Digital Commons Network^™

Acquisition Of The Tap-Trill-Lateral Contrast By Speakers Of L1 Cantonese-L2 Spanish, José Esteban Hernández

Spanish Faculty Publications

In the present study an assessment of the on-target and off-target production of liquids (laterals and rhotics) is undertaken in a corpus of second language (L2) Spanish. The Chinese-origin participants have immigrated to Mexicali, Mexico where they have acquired L2 Spanish in a natural setting. As a major aim, a quantitative analysis of the data is performed to determine the production of on-target and off-target articulations in lateral, tap, thrill, and syllable-coda rhotic. Internal and external factors are considered in the analysis; for example, liquid production in syllable onset, coda and consonant clusters was considered. The data were subjected to …

Understanding The Afghan Newcomer Experience From The Perspectives Of Teachers And Students, Elisabeth C. Trost

Dissertations

Newcomer English learners (ELs) often arrive in the United States having fled persecution, economic or political oppression, war, or natural disasters in their country of origin. They are new to the English language, new to the American school system, at times well into their educational journey, and sometimes have missed out on significant amounts of formal schooling. Many also carry trauma from the circumstances that forced them to leave their homes. Most schools are not fully equipped to welcome these students and their families into the learning community, nor are they prepared to address the unique challenges newcomer ELs face. …

Narratives Of Latina Teacher Candidates On Subtractive Schooling Experiences And Their Language Identity, Joao Goebel

Dissertations

The subtractive nature of bilingual education in the United States has long impacted the language identities of Latinx students. Despite being raised in multilingual environments, many are schooled in systems that devalue their home languages and prioritize English-only instruction. This study explored how these dynamics influenced Latina teacher candidates’ perceptions of their own bilingualism and professional identities. The purpose of the study was to examine how Latina teacher candidates understood and constructed their language identities in the context of their K–12 and higher education experiences. The study used narrative research centered on four Latina teacher candidates enrolled in an undergraduate …

Student Disengagement In Years 7 To 9 In Victoria: A Review Of Recent Evidence, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Suijing Yang, Romany Manuell

Student learning processes

The research reported here was conducted as part of the Reclaiming the Lost Years project, which aims to raise awareness of the need for structural reform in Years 7 to 9 schooling in Victoria, Australia. As an initial research paper within the project, this review adopted a rapid review methodology to review relevant literature and broader evidence about student disengagement in Years 7 to 9 in Victoria. Findings can inform the project’s advocacy for reform and key policy recommendations by defining and measuring student engagement and disengagement, and analysing evidence about rates of student disengagement in Victoria.

Virtual Reality In Undergraduate And Postgraduate Nursing Education: A Scoping Review Protocol Integrating Data Mining For Topic Discovery, Celeste Alfes

Faculty Scholarship

Virtual Reality (VR) encompasses a range of computer-based technologies that simulate complex scenarios, offering immersive, experiential learning in a controlled virtual environment. In nurs- ing education, VR has the potential to enhance both technical and non-technical competencies. However, the existing literature on VR in nursing education is fragmented, making it challenging to fully grasp its scope, applications, and emerging trends. This scoping review protocol outlines a systematic approach to mapping the existing literature on the use of VR in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and the PRISMA- ScR 2020 framework, the review will include studies …

The Day You Begin: A Case Study Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Early Childhood Classrooms, Kim Shelton

Dissertations

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) has garnered growing attention in early childhood education due to its potential to cultivate inclusive and equitable learning environments for increasingly diverse student populations. This qualitative case study examines how early childhood educators perceive and implement CRP in classrooms with high concentrations of immigrant and culturally diverse students. Additionally, it explores the perceived impact of these practices on instructional effectiveness, classroom climate, and teacher-student interactions.

Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis yielded four central findings: (1) teachers’ understandings of CRP varied considerably, with some demonstrating strong intentionality and others …

Uncovering Best Practices For Professional Learning: A Focus On Dialogic Discourse, Belinda Jaquez

Dissertations

The education system rests in a paradox with an ever-changing world and classrooms frozen in time. Though technological advancements, societal changes, and policy reforms are continuously reshaping the world, classrooms have remained anchored in traditional teaching and learning practices. This study examined the relationship between professional learning programs and the quality of classroom instruction with a focus on implementing more collaborative and dialogic approaches to both student and professional learning. This research involved a multifaceted program evaluation of the learning environment centered on the learning experiences of both students and teachers. A utilization-focused evaluation approach was implemented to ensure the …

Структурно-Семантическая Модель Матричной Таблицы Глаголов Звучания: К Реконструкции Лексической Системы, Irina V. Ivliyeva

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

цель статьи – провести структурно-семантический анализ авторской таблицы веб-извлечения глагольных форм. Матричная таблица форм глаголов звучания рассматривается как инновационный лексикографический инструмент, обладающий способностью не только фиксировать уже существующие единицы, но и выявлять потенциальные формы глаголов, находящиеся за пределами кодификационных норм. Работа направлена на описание структуры, принципов построения и способов наполнения данной таблицы. Проводится сопоставление с традиционными лексикографическими источниками. Особое внимание уделяется семантическому значению незаполненных ячеек, способности таблицы к синтезу новых форм и её потенциалу как прогностического инструмента в сфере лексики, словообразования и словообразовательного синтеза.

Unraveling The Decline: A Phenomenological Narrative Exploration Of Chinese Students' Experiences And Decisions In Selecting U.S. Higher Education, Lorne K. Brandt

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study examined the declining trend of Chinese student enrollment in U.S. higher education by incorporating recent enrollment data and findings from the 2024 Open Doors Report. The researcher employed a phenomenological narrative inquiry approach and conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of Chinese international students through the lens of the push-pull theoretical framework. The analysis confirmed several well-established push-pull factors, including the influence of exchange programs and parental guidance. One counter theme emerged as most participants described a desire to avoid China’s high-stakes exam system. The study identified six additional themes: flexible admissions, desire for independence, merit-based …

College Access Literacy With A Focus On Key Transition Knowledge For Historically Underrepresented Students And Their Educators, Molly S. Dunn, Stephanie L. Savick, Rachel E. Durham

Journal of College Access

In this article, we present a programmatic model to develop College Access Literacy (CAL) among both students and educators. University faculty developed a six-module curriculum delivered through existing Professional Development School partnerships in afterschool seminars for high school juniors and separate class periods for other high school students. Professional development sessions were also delivered by content experts to high school educators and faculty who were paired to co-teach the curriculum. The program was implemented in three high schools that primarily serve historically underrepresented students. CAL topics, intended to provide students with knowledge and strategies for college access success, included college …

The Experiences Of Graduate Students Of Color During Recruitment, Tracy Sweet, Kristabel Stark, Bridget Turner Kelly

Journal of College Access

We posit that graduate student recruitment is a form of community engagement where universities invite community members to apply. We conducted a study about the recruitment experience with 29 newly matriculated graduate students of color. Many students reported that welcoming interactions, research and courses on diversity or racial equity impacted their decision to enroll. Some barriers included lack of information, standardized tests, and funding. This study offers important insights for improving inclusive recruitment strategies.

Contemplative Practices Facilitating Awareness, Compassion, And Healing In Study Abroad: A Reflective And Explorative Study, Ciara C. Hoyne, Jing Lin

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This reflective essay focuses on the relationship between contemplative practices and participation in a short-term study abroad trip. The study explores how contemplative practices help facilitate self-understanding, alleviate stress, enhance connection to the host community and culture, and enable healing. We use our experiences participating in a short-term study abroad program as an example for examining the role of contemplative practices in the context of study abroad. We discuss and integrate relevant literature on the topic of meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative inquiry to offer insight into how contemplative practices can be integrated into study abroad in a way that enhances …

