Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Grit Among Hispanic Undergraduates At A South Texas Hispanic-Serving Institution, Lorraine Pedroza

Theses and Dissertations

Although an increasing number of Latinx students are enrolling in higher education, only a small percentage graduate from two and four-year universities compared to their counterparts. This study explored the relationship between demographic variables and grit scores among undergraduate students. Grit, defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals (Duckworth, 2009), has gained significant attention in education research due to its association with academic success and performance. This study utilized a quantitative research design to compare grit scores between junior and senior undergraduate students. A total of 166 participants were included in the analysis, with 69 respondents classified as …

“Overcoming Is Everything”: Testimonios From Latina School Leaders Navigating Eurocentric Curriculum, Martha Elena Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to unveil how school leaders, particularly school principals, navigate Eurocentric curricular structures in the implementation of bilingual programming. This is a relevant study given the widespread issues and concerns circulating around the achievement of English Learners, recent immigrants, and the politicized arena of testing and accountability. The research question that guided this study was: 1) How do school leaders navigate Eurocentric curricular structures in efforts to implement EL programming? In order to build background knowledge and layout the framework for this study, critical race theory, LatCrit, testimonio and eurocentrism had to be explored with …

Spanish Heritage Speakers’ Processing Of Lexical Stress, Ramsés Ortín

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the status of lexical stress in the processing system of heritage speakers of Spanish and whether or not it is influenced by their experience with English. Participants completed an ABX matching task with auditory stimuli differing in the location of stress or in one consonantal sound. Findings reveal that heritage speakers are more accurate in consonant-based trials than in stress-based ones, but only when matching stimuli were non-adjacent, which suggests that their stress-processing strategies pattern more closely with those of native English speakers. Furthermore, dominance and knowledge of Spanish appear to be associated with increased phonological sensibility …

The 2022 Symposium On Dementia And Brain Aging In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Highlights On Research, Diagnosis, Care, And Impact, Raj N. Kalaria, Gladys Maestre, Simin Mahinrad, Daisy Acosta, Rufus Akinyemi, Suvarna Alladi, Ricardo F. Allegri, Faheem Arshad, David Oluwasayo Babalola, Noe Garza

School of Medicine Publications

Two of every three persons living with dementia reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected increase in global dementia rates is expected to affect LMICs disproportionately. However, the majority of global dementia care costs occur in high-income countries (HICs), with dementia research predominantly focusing on HICs. This imbalance necessitates LMIC-focused research to ensure that characterization of dementia accurately reflects the involvement and specificities of diverse populations. Development of effective preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for dementia in LMICs requires targeted, personalized, and harmonized efforts. Our article represents timely discussions at the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging …

A Cultural Communication Perspective On Hispanic Students’ College Experiences, Yanrong (Yvonne) Chang

Communication Faculty Publications

Guided by the theoretical assumption that college life is a culturally situated, symbolic process of interaction between students and various others, this qualitative study attempts to explore how minority students’ home culture, which is different from the dominant college culture, helps them make sense of their college experiences. The respondent interviewing method was used to obtain Hispanic students’ responses to questions that allow them to share their experiences, which were centered around student-professor interactions. A total of 112 Hispanic college students from a comprehensive university in South Texas participated in the study. Results confirmed the significance of examining minority students’ …

Imperialism Unawareness: The Case Of Citizenship Construction Among Mexican Transnational Students, David Martinez-Prieto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This study analyzes the impact that U.S. curricula have on Mexican transnational returnees. Specifically, this article focuses on the ideological development of the army and imperialism promoted in U.S. schools among Mexican populations. Using a framework that combines critical literacies, transnationalism, and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and doxa, this study draws on data from 24 interviews to Mexican transnational returnee students (n = 4), Mexican national professors (n = 4), and Mexican national students (n = 4) during their concurrence in a program of English language teaching in central Mexico. Findings suggest that, before returning to …

“I Want To Say The Right Thing”: Developing Translingual Literacy Practices Through Early Care Educator And University Researcher Partnerships, Angie Zapata, Mary Adu-Gyamfi, Adrianna González Ybarra

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

An early care educator (ECE) and university collaborative model of teacher learning offers a distinct departure from common top-down models of professional development. Implementing a Social Design-Based Experiment, ECE and university partners collaborate to explore translingual picturebooks to address curricular inequities in their school settings. Featuring the experience of one white, middle-class ECE (Tamara) in a Midwest rural suburban school, we identify three critical components of this ECE and university researcher collaborative inquiry model: role of ECE as mentors and supporters, picturebooks as tools, and role of university partners as facilitators. Tamara’s experience highlights the critical components of the model, …

