a vital role in helping to create an environment that is conducive to effective teaching and learning. It is a catalyst for the effective implementation of teaching and learning strategies that result in better behavioral and academic outcomes. Ineffective classroom management strategies have resulted in teacher burnout, student disengagement, disruptive behavior, and negative academic outcomes for students. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative predictive correlational study is to examine the relationship between the criterion variable (students’ perceptions of teaching and learning) and the predictor variables (cultural responsiveness, classroom management, and self-efficacy of each student’s teacher). The …

Teaching Writing: Fostering Joy In Writing Through “Commentarying”, Ellin Kim

New Jersey English Journal

For over 15 years, the author taught at an after-school English Language Arts center. Initially emphasizing perfection, enthusiasm waned. A graduate course changed the author's views on writing, stressing personal reflections. Implementing this, students' perceptions shifted, using "commentarying" to foster understanding and engagement in discussions on topics such as racism.

Examining Emergency Remote Teaching And Undergraduate Academic Outcomes During The Pandemic, Melissa S. Ramge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic represented an extraordinary public health emergency, leading to the most profound disruption to education systems in modern history. As higher education institutions expand their post-pandemic online course catalogs, it is necessary first to explore the student outcomes and student perceptions of learning related to the pandemic. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to assess the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ perceptions of online learning. The purpose of the study was to examine what, if any, trends in undergraduate student course grades and student perceptions of the instruction occurred coincident with the …

Using Computational Thinking To Explore And Support Equity And Social Justice, Leslie Keiler, Sherone Smith-Sanchez, Zena Cooper, Natasha Cox-Magno, Lisa Dunn-Lockhart, Kara Hudon, Clare Pawson, Xin Bai

Publications and Research

Brief summary of presentation, suitable for inclusion in our conference program.

We explore the experience of teacher candidates who went to schools much like where they are preparing to teach. We investigate the implementation of Computational thinking-based (CT) learning experiences and examine the social justice implications. We investigate the impacts on their thinking about social justice and the faculty’s reflections on CT integration.

Exploring How Funds Of Knowledge Is Utilized Among Teacher Educators In A Teacher Preparation Program Focusing On Arts Integration And Language Diversity, Gabrielle H. Pretto Ph.D

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In our current educational climate, teaching for social justice has become increasingly difficult. Teacher educators are faced with certification rules that prioritize test scores over teaching ability, scripted curriculums, and the limited understandings about differences related to culture, class, and race. This study examined how social justice teachings were sustained and enhanced through a Funds of Knowledge (FOK) learning approach. Case study was utilized and guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the FOK of teacher educators participating in the TEALi program? (2) In what ways are the FOK of teacher educators integrated or utilized in their university …

Connecting Compassion: Empathy's Role In Stem And Literacy Integration, Leah R. Cheek, Vinson Carter, Michael K. Daugherty, Christian Goering

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Empathy, an unsung, yet critical element of learning, can be strategically interlaced with literacy instruction and engineering design to create a rich and authentic learning experience for students. Integrated STEM education rests on the promise of engaging students and providing deep understandings through the intentional practice of delivering science and math content through the application of technology and engineering skills. Using children's literature to activate empathy and design thinking can help students become better problem-solvers, critical thinkers, and caring members of society. Empathy facilitates a deeper connection to the human experience, ensuring that solutions not only meet the design requirements, …

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Evidence-Based Reading Practices In First-Grade Curricula: The Role Of District Size, Matthew J. Lembo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

This dissertation investigated the extent to which five dependent variables were included in the first-grade reading curriculum and whether district size played a role in their inclusion. This study’s mixed-methods approach incorporated descriptive statistics, histograms, confidence intervals, and chi-squared analyses to assess curriculum patterns across small, medium, and large districts. The research also explored the relationship between district size and the consistent inclusion of key instructional variables related to the science of reading. Findings suggest that, although not statistically significant, district size plays a potential and has a consistent role in the implementation of these five variables. Medium-sized districts …

A Look Inside: A Multiple-Case Study Of Schools That Specialize In Dyslexia, Mitzi Berryhill

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dyslexia is a reading disability that heavily affects a student’s phonological processing and ability to decode. Because of the high prevalence of dyslexia, it is important that educators understand dyslexia. By looking inside three specialized schools, this research study sought to understand how students with dyslexia can be supported in an educational setting.