Scaffolded Integration: Aligning Ai Literacy With Authentic Assessment Through A Revised Taxonomy In Education, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The accelerating prevalence of generative artificial intelligence in educational and professional spheres necessitates a reevaluation of when and how such technologies are introduced within pedagogical practice. The principal challenge for educators is not merely the imperative to prepare students for an AI-driven world, but rather to ensure that assessment practices remain authentic—providing an accurate measure of what students can independently achieve before leveraging the augmentation potential of intelligent systems. This article contends that the incremental introduction of AI, mapped onto a scaffolded framework aligned with a revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, constitutes a methodologically sound approach for maintaining academic integrity, fostering transferable …

To Reflect & To Be Reflective: Student Experiences Of Critique In Art & Design Higher Education, Jade Seobin Yun

Masters Theses

This thesis investigated the critique process in art and design higher education, focusing specifically on student experiences at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Through a combination of autoethnographic reflection and a campus-wide student survey, the study explored how critique was perceived, practiced, and internalized by students across disciplines. Central to this inquiry was the emotional and pedagogical complexity of critique, which was often treated as an assumed skill rather than a learned process. Drawing from personal narrative, pedagogical literature, and qualitative data, the research proposed a framework of Trust (Barrett, 2019), Courage (Brown, 2022), and Responsiveness (hooks, 1994) …

Sociology: Culture, Marcia Morrison

Open Educational Resources

This work examine culture. It begins by examining the foundations of culture to include norms, values, language, symbols and knowledge. In looking at each, it breaks down the implication of each to the development of ourselves as well as the person in the environment. It moves on to look at contexts of culture such as dominant cultures juxtapose to competing cultural systems, and how the various elements of culture can serve to either promote or minimize the various cultural constructs within society.

Constructing Portraits Of Elementary Teachers Of Ethnic Studies: Examining The Narratives Of Anti-Racist Educators In An Era Of Common Core Curriculum And Instruction, Jennifer S. Manglicmot

Dissertations

The emergence of policies requiring ethnic studies courses in California’s secondary and higher education institutions amplified calls for anti-racist pedagogy and content in all K-12 grade levels. Currently, little empirical research exists on how ethnic studies is taught in elementary school classrooms. This absence is significant because instruction in these settings tend to focus heavily on meeting state content standards (i.e. Common Core), frameworks which have been critiqued as ignoring communities of Color epistemologies and promoting color-evasive ideologies, among other concerns. Through interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, this qualitative multiple-case study explored how anti-racist and ethnic studies pedagogies are …

Embodying Altruistic Love: The Role Of Emotions In Teaching Black Students With Disabilities Within An Inclusive Elementary School, Joshua Armentrout

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Teacher emotions play a pivotal yet understudied role in shaping the educational experiences of Black students with disabilities (SWDs). This study examines how five special educators in a fully inclusive elementary school understand, experience, and navigate their emotions in relation to Black SWDs. Using a qualitative approach grounded in portraiture, this study explores the intersection of race, disability, and emotion, revealing how teachers internalize, resist, and negotiate dominant ideologies within the broader educational system.

Guided by a three-dimensional space framework from the field of narrative inquiry—temporality, sociality, and spatiality—this study traces how educators’ emotions are shaped by past experiences, social …

A Teacher, A Tutor, A Friend: Chatgpt And The High School Experience, Saisha Gupta, Vivek Mehta, Rebecca Kam, Caroline Ehmann, Alma Orgad, Emily Kuang, Alejandro Castro Barrantes, Matthew Posada, Samay Shah, Nikhita Prasad, Tara Pai, Eileen Ho, Shirley Xi, Tianyi Zhou, Elaina Li, Stephanie Wan, Shreya Paranjape, Zoe Dearling, Siqi (Grace) Peng, Aanya Kaveti, Gwendolyn Lowrance, Angela Ziyi Xie, Mira Xu, Adhiti Hariram, Alexa Muse

The Qualitative Report

Given the increasing emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, high school students' perspectives on ChatGPT are underrepresented in current research literature. As high school student researchers in an English Language Arts course, we approached this gap in literature by asking the question: In what ways do pressures within high school communities influence students’ perspectives on justifying or rejecting the use of ChatGPT? We interviewed 24 secondary students and conducted a thematic and discourse analysis, coding the interviews through the lenses of social goods (Gee, 2014), Figured Worlds (Holland et al., 1998), and positioning theory (Holland et al., 1998; Ingram …