Cultural Norms And The Expression Of Affection In Nigerian Yoruba Families, Tolulope G. Banjo

Theses and Dissertations

Affectionate behaviors have biological and physiological implications for humans. Affectionate communication encompasses behaviors that convey affection to the senders and receivers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of culture and cultural traditions in the expression of affectionate behaviors among members of the Nigerian Yoruba family. Two focus groups were conducted in which participants (18-39 years of age) identified the affectionate behaviors they use in their families. Participants also shared how they perceived their culture playing a role in their affectionate communication. The findings revealed 18 categories of affectionate behaviors used by Nigerian Yoruba …

A Phenomenological Study Of Latina Poets As Leaders At Higher Education Institutions, Rodney Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

This interpretive phenomenological study addresses the underrepresentation of Latinas in higher education leadership roles by focusing on the lived experiences of Latina poets who have served as higher education leaders. Data, collected through semi-structured participant interviews and participant writing samples, was analyzed through a standard method of thematic analysis. Latin American and U.S. theories of decoloniality and Yosso’s community cultural capital guided interpretation of participant experiences. Five themes emerged from the analysis: border negation, foundational values, othered leadership, importance of community, and writing as necessity. Discussion of participation experiences suggests that ways that poetry and creative writing can be used …

An Investigation Into The Enoughness Mindset, Ai Nhan Thi Ngo

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of enoughness was an old but forgotten concept in human history. This research reintroduced the concept to our contemporary culture as a means to deal with consumers' endless desires by exploring the enoughness concept. Contemporarily suppressed under the development of modern capitalism, an extensive mythological trace of the enoughness concept showed its existence through more than 25 centuries across cultures with four key components: reining in desires, knowing contentment, knowing when to stop, and consideration of harmony. Building upon theories of desires, this research positioned enoughness as a means to help tame consumers' endless desires that can be …

A Descriptive Exploration Of Selected Employment Barriers And Supports For Individuals With Visual Impairments In Bangladesh, Mohammed Mozadded Hossen

Theses and Dissertations

Employment is crucial for individuals with disabilities, including those with visual impairments, as it facilitates financial independence, promotes social inclusion, enhances the quality of life, and enables the utilization of valuable job-related skills. However, some barriers obstruct opportunities for employment for individuals with visual impairments, which affect different areas of their lives. This dissertation investigated the employment barriers, supports, and outcomes for individuals with visual impairments in Bangladesh, with an aim to understanding the factors that impacted employment outcomes for individuals with visual impairment, including access to education and training, availability of employment supports …

Exploring Equity In Biliteracy Development In A Two-Way Dual Language Program, Dalila Ochoa

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study aimed to better understand how biliteracy is conveyed to native English speakers in order for them to acquire a second language, Spanish in a two-way dual language program. The study uses the theoretical framework of Jose Medina’s C6 Biliteracy Framework (2019) and research from Kathy Escamilla (2014). The research questions that guided this study were: (1) What type of instructional methods are the bilingual certified teachers utilizing to support Spanish development for native English students in a two-way dual language program? (2) How are bilingual teachers tracking the progress …

The Perspectives Of Using Desmos For Students’ Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency To Solve Linear Equations, Larmel Dimatulac Madrilejos

Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the perspectives of using the Desmos calculator of Algebra I students' conceptual understanding and procedural fluency to write, graph, and solve linear equations in Algebra I STAAR. While the students have continuously used technology for mathematics assessment, emergent bilingual students in South Texas still need help passing high-stakes testing. The framework of the study is grounded in the theory of mathematical education (knowledge of mathematics educators to teach), the theory of mathematical learning (understanding how students learn mathematics), and social constructivism. The study seeks ways to teach all students, mainly the minority, to learn …

Exploring Chicana Preservice Teachers’ Conscientizing Processes: Introducing An Array Of Criticalities In An Elementary Social Studies Methods Course, Raul Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing that our preservice teachers are experiencing a euro-centered teacher preparation curriculum, this study aimed to explore Chicana preservice teachers' interactions with an array of criticalities focused on a bioregional context that highlighted critical and resistant resources.

