Digital Commons Network^™

Chinese Immersion Cultural Teaching And The Use Of Authentic Materials, Li Cheng

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As Chinese language and culture education gains prominence in global contexts, the fusion of language acquisition with cultural competence becomes a central pursuit. Through a comprehensive exploration of theoretical underpinnings and practical applications, this study elucidates the significance of authentic materials as catalysts for cultural engagement within Chinese immersion programs. This paper delves into the dynamic landscape of Chinese Immersion Cultural Teaching by examining the pivotal role of authentic materials in enhancing students' cultural understanding. The resource developed consists of a ten-day lesson plan designed according to the Chinese New Year: Students will first learn the text and new words, …

Tying Community Science And Social Justice Together In An Urban Biology Class To Foster Environmental Responsibility, Sarah Graham

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research shows that students who are involved in projects within their communities feel more sense of belonging and connection to their space. This is also true when discussing environmental justice. Students who have been historically marginalized can feel more comfort within navigating science. The unit plan designed for this project addressed the research question: How can community science and social justice be tied together in an urban biology classroom to foster environmental responsibility? The unit plan combined the knowledge of community science which focuses on sense of place with social justice within science or critical pedagogy in order to support …

Dancing Science: Using Dance And Movement As Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies To Increase Motivation, Interest, And Understanding In Middle School Science Classes, Ellis Johnston

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many classrooms are characterized by students sitting in desks. However, research in embodied cognition shows us that the mind is best activated when the body is moving and interacting with the world. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on bringing dance and movement to an eighth grade physical science class in order to increase their motivation, interest, and understanding. Historically, dance and movement have been used as educational methods in many non-white cultures. More recently, incorporating dance into classrooms has been linked to increased executive function in students of color in at-risk and urban schools. Dancing provides students who …

Creating An Engaging And Ecocritical Project Based Curriculum For High School Environmental Science, Hannah Stewart

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question that inspired this curriculum project was: How can educators create an engaging and ecocritical project based curriculum for high school environmental science? This curriculum utilizes a project based learning framework, based on A Framework for High Quality Project Based Learning, in order to create an engaging curriculum for students in a high school environmental science class. Additionally, this curriculum incorporates themes of critical ecology. Critical ecology is a way of studying the environment that asks us to consider how our perceptions and attitudes toward the environment can perpetuate the environmental and social injustices we are facing in …

Folktale Friends: An After School Club Curriculum For Building Community And Cultural Competency, Abby Marta

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Folktale Friends is an after school club curriculum developed in response to the research question, how can global folktale studies be utilized to build cultural competence in the elementary setting? The curriculum and club Folktale Friends for students in grades two through four will help build safe, inclusive spaces where students can identify their own world-view, connect with others, and respectfully navigate cultural differences. Folktale Friends is designed using Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design framework (2005). Backwards design of Folktale Friends includes nine weeks of lessons, student materials, and lesson slides, recommended paired texts, and clear rubric for assessment. …

Teaching Mathematics To All Learners By Tapping Into Indigenous Legends: A Pathway Towards Inclusive Education, Nahid Golafshani

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored the use of Indigenous storytelling in the planning and teaching of mathematical content. In collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, a culturally inclusive mathematical lesson was developed, implemented, and reviewed in an elementary school in Northern Ontario. This study used a culturally authentic approach to address the current educational issue of diversity within the Ontario curriculum and education system. The results of this study suggested that utilizing Indigenous storytelling for teaching mathematical curricular expectations could benefit both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Storytelling can allow students to relate abstract mathematical concepts to their own lived experiences, to be …

Music Literacy And Worship Theology For Volunteer Choir And Worship Teams, Timothy Ray Marsden

Masters Theses

When building a worship team and a worship-leading choir, worship pastors seek gifted volunteers within their congregations to add to the numbers of their groups. Assessing team members' music literacy and theology of worship often comes later in the process, if at all. This project aims to determine the essentials of music literacy for a volunteer choir or worship team member. It will create a curriculum for developing those skills further through weekly rehearsals. The project will also seek to define a theology of worship for the First United Methodist Church of Red Oak, Iowa, and a plan to study …

Curriculum, Instruction, And Leadership As A Practice Of Reflexivity In World Language Education: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Jerry L. Parker

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This article presents the findings of a systemic review of research published by Robert C. Lafayette. Lafayette was a French teacher and teacher educator who worked to revolutionize the teaching of world languages through his articles, books, textbooks, grants, conference presentations, and other scholarly work. To uncover the value of his work in today’s language schooling, this study examined 17 of his articles and book chapters. Using content analysis methodology, the findings of this study concluded that his work contributed mainly to our understanding of curriculum, instruction, and leadership in world language education. His scholarship also provides world language teachers, …