A Teacher, A Supervisor, An Undefined Self, Alexa Muse

The Qualitative Report

This article follows the experiences and reflections of an American high school English teacher while evolving a single tenth grade memoir and grammar unit into a published student-led research project over the span of 3 years. As a partner piece, this article supplements my students’ published project, titled “A Teacher, a Tutor, a Friend,” that explores ChatGPT and student perspectives through a thematic discourse analysis under the framework of Figured Worlds (Holland et al., 1998); as their teacher-turned-supervisor, I found that preparing 10th grade students—now called the Lexington Student Research and Publication Collaborative—to grapple with such complex material was a …

Ziyyarah: Ethical And Intra-Active Space For Conducting Interviews With Muslim American Students, Wesam M. Salem

The Qualitative Report

Conducting research with Muslim American participants, who have non-Western roots and are bound to their cultural, linguistic, and religious practices, the prescribed, Eurocentric, and power-laden interviewing practices appear to be unfit and essentializing. This paper extends the argument to de/colonize research practices to create realities that are inclusive of participants' ways of knowing and culture. It also draws from the call for an intra-active and entangled approach to research that emphasizes how researchers and their subjects mutually co-constitute knowledge through their entanglement in the research process. It is also rooted in postcolonial theory, and the concept of the nomadic subject …

Healing In Relation: Honoring Post-Graduate Grief As An Opportunity For Relational Scholarship, Tanya J. Behrisch, Anna Rumjahn, Chris Yakimov

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper is a three-way conversation about grief that follows a graduate program. We explore our experiences with post-graduate grief in community, attending to each other’s sense of loss following separation from supervisors, theses, and graduate programs. In committing to slow scholarship, processes—such as navigating feelings and living—have been valued over producing a manuscript quickly. Slowness, including long gaps between meetings, enabled us to follow the diverse contours of quiet alchemical processes such as grieving, opening up to emptiness, self-acceptance, being enough, and letting go. After years of compression and dialogic friction with her mentor, Tanya confronts feelings akin to …

The Power Of Storytelling: Creatively Facilitating Conceptual Change In The Classroom, Mackenzie S. Rose, Marcus Johnson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Conceptual knowledge encompasses understanding the interrelationships among multiple pieces of information. Misconceptions of these interrelationships illustrate the need for effective educational strategies to facilitate conceptual change, with the goal of facilitating changes in learner understanding to appropriate, accurate, and complete concepts. Strategies, such as refutation texts, have proven effective in addressing science misconceptions, yet there is a prominent gap in research on conceptual change in nonscience subjects and the use of storytelling to facilitate such change. Storytelling, presented in a range of educational subjects, invites learners to engage in social discourses and problem-solving exercises. Prompted by classroom storytelling practices, creativity, …

Reconceptualising The Role Of Academic Language And Learning Advisers In The Artificial Intelligence Age, Andrew Kelly, Katrina Strampel, Andrea Lynch

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are profoundly transforming learning, teaching and assessment in higher education. These tools present a major challenge for academic language and learning (ALL) advisers, as they are increasingly capable of performing many of the individual learning support functions that ALL advisers have traditionally provided to students. This conceptual article reimagines the role of ALL advisers in an AI-dominated world. Through applying the theory of practice architectures, it argues refocusing on four areas of practice: professional learning for educators, AI literacy, peer learning communities, and self-regulated learning. By embracing these areas of practice, and through collaboration with …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Independent Play As Part Of Their Daily Schedule, Christina L. Saunders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that independent child-led play is essential to children’s cognitive and social development. The problem that was the focus of this study was that many preschool teachers do not include independent play in their daily schedules. Guided by Gray’s theory of play, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore preschool teachers’ perspectives regarding independent play as part of their daily schedule and the challenges they encounter or anticipate in incorporating it. A basic qualitative design with interviews guided data collection with 10 lead preschool teachers who worked with children ages 3 to 5 in independently funded preschools …