This qualitative, multiple-case research analyzed three specialized schools through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and curriculum and instructional materials. Understanding how a community of practice at each school was envisioned offered much insight into the unique supports in each school as well as similar themes that were found across …

Understanding The “L” In Cslp Within The Literacy Conundrum, Julia Lynch, Andrea Perrone

Michigan Reading Journal

Rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining literacy practices (CSLP) focus on equity in education (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). Our view of CSLP emphasizes integrating the arts into literacy instruction to leverage students' cultural assets, stimulating their cognitive processes and recognizing literacy's interdisciplinary role in learning. As we align literacy practices with state standards, high-stakes testing, and research-based methods, it's crucial for educators and society to embrace them. Traditionally, literacy instruction has prioritized written language, creating hierarchical structures that lead to learning gaps and inequitable opportunities. An arts-based CSLP framework addresses these issues by ensuring literacy includes diverse …

Teaching Literacy: The Intersection Of Social Studies And Language Arts Through Integration, Christopher D. Moore, Jennifer Shiers, Pamela Mccabe, Jeremy Nix

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

Social studies education has always been an important component of K-5 education; however, as dedicated, content-specific instructional time has steadily decreased over the past two decades to give more time to mathematics and specifically English Language Arts, literacy scores have also decreased. Partnering ELA and social studies in the K-5 space allows for students to build their background knowledge in social studies, while increasing their literacy by using instructional resources connected to social studies during the ELA block, and then teaching social studies thinking skills during devoted social studies class time.

The Legacy Of Oscarville: Using Critical Participatory Action Research And Learning Teaching As An Interpretive Process To Sustain A Placeless Place, Leah Panther, Kristie Smith, Mary Mitchelson, Robert Bonner Jr.

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

The history of Oscarville, Georgia, nestled within the Lake Lanier region of North Georgia, remains both known and unknown, existing as a significant yet elusive part of local lore and historical retellings. This article delves into the innovative approach of a place-based critical participatory action research program, "Historicizing Oscarville," which engaged teacher candidates and educators in exploring the obscured history of Oscarville. The narrative uncovers the complex layers of settler colonialism, slavery, racial cleansing, and subsequent erasure that characterize Oscarville's past. By employing the framework of Learning Teaching as an Interpretive Process (LTIP) within a place-based education model, the project …

Imsa's Equity Lens, Dr. Adrienne Coleman

Professional Learning Day

No abstract provided.

A Critical Assessment Tool For Social Studies, Lisa Andries D'Souza

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Faced with endless online social studies lessons, teachers often become overwhelmed sifting through vast resources. Teachers must develop skills to make professional decisions about the value and quality of pre-made curriculum materials. This investigation explores CAT (Critical Assessment Tool) for evaluating pre-made instructional materials to support cultural and linguistic responsiveness and instructional support for all learners. CAT focuses on identifying, modifying, and adding pedagogical materials to be relevant and responsive to the learners in the classroom.

Collaborative Professional Development Featuring Innovative Curriculum Materials, Cory Callahan

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Here I synthesize two research investigations (Callahan, 2018, 2019) that comprise a continuing line of inquiry into the potential of innovative curriculum materials and sustained collaboration as a professional development program to help in-service teachers understand and implement a complex model of social studies instruction. This article features an original innovative curriculum material and specifically explores the question: To what degree can a collaborative professional development program featuring innovative curriculum materials help social studies teachers understand and implement a powerful social studies approach? Findings suggest the professional development program and its innovative curriculum materials helped teachers promote substantive pedagogical thinking …

Using Bloom's Taxonomy To Visualize Antiracist Teaching Strategies., Lucian Rothe, Cara K. Snyder

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

2020 marked a surge in the uprisings for racial and social justice in the United States and around the globe. Universities met the moment with aspirations to become antiracist institutions. However, there has often been a disconnect between universities’ antiracist goals and support for educators in their day-to-day instruction. Moreover, many educators – primarily those racialized as White, who have seldom had to consider their racial identity in predominantly White environments – are unfamiliar with antiracist teaching strategies. This essay is for university instructors who are new to antiracist pedagogy but want to use its principles to transform their teaching. …

