Digital Commons Network^™

Seeing Homework Through Students' Eyes: From Pressured Performance To Intentional Learning, Brook Danielle Lillehaugen, Elisa Cooney

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Gaining Perspective On Inclusion: What Faculty See In What Students See, Alison Cook-Sather

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges To Overcome Widening Gaps: Challenges In Addressing The Need For Professional Preparation Of Infant-Toddler Practitioners In Higher Education, Jennifer A. Mortensen, Maryssa Kucskar Mitsch, Kalli Decker, Maria Fusaro, Sandra I. Plata-Potter, Holly Brophy-Herb, Claire D. Vallotton, Martha J. Buell

Occasional Paper Series

As the professional qualifications for those working with infants, toddlers, and their families continue to expand, institutes of higher education (IHEs) play an increasingly vital role in training the infant/toddler workforce. However, IHEs face numerous programming and pedagogical issues that make meeting the needs of these professionals difficult. These issues are further complicated by persistent challenges within early care and education. In this paper, we examine these issues in detail and discuss the Collaborative for Understanding the Pedagogy of Infant/toddler Development (CUPID), a cross-institution partnership working to enhance the quality of infant/toddler professional preparation in higher education.

Relationship-Based Infant Care As A Framework For Authentic Practice: How Eun Mi Rediscovered Her Teaching Soul, Susan L. Recchia, Seung Eun Mcdevitt

Occasional Paper Series

In this paper, we explore the complex nature of preparing diverse professionals for authentic, relationship-based care for infants and toddlers in child care. Looking through the eyes of one student caregiver, we travel with her through a semester-long course introducing her to infant care as an integral part of early childhood teacher preparation. We draw on her descriptions of her weekly experiences in an infant room focusing on a key child, her formal reflections in written assignments, and her responses to a series of interview questions once the course was completed to construct a theory of authentic practice through relationship-based …

Ofelia García: A Transformative Thinker And Leader, Cecilia M. Espinosa

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

In this essay, I describe the ways in which Ofelia García's work influenced the field of bilingual education and multilingualism, as well as my thinking over the years as a bilingual educator. Dr. García has been a model of what it means to be an intellectual who is deeply connected to the importance of engaging in transformative theoretical ideas. Her ideas, in turn, have proven to have profound implications for pedagogy that impacts the education of emergent bilinguals. Her work is deeply grounded in understandings about language and language development as it exists in the world. Her perspective is one …

Challenges Affecting The Implementation Of £50 Million In-Service Training Program For English Teachers In Bangladesh, Abdul Karim, Zohur Ahmed, Faheem Hasan Shahed, Mohammad Mosiur Rahman, Abdul Rashid Mohamed

The Qualitative Report

Numerous donor-sponsored in-service training programs have been operated in Bangladesh for English language teachers. EIA was the last donor-funded project that incorporated school-based training. It claimed to acquaint teachers with technology coupled with a lot of interactive activities to be incorporated in the classroom. The aim of the study was to identify the challenges faced by the secondary-school English language teachers in incorporating the elements learned in EIA training into their classroom practices and to identify the solutions to overcome the challenges. The present study undertook reflective theory developed by Wallace (1991). To conduct this study, semi-structured interview with the …

Curriculum-Making And Development In A Pakistani University, Said Imran, Mark Wyatt

The Qualitative Report

Despite frequent calls for increased teacher engagement in curriculum-making and development, there are still many English language teachers worldwide who are required to work with materials that are either culturally inappropriate or inadequate. A related concern is that such materials may deprive teachers of their creative and professional capabilities to address students’ needs and interests, so that, weighed down by contextual challenges, the teachers then simply deliver the materials, adhering to the textbook closely. Contextual challenges faced by teachers may be more acute in the developing world. However, it is unclear to what extent teachers in under-resourced contexts cope. In …

Successful Instructional Reading Practices For African American Male Third-Grade Students, Kimberly D. Whaley, Steve Wells, Nancy Williams

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

African American male third graders in U.S Title I schools frequently fail to read on grade level. However, in three Title I schools in East Texas, this demographic demonstrated exceptionally high reading ability. This explanatory case study investigated the instructional strategies and practices linked to high reading achievement for these students. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’s theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and supported by Vygotsky’s theory of social and cognitive constructivism. The research questions were used to examine the instructional strategies and practices used on each campus that may have resulted in such high reading achievement. This study engenders …