Chapter 1 surveyed the literature on growing critically conscious teachers of color and posed the following research questions: How do critical place-based pedagogies impact Chicana preservice teachers’ experiences in a social studies methods course? How do Chicana preservice teachers respond to a broad array of criticalities? How do the critical and democratic pedagogies experienced in the social studies methods …

Ecologies Of Teaching With Bilingual Students: Connecting Identity, Agency, And Assessment In First-Year Writing Class, Sumantha Nikole Zapata

Theses and Dissertations

As many students who graduate from high school transition into applying for college or university, they are not aware of the drastic changes that come with it. For bilingual students, this transition can be much more challenging due to their language barrier and the lack of support they may receive. The intersection of demographics, pedagogy, and linguistic agency led to the research question for this study: how can pedagogies in first-year writing classes be adjusted or developed to justly educate and assess bilingual students who are still working toward competence in English? The history of bilingual education …

Exploring Graph Neural Networks In Reinforcement Learning: A Comparative Study On Architectures For Locomotion Tasks, Gaukhar Nurbek

Theses and Dissertations

Deep Reinforcement learning (DRL) has gained importance in optimizing control policies, while Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) offer a robust approach for modeling complex relationships within systems represented as graphs. This thesis investigates the integration of DRL and GNNs to optimize control policies for robotic tasks, with a focus on locomotion. It compares static and dynamic GNN architectures for control policy predictions, revealing their strengths and limitations in adapting to locomotion predictions. The study assesses the impact of model structure complexity on GNNs' predictive capabilities, showcasing how intricate model structure can maximize GNNs' potential in capturing spatial and relational dependencies when …

Developing Hispanic Pre-Service Elementary Bilingual Teachers’ Cultural Competence And Teacher Identity Through Mixed Reality Simulation, Yajaira A. Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the constant migration of diverse populations, multicultural communities are developing across North America. As a result, multi-culturally diverse classrooms are multiplying (Allen et al., 2017). Our pre-service teachers must be multi-culturally prepared to enter diverse classrooms and effectively teach students without implicit bias (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Banks, 2010; Paris, 2017). Pre-service teachers' identity and cultural competence should be prioritized in teacher preparation programs. Using Latino/a Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), Practice-Based Learning, and Teacher Identity as conceptual frameworks, this study will answer how Mixed Reality Simulation (MRS) may be used as a teacher preparation tool (Aguilar & Flores, 2022) to …

A Historical Analysis Of Bilingual Program Implementation, Jessica Gonzalez Perez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to uncover opportunities for reimagining the dual language program. Furthermore, it aims to provide valuable insights to district leaders contemplating initiating such programs. Through an examination of the program's inception and subsequent evolution, the research will offer a comprehensive understanding of its background and development. Integral to this exploration are district leaders' and campus administrators' perspectives and viewpoints directly involved in implementing the program. Their insights will shed light on the program's journey and inform potential improvements or adaptations. Ultimately, this study endeavors to serve as a roadmap for district leaders navigating the …

“Va A Cambiar” - Identifying And Rejecting Border Patrol Pedagogies In A Dual Language Classroom, Melissa Adams Corral, Gladys Krause, Luz A. Maldonado Rodríguez

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

In this paper we identify, name, and operationalize six borders typically found in school settings that include dual language classrooms: bordered languages, knowledge, content areas, bodies, selves, and teachers. We identify these borders as a point of departure to show an example of how a two-way dual language classroom operated through a form of border-crossing pedagogy that respects children and reveals authentic multilingual learning. We use this example to propose that, if dual language classrooms are to truly respect racially and linguistically marginalized students, educators must engage in a practice of protest and refusal toward curricular and social violence.

Review Of World History Volume 1: To 1500, Erica Buchberger

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

Building Equitable Mental Health Care For Latino Children: Perspectives From Providers And Communities, Francisco Banda, Greeshma James, Karina Vasudeva, Michelle Franklin, Andrea Thoumi, Rushina Cholera

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: The current pediatric mental health crisis has disproportionately impacted Latino youth in the United States (US), as demonstrated by their elevated risks of depression, substance use disorder, and anxiety. Despite this, research suggests Latino youth receive inequitable mental health services.

Objective: To understand best practices, challenges, and priorities in providing accessible and equitable mental health care for Latino youth from the perspectives of front-line mental health providers and Latino community members.

Methods: A bicultural, bilingual researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants with expertise in Latino mental health. Topics included barriers and facilitators to mental health care access and …

[Nlw] National Library Week 2024 @ Utrgv Library, Raquel Estrada, William Flores, Gabrielle Hernandez

Library Display Posters

Posters showcasing UTRGV library services, open access resources, and published OER books by UTRGV faculty.

Key Library Resources: Resources With Spanish Content, Raquel Estrada, William Flores

Library Display Posters

Collection of resources that contain spanish content. Also included are local collections found in ScholarWorks that contain spanish-only resources.