Emotional Intelligence In Higher Education: The Importance Of Recruiting Emotionally Intelligent Leaders, Baker H. Alfarajat

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study investigates the presence and importance of emotional intelligence (EI) competencies in higher education leadership by analyzing executive job descriptions in higher education institutions. Using qualitative discourse analysis guided by Goleman et al.'s Emotional Intelligence model, the research investigates whether and how EI is framed as a leadership requirement. The researcher analyzed 20 job descriptions for executive higher education leaders that were selected from The Chronicle of Higher Education’s online job website. The analysis focused on identifying both explicit and implicit language related to EI competencies. Findings reveal that EI competencies primarily appeared as embedded elements within broader leadership …

Marveling At The Art Of Language: Centering Adolescents In Developing Disciplinary Literacy For Ela, Christina M. Ponzio

Michigan Reading Journal

This article explores how we invite adolescents to be insiders in the discipline of ELA by inquiring together into the art of language. I begin with a brief overview of the varied perspectives, research and frameworks about the importance of apprenticing students’ into disciplinary literacy in ELA. Next, I share examples of authentic contexts, purposes, and audiences for inquiring into the art of language with adolescents across a school year and zoom into one unit through the lens of Moje’s (2015) 5E framework for designing inquiries that foster the development of students’ disciplinary literacy. I conclude with a “before and …

The White Elephant In The Classroom: Using Local History And Resource Pedagogies To Remove It, Dawn N. Colquitt-Anderson

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Years of scholarship outline the benefits of asset-based pedagogy for all students, especially the culturally and linguistically diverse students who are now the majority student population in public schools. But there is scant research on how experienced in-service teachers modify their practices and beliefs to adequately prepare these students for 21st century leadership. This sequential mixed methods case study examined the efforts of elementary and middle school teachers as they grappled with personal, professional, and systemic barriers that arose as they worked to strengthen their cultural and community responsiveness by centering the local history of a historic great migration town.

From Erasure To (Re)Vision: Blackgirls In Education, Nicole E. Mclaren

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Blackgirls can grow up, attend school, and never have a teacher who looks like them. Their teachers may never tell them they could become great teachers someday, or school may not be an affirming place they can imagine returning to as educators. Black women make up only 6% of K-12 teachers, and this research shares the life stories of fourteen Blackgirl educators from that notable group, highlighting the challenges they faced on their journey to becoming teachers. This interview-based study uncovers some of the emotional and institutional scars Black women carry. Findings show that the path to and staying in …

Multilingual English Teaching: Challenges And Possibilities In The Secondary Mainstream Classroom, Vannessa Quintana Sarria

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how multilingual English language teachers (MLETs) reshape mainstream secondary education through asset-based, linguistically inclusive pedagogies. Using an ethnographic, participatory design grounded in second-generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the study investigates a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program at East Summer High (ESH), a public, four-year high school located northwest of Boston, Massachusetts. ESH serves approximately 1,394 students and offers a range of academic and vocational programs, including structured SEI pathways that support English Learners (ELs) at various proficiency levels, such as SEI-1, SEI-General Education, and SEI-Special Education. Over three years of immersive fieldwork, data sources include in-depth …

Creating And Validating An Aphasia-Friendly Measure Of Marital Relationships: Preliminary Pilot Testing, Jasmine Espinoza

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to modify and validate an aphasia-friendly questionnaire that can be used to assess marital attachment for couples impacted by aphasia. Twenty participants (10 people with aphasia and their spouses) participated across two sessions. The study consisted of two phases. Phase 1 focused on modifying the Brief Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Engagement Scale (BARE) into an aphasia-friendly format through collaboration with an expert panel. Phase 2 involved piloting the revised questionnaire on participants with aphasia and their spouses along with a cognitive interview to obtain qualitative and descriptive data to assess the questionnaire's face validity and preliminary test-retest reliability …