Urban-Focused And Community-Based Teacher Preparation, John R. Walcott

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Existing challenges in many urban schools have led to an increased emphasis on urban-focused teacher preparation. While this work can be demanding and complex, many Christian teacher education programs desire to engage in this work as part of their efforts to prepare their teacher candidates to teach all students and to promote more equitable educational opportunities in urban communities. In this article, the author reviews the literature on effective urban teacher preparation and then discusses the potential for collaboration with local schools and communities to support this work in Christian teacher education programs. The author argues that authentic engagement with …

All About The American Flap, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

In this column, I am going to talk about the American flap, a phonological feature of the American English dialect. Those of us with backgrounds in ESL/EFL learn about this in our master’s programs, but I have found that even teachers who have taken a course in linguistics may not be aware of the flap and its important implications for listening, reading, and spelling in English (Lems, Miller, & Soro, 2017)

Chapter 8: Cultural Aspects And Implications Of Instructional Message Design, Frances R. Dukes

Instructional Message Design, Volume 1

“There is also widespread agreement that a major priority is the reform of schools and other academic venues so that students from diverse, racial, ethnic, and social class groups can achieve equality.” (Roblyer, Dozier-Henry, & Burnette, 1996).

Culture is a major determinant in modern instructional design and instructional message design for a global community of learners. Instructional designers of web-based information for world-wide and cross-culture learners are tasked with developing effective, culture-sensitive, innovative, and useful instructional tools. “Multicultural teaching must entail reaching students by connecting with their cultural, ethnic, linguistic, social, and other affiliations” (Capuk & Kara, 2015). The tenets …

Literacy Access Through Storytime: An Ethnographic Study Of Public Library Storytellers In A Low-Income Neighborhood, Tiffany Y. Young, Loukia K. Sarroub, Wayne A. Babchuk

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

While early literacy achievement continues to be stratified by social class in the United States, public libraries often offer programs such as “storytime” in order to bolster the literacy development of youth in their communities. The purpose of the present ethnographic study was to explore how storytellers recruited and maintained participation in this free literacy program in a lower-income neighborhood. Via participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and artifact collection, storytellers recruited new patrons to storytime by (1) appealing to community members to enter the physical space of the library and (2) appealing to library patrons to attend storytime. Once patrons attended …

Fall 2019

Insights

A World of Opportunities: LAS in the Global Community; ISSUES - Study Abroad, Applied Diplomacy, HumanitiesX; In this issue of Insights, we celebrate all things global at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science (LAS). We are deeply proud of the positive impact our students and alumni have had on the world, and of the many LAS academic initiatives that foster global engagement; New Advisory Board Chair Mitchell Goldberg; Study abroad turns LAS Honors alumni into global citizens; Depaul Expands the Borders of Diplomacy with this First of Its kind program; Landing in LONDON Spring break trip brings DePaul …

Promoting Self-Reflection Of Foreign Language Teachers Through Professional Development: An Action Research Dissertation, Hanan Khaled

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory mixed-method action research describes how a social constructivist professional development program impacts self-reflection of foreign language teachers at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). The problem is that traditional professional development for foreign language teachers does not improve self-reflection. Despite their individual differences and qualifications, most teachers receive traditional in-service professional development (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, Gardner, & Espinoza, 2017) on a specific topic and have no time to reflect on their existing practices, newly presented concepts, or students' responses to instruction. The effectiveness of such professional development is questionable (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009; Penuel, …

Cross-Cultural Considerations: Raising Language Teachers Awareness About The Importance Of Multiculturalism, Abir El Shaban

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

With the worldwide use of English as a second language (ESL) and globalization, teachers are expected to understand, acknowledge and interact with culturally and linguistically diverse students and integrate their linguistic and multicultural backgrounds in classroom settings. Teachers need to be multicultural to be able to successfully impact their students to be multicultural. This paper provides English language teachers with valuable recommendations based on cross-cultural studies and my experience, as an ESL teacher, on how to be responsive to students from different cultures to empower and enhance their language proficiency skills.