Positioning As A Mediator Of Reader Self-Efficacy: A Case Study Of Literature Circles, Elena M. Venegas

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Literature circles are a socially supportive context in which students can cultivate their reader identities. This is especially promising for students with lower reader self-efficacies. This qualitative multiple case study explored the positioning practices of four Grades 5–6 students with comparatively low reader self-efficacy. In literature circles, the students responded to interactive positioning (i.e., positioning by others) and/or engaged in reflexive positioning (i.e., positioned themselves). Upon interpreting the data through positioning theory, two storylines emerged. In the first storyline, students reflexively positioned themselves in literature circles as strategic, engaged readers, thereby challenging initially lower reader self-efficacies. Yet the second storyline …

Toward A Pedagogy Of Linguistic Justice Through Empathy In Owi, Marcela Hebbard, Janine Morris, Catrina Mitchum

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This article argues that in the teaching of writing online, incidents of linguistic discrimination can be (in)directly caused by faculty unfamiliarity with online teaching best practices, lack of critical linguistic awareness, and the prevalent legacy of racist and monolingual ideologies. To address this issue, it is necessary to cultivate empathy as a bridge between instructors and students. This article calls for the interconnectedness of empathy and linguistic justice in online writing courses as tools to create more equitable and inclusive environments for all students. The article uses data from a longitudinal, cross-institutional study to apply an empathetic, linguistically just approach …

Developing Community-Based Sociolinguistic Corpora To Promote Social Justice, Ryan M. Bessett, Katherine Christoffersen, Ana M. Carvalho, Isabella Calafate, Mayte Vega Mudy

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This chapter explores the many components that are involved in creating a student-based sociolinguistic corpus. Sociolinguistic corpora can be used as tools for social justice in that they promote local (or often stigmatized) varieties of language and students who speak said varieties often experience heightened language pride or greater esteem for their own language. Using the Corpus del Español en el Sur de Arizona (Carvalho 2012-) and the Corpus Bilingüe del Valle (Christoffersen and Bessett 2019-) as models, this chapter first details how to build the corpus, including the documents needed, the interview protocol, the transcription protocol, and the creation …

The Rider (2024-03-25), Natalie Lapsley

The Rider Archives

Vol.9 No.24

A Science Teacher’S Experiences When Fostering Intercultural Competence Among Students In Multilingual Classrooms: A Narrative Study, Uma Ganesan, Amanda R. Morales

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Increased globalization of the world economy, growth in human migration, and rapid devel-opments in science and technology have required people to develop intercultural commu-nication skills. Teachers play a crucial role in developing intercultural competence among students in our globalized, multilingual classrooms. The need for fostering collaborative discourse among students with diverse cultural and linguistic repertoires and building in-tercultural competence among students is a common blind spot in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teacher praxis. This can inhibit efforts to cultivate safe and supportive learning environments for all students and can ultimately threaten multilingual student success. As part of a larger …

A Socio-Ecological Approach To A Community-Based Health Promotion Intervention On The U.S.-Mexico Border: Insights And Lessons Learned During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yok-Fong Paat, Elizabeth Camacho, Sarah L. Ruiz, Diego Garcia Tovar, Guillermina Gina Núñez-Mchiri, Maria O. Duarte-Gardea, Guadalupe Corral, Sandra Oviedo Ramirez, Christine Markham, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The Healthy Families Healthy Kids Initiative (HFHKI) is a community-based initiative developed based on the socio-ecological model to address preventive health care needs in El Paso County, Texas, one of the most economically and health-challenged border communities in the United States. HFHKI’s three main goals are to increase access to experiential learning and health education, service delivery, and sustainable systems/linkages of care. These were accomplished through seven critical activities. We present the rationale, background, setting, and conceptual framework for the initiative, followed by the methods used to develop and assess the success of the activities and results of our project …

Community-Engaged Pedagogy For Equitable Hsi Teacher Preparation: Bridging Community, School, And University Cultures, Pauli Badenhorst, Sandra I. Musanti, Veronica L. Estrada, Patricia Robles, Amy Montoya

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Drawing on interview data collected as part of a qualitative study among thirty-two local educators and community advocates in the borderlands context of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV), we inquire about the fundamental characteristics of being a community-engaged teacher for sustainable and equitable Latinx student teaching and learning. The ultimate purpose is to collectively develop a model of community-engaged pedagogy that will bridge school and university cultures. Based on our findings, a community-engaged teacher preparation approach should prioritize that teacher candidates can establish rapport and relationship with students and their families; grapple with the contradictions entrenched in a prevalent …