If We Only Had A Wheelbarrow: Asset-Based Pedagogy In The Elementary Classroom, Elizabeth Bedell

Theses and Dissertations

The challenges facing today’s educators are much and many. Among them ranks the persistent underachievement of students from racially and culturally diverse backgrounds. Attempts to remedy this have historically taken a deficit approach, one that attempts to “fix” students by melding them to the norms of the dominant culture, ultimately diminishing their cultural ways of knowing and being and perpetuating inequity. Although educators want to do better, most have simply not been provided with the professional learning that would support their centering students’ voices and experiences as essential to learning

With a focus on asset-based pedagogy, this convergent mixed methods …

Coach To Teach: Effects Of Ecoaching On Special Education Teacher Implementation Of Discrete Trial Training, Olga Karadimou

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The growing shortage of special education teachers (SETs) and declining retention rates across numerous United States (U.S.) school districts pose a serious threat to the quality of education provided to students with disabilities. One of the ongoing challenges is the significant gap between evidence-based practices (EBPs) and their actual implementation in classrooms. Researchers emphasize the importance of providing high-quality professional development (PD) targeting the use of EBPs in the classroom, as doing so has been linked to SET retention (Berry & Gravelle, 2013; Berry et al., 2011; Hagaman & Casey, 2018; Reagan et al., 2019). This study aimed to experimentally …

Justice In Post-Conflict Societies - Comparing Bosnia & Herzegovina, Guatemala, And Argentina: College Spanish Curriculum, Eleonora Bertranou, Isabella Kurpiers

Hispanic Studies Faculty Publications

Students will explore opportunities for justice in the aftermath of crimes against humanity. The primary focus is on the impact of genocide in Guatemala, Bosnia, and Argentina, and opportunities for healing and preventing similar tragedies in the future. This unit is intended for a post-secondary college Spanish course.

Arranging And Communication Techniques For The Studio Music Producer: A Curriculum, Elizabeth A. Rajcok

Masters Theses

College music students who desire to pursue careers in the commercial music industry would benefit from learning all aspects of music production, including the techniques of rhythm section instruments and the intricacies of various genres. However, courses that provide students with hands-on training in communicating and arranging within a recording studio are lacking in residential collegiate contemporary and commercial music degrees. Students lacking in multi- instrument knowledge and immersion in contemporary genres may find their insufficiency is an impediment when functioning in their desired profession as a music producer post-college. The curriculum project detailed in this study is designed to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Special Education Teacher Self-Efficacy For English Learner Instruction, Emilie Louise Jacumin-Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of special education teachers (SETs) who instruct English learners (ELs) at secondary public schools in the Southeast. In this research, SETs instructing ELs were generally defined as SETs responsible for the instruction of ELs with or without disabilities. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. The qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 11 SETs who teach in secondary public school districts in the southeastern United States. Data collection consisted of Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE) Scale surveys, teacher reflections on their …

Adolescent Autonomy In Book Selection, Katie Dredger, Zoe Mcdowell

Virginia English Journal

Books that have been on the shelves of classrooms in the commonwealth of Virginia are being removed by overzealous and misinformed parents and school board members. Supporting literacy development means allowing adolescents to read thought-provoking and edgy, high-quality texts, vetted by educated professionals, so that students can be critical curators and consumers of the wide range of media available today. Reading begets better reading, and varied texts build empathy for others. Improved literacy and empathetic criticality will benefit our commonwealth.

Social Annotation And Dialogic Teaching And Learning In English Language Arts, Johnny B. Allred, Sean P. Connors, Christian Goering

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research study explores the role of social annotation in supporting dialogic teaching in secondary English language arts. Grounded in Bakhtin's dialogism and building upon research into online discussion, this study describes how a high school English teacher and her students used a digital annotation tool to read and talk about texts. Analyzing student annotations based on discourse features associated with comprehension and high-level thinking, the study examines the extent to which social annotation supports quality dialogue. Findings highlight the need for open-ended prompts and teacher scaffolding of online discussions, and authors suggest that dialogue enhances comprehension of texts when …

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 …