Ma Tefl Students' Reflection On A Practicum Course: A Qualitative Study, Mohammed Farrah

The Qualitative Report

This study is qualitative in nature and is designed to analyze the experiences and perceptions of a group of MA students regarding an MA TEFL practicum course at Hebron University during the second semester of the academic year 2015/2016 and whether their experience improved their flair to convey educational practices to better serve students. The study was steered by experiential learning theory. The participants learned from their experiences, reflected on practical activities during the practicum course and contributed to a better understanding of the integration process between theory and practice. Three research questions addressed MA students’ experiences during the practicum …

Exploring The Betsy Rymes' Three-Dimensional Approach: A Review Of Classroom Discourse Analysis: A Tool For Critical Reflection, Ufuk Keles

The Qualitative Report

This book review examines the 2nd edition of Betsy Rymes' Classroom Discourse Analysis: A Tool for Critical Reflection. It includes an outline of each chapter's content, discusses the several distinctive features of the book, and its possible contribution to educational research from a practitioner's point of view. The book has nine chapters. The first four chapters first introduce the readers to basic concepts of discourse analysis within a three-dimensional approach, and then provides techniques and strategies for recording, viewing, transcribing and analyzing classroom talk through examples, activities, and questions. From Chapter V to VIII, Rymes focuses on particular resources utilized …

The Effect Of Teacher Professional Development On Implementing Engineering In Elementary Schools, Teresa Porter, Meg E. West, Rachel L. Kajfez, Kathy L. Malone, Karen E. Irving

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Increased attention on the implementation of engineering education into elementary school classrooms aims to start preparing students early for potential engineering careers. In order to efficiently and effectively add engineering concepts to the curriculum, appropriate development and facilitation of engineering design challenges are required. Therefore, professional development programs are necessary to educate teachers about engineering and how to adequately teach it. This paper explores the effects of an engineering professional development program for practicing teachers. The program included training elementary teachers about how to implement units from Engineering is Elementary (EiE) by the Science Museum of Boston into their classes. …

Serving The Less-Commonly-Trained Teacher: Perspectives From Arabic Instructors, Dustin De Felice, Amanda Lanier, Paula Winke

The Qualitative Report

As proficient speakers of less-commonly-taught languages seek to meet the demand for qualified instructors, they face a range of personal and professional challenges. In an effort to understand the perspectives of these instructors and their particular educational experiences and needs, we conducted a phenomenological case study of two aspiring Arabic teachers. Specifically, we sought insights into their lived experiences, their motivations for pursuing a graduate degree, their attempts to connect coursework with pedagogical practices, and their needs in terms of professional development. Our findings illuminate the intersecting objectives these instructors must achieve. They need to position themselves as qualified candidates …

The History Curriculum And Inculcation Of National Consciousness In History Students In Ghana, Charles Adabo Oppong

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Abstract

National consciousness plays an important role in socio-economic and political developments in many nations. Mostly, national consciousness promotes national unity, sustainable development, peace, respect for diversity, patriotism, and others. Undoubtedly, most of the variables mentioned are acquired through the study of national history. This study stems from the motivation to find out whether the Ghanaian senior high school history curriculum addresses the canons identified as variables of national consciousness. The study, therefore, aimed at examining the content of the Ghanaian history syllabus, as a curriculum document, whether it inculcates national consciousness or otherwise. 125 Form Three history students in …

Elizabeth Martin Tssa Spring 2019 Tssa, Elizabeth Martin

Teaching Skills Study Awards (TSSA) Reports

No abstract provided.

Cooperating Teachers' Perceived Preparedness To Support Science Teacher Candidates For Culturally Sustaining Science Teaching, Keelan Purcell Lofaro

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States, many communities face challenges that require science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) solutions. Those communities most affected by these challenges often lack opportunities in school to use their funds of knowledge as they develop STEM literacies that would equip them to address these challenges. With new national science standards and increasingly diverse student demographics in classrooms across the United States, teacher educators must utilize strategies that prepare science teacher candidates, who are predominantly White, with pedagogies that can support diverse learners in expanding their STEM literacies from their funds of knowledge. The problem of practice guiding …

Teacher Attitudes Toward The Principal Of Multilingual Education: Advancing Research On Mother-Tongue Education In Turkey, Hasan Aydin, Fatma Dogan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of teacher toward heritage (mother tongue) languages based multilingual education and based on these findings to determine how teachers within public school settings perceive multilingual education. The sample comprised 150 teachers employed in public schools in Turkey. The survey method was used in this study, which used a 5-point Likert-type scale based on the multilingual education attitudes. The scale included 25 items and was prepared through the SurveyMonkey database. The survey was designed to determine the attitudes of teachers on heritage-language–based multilingual education and was conducted through the snowball sampling …

Exposing Preservice Teachers To Emergent Bilinguals, Deborah J. Williams Ed.D., Jim Ewing