High School Curriculum Outline And Unit Plan For Unit 3: Researching And Referencing For The Comparative Study, Kendra Bomar

Theses

Before beginning the International Baccalaureate Art program, most high school students will have already spent a significant amount of time studying a variety of art genres and will have a solid understanding of art terminology and methods. This is because the program is designed to build upon prior knowledge and experience. This is true for the majority of schools that participate in the IB program. It is common practice for educational institutions that provide tough programs to insist that students complete prerequisite coursework before they are allowed to enroll in the challenging programs that the institution provides. This is done …

The Effects Of A Science Of Reading Professional Development Plan On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Content Knowledge And Self-Efficacy In Instruction: A Mixed-Methods Study, Mary K. Schaefer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a year-long professional development plan designed to support K-3 teachers in two elementary schools in making shifts to align instructional practices with the science of reading. This mixed methods approach incorporated an action research design to answer the following research questions: What was the relationship between teachers’ understanding of the foundational skills of reading and teachers’ confidence in teaching the foundational skills of reading? What impact does strategic and ongoing PD in the science of reading have on teachers’ practice? What are teachers’ perceptions of year-long professional development in …

Does Sph Curricula Promote ‘Health Equity’, Reproduce Injustice, Or Both?, Jesse Yarnold

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Does SPH Curricula Promote ‘Health Equity’, Reproduce Injustice, or both?

The social justice movements of recent years (preceded by [generations of] insurmountable suffering) have facilitated a collective recognition of the systemic effects of racism and epistemic violence. Despite the ambitious and well-intentioned vision of “health equity” as defined by epidemiologic scholarship - progress is slow and injustices prevail.

Students, scholars, and researchers of ‘Public Health’ are uniquely positioned to imagine and create innovative ways of understanding and addressing the harmful inequities and injustices perpetuated by white settler colonialism. I argue that Academic institutions delivering Public Health education are uniquely positioned …

The Beam In Our Own Eyes: Antiracism And Ya Literature Through A Catholic Lens, Katie Sutton, Abigail D. Grafmeyer, Dan Reynolds

Journal of Catholic Education

As Catholic schools serve an increasingly racially diverse population of students, they must grapple with the critical requirement to address these students’ unique needs while heeding the call from modern Catholic Church leaders to engage in explicit antiracist action. Using the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework (HRL), this article equips Catholic high school English language arts (ELA) teachers with practical and powerful ways to create antiracist curriculum. To do this effectively, we place antiracist Young Adult (YA) literature (both fiction and nonfiction) in conversation with Catholic canonical texts and modern voices from Catholic clergy members. By connecting with students’ complex identities …

How Can Culturally-Responsive Instruction Help Middle And High School Teachers Address Muslim Students' Needs?, Mona Aly

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explores how middle and high school teachers can create positive relationships with Muslim students by using culturally responsive instruction. Educators must understand that Muslim students have unique cultural identities based on their religious beliefs. Regardless of nationality, language, skin color, or cultural background, all Muslims are bound by these Islamic cultural practices. These practices directly impact students’ academic progress, social life, and self-esteem. By familiarizing themselves with these cultural and religious practices, teachers can better relate to Muslim students and address their social and academic needs. I seek answers to this research question by discussing four main …

Teaching English In Earth And Space Science: Content-Based Curriculum Development For Secondary Multilingual Learners, Laura Gislason

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The number of English language learners in public schools continues to increase in Minnesota. Multilingual high school students having a WIDA English language proficiency level below three tend to experience a greater number of academic challenges and experience lower graduation rates. In order to combat these challenges, many high schools provide sheltered content classes co-taught by licensed content and EL teachers. While these courses help students succeed in mastering content standards, English language development is often relegated to incidental acquisition as a bi-product of the learning process. This capstone uses the connections model of content based instruction to answer the …

Creating A Culturally Inclusive American Literature Classroom, Holly R. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what curricular and pedagogical changes connect with diverse high school students in an American literature course. Using a participatory action research approach, I collected qualitative data through interviews, observation, and narratives from a student focus group and myself. Data collection spanned an 18-week semester and involved students of varying racial and cultural backgrounds who identified as male, female, and nonbinary. The 12 focus group members were 11th-grade students at a public high school near Charlotte, North Carolina. The results signified that to increase student agency, teachers should offer diverse texts, pieces written …

Inclusion Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity (Sogi) Cultural Competence In Higher Education Healthcare Programs: A Scoping Review, Kristin Willey, Jennifer K. Fortuna, Jessica Guerra, Amanda Gross, Samantha Turner, Tara Grant, Betsy Williams

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Lack of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) cultural competence in healthcare providers contributes to poor health outcomes in individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+). However, SOGI is often overlooked in healthcare education. Existing research shows educational programs in the nursing, medical, and pharmacy professions are incorporating cultural competence training into the curricula. Few studies have explored how SOGI cultural competence is incorporated into occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) curricula. Clear guidelines for training on SOGI cultural competence are lacking in these professions. It is …

Creating Safe Spaces: Diverse Instructional Materials For World Language Learners, Lucian Rothe, Chiann Karen Tsui, Paul A. Garcia, Michael B. Mccloskey

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Stereotypical notions and depictions of the German language, its speakers, and cultural practices are more persistent in instructional materials, language program advertisements, and people’s minds than one might presume (Bryant et al., 2019; Chavez, 2020a, 2020b; Rothe, 2022). Overcoming such misconceptions requires educators to reconsider curricula and promotional efforts so that they reflect the diverse lived experiences of German speakers and learners (Criser & Malakaj, 2020). To diversify German curricula in the United States, the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) established a task force in 2020, Creating Safe Spaces (CSS). Its members have developed instructional materials focusing on …

The Perceptions Of Year 5 And 6 Students, Their Teachers And The School Principal Of Their Australian Identity And The School's Role In Developing Students' Australian Identity., Renae Nahajski

Theses

The aim of this qualitative research was to investigate the perceptions of Year 5 and 6 students, their teachers and the school principal of their Australian identity and the school’s role in the development of Australian identity. The study explores participants’ perceptions of their own identity and investigates where and when students feel they are taught about Australian identity.

The research also investigates where and when the principal and teachers feel the school develops students’ Australian identity. The review of the literature highlighted three areas that formed the conceptual framework for the study. The three areas were national identity; curriculum; …

A Colorblind Approach To Silencing African American Voices Through The Banning Of Critical Race Theory, Mia J. Freeman

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis focused on addressing the framing of criticisms of Toni Morrison's Beloved in the state of Virginia through the context of African American Criticism and Critical Race Theory. The methodology undertaken addresses the central research question, How might African American Criticism and Critical Race Theory provide a theoretical framework for responding to recent criticisms about Beloved? The researcher approached Beloved by historicizing select passages from the novel and situating those passages and the realities they reflect in the context of criticisms waged by parents and politicians. The thesis also explained how tenets of African American Criticism and Critical Race …

Esp In Nursing: Building Communicative Competence For Internationally-Educated Nurses, Sami Vuong

Master's Projects and Capstones

The nursing shortage in the United States has been an ongoing issue due to nursing burnout and retirement. Together with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has further exhausted the healthcare system’s resources and healthcare providers. In order to sustain the healthcare system in society, a large number of internationally educated nurses (IENs) have been transferred to work in the United States. As a result of different nursing practices, cultures, and communication styles, many IENs experience language and cultural barriers at work. Difficulty in communication influences the quality of patient care provided, which can lead to negative health outcomes for patients and …

Literate Change Agents Working In Oral Communities: Navigating Paradigm Shifts, Regina Marie Manley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This research documents the experience of 12 local leaders implementing an oral curriculum over 13 months in Karnataka, India. These leaders were Change Agents interested in influencing a community with new information. They created audio materials referred to as “content” in their group’s mother tongue: In a Kannada-Telegu mix for the Madiga group (a Scheduled Caste); in Vaagri Booli for the Hakkipikki group (a Scheduled Tribe); and in Kannada for the Kannadiga group. The first two languages are unwritten. The Kannada language is the official language of Karnataka state. The oral curriculum followed the Spoken Worldwide® model. Each team of …

Teachers' Perspectives On Decolonizing U.S. Curriculum For Latinx Through Ethnic Studies Programs At The Middle And High School Levels, Richard Varela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the implementation of an ethnic studies program with an emphasis on Mexican American Studies at the middle and high school level, in a district located along the Mexican/U.S. frontera. Ethnic Studies are a critical, interdisciplinary academic field of study that acknowledges that race, and racism are embedded in every U.S. system, especially our educational institution. As a critical pedagogy, ethnic studies validate and encourages the voices and viewpoints of the marginalized, while analyzing and criticizing dominant influences that promote â??normalizingâ?? of racialized inequality (de los Rios, 2013). At the center of ethnic …

Decolonial Discourses And Practices: Geopolitical Contexts, Intellectual Genealogies, And Situated Pedagogies, Jairo I. Fúnez-Flores, Ana Carolina Díaz Beltrán, James Jupp

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Although decolonial thought from Latin America and the Caribbean is a multifaceted field of research and sociopolitical praxis, it is often interpreted monolithically. To refuse this tendency, we argue that it is imperative to trace decolonial theory’s intellectual genealogies and engage in transgressive decolonial hermeneutics to re-interpret texts (theories) according to their living socio-historical and geopolitical contexts. Following Stuart Hall’s lead, we first