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This study followed a case study design and employed qualitative methods to explore monolingual preservice teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes toward learning to teach emergent bilinguals (EBs) in a dual language school. We sought to support and observe PSTs as they applied strategies learned in methodology courses to students in the field. Three overarching themes emerged from PSTs’ videotaped focus group interviews, weekly reflections, and field notes. Responses that supported Theme 1 suggested PSTs desired to teach EBs for a variety of reasons and Theme 2 supporting responses showed that PSTs confidence levels increased as they interacted with EBs. Responses that supported …

Understanding Equitable Assessment: How Preservice Teachers Make Meaning Of Disability, Melissa K. Driver

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Disproportionality of historically marginalized populations in special education continues to be a critical concern. The identification of students with disabilities is reliant on valid and reliable assessment that is free of bias. The extent to which this is possible given measurement constraints and an increasingly diverse student population is unclear. How teachers are trained to design, select, administer, score, and interpret assessment data related to the identification of students with disabilities is vastly under-researched considering the significant implications of assessment practices. In this study, six special education preservice teachers engaged in an assessment methods course during their second semester of …

White Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions And Their Development Of Culturally Relevant Literacy Practices, Lakia M. Scott, Elena Venegas

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Existent literature purports that providing White teacher candidates with increased exposure to urban schools in order to create culturally competent educators has failed. These findings reflect the notion that teacher ideologies and overall perspectives about working with diverse student groups must be harnessed in a genuine ethic of care and intentionality for students of color. However, few studies have taken the approach of examining the development of culturally relevant pedagogy through context-specific field experiences using content-specific courses. This study examines the perspectives of twenty-five White pre-service teachers from a predominately White, private university regarding their initial perceptions and gained conceptual …

De Las Escuelas De Estados Unidos A Las Escuelas De México: Desafíos De Política Educativa En El Marco De La Gran Expulsión [From Us Schools To Mexican Schools: Educational Policy Challenges In The Context Of The 'Great Expulsion'], Víctor Zúñiga, Edmund T. Hamann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This Spanish-language chapter, drawn from a larger book intended to advise Mexico's new national leadership on various issues related to migration, focuses on the steadily growing, overlapping populations of US-born and US-school-experienced children in youth now enrolled in Mexican schools. It notes that that population, numbering more than 600,000, is enrolled all across Mexico, albeit not equally distributed, with municipios (counties) with high international migration rates also hosting high return rates. Moreover it notes that this population's US school experiences were highly varied not only because of their different durations, but because schooling in urban Southern California varies from that …

Promoting Inclusion In A "Struggling School": Supporting Co-Teachers Through Critical Appreciative-Inquiry Based Professional Development, Louis Olander

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the extent to which the beliefs and practices of teachers who work in a “struggling” school can be shifted towards inclusiveness through an action research based professional development program. The school was struggling in that it was charged with the education of children who are marginalized by a range of social forces while simultaneously accountable to institutional priorities. Broadly speaking, these institutional priorities preferred behaviorist punishment and technocratic approaches to meeting student needs, devaluing and decontextualizing students’ proficiencies as test scores and special education labels, in turn impeding inclusive change. Over the course of four months, an …

Black, Male, And Poor: The Intersection Of Social Identities Effects On Special Education Referrals For Emotional Disturbance, Marilyn D. Bassett-Joseph

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Black male students, when compared to the total Special Education population, are disproportionately placed under the Emotional Disturbance category. Special Education evaluations, referred by general education teachers, lead to most Special Education placement (UFT, n.d.; Smeets & Roeleveld, 2016; & Woodson & Harris, 2018). This study was qualitative research via narrative inquiry. Two research questions investigated teacher participant responses to fictional vignettes and interviews: (1) Is the intersection of social identities of BMS, such as race, gender, and SES, responsible for how general education teachers respond to disruptive behaviors identical to externalizing ED traits in the classroom; and (2) Is …

A Deep-Er Practice For Educators: Reflecting, Unpacking And Confronting Racism Through Critical Performative Pedagogy, Natalia Ortiz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the current political climate, we have seen time and time again the killings of black and brown youth, witnessed the separation of immigrant families, and the mass murders caused by nativist xenophobic white rage. Teachers in schools across our country need to be better prepared to engage in critical race dialogues and need to understand their location in the larger educational system so to contest, rather than reproduce, racism. This study is based on the premise that teachers are not adequately learning about structural oppression that impact the experience of school children and are not trained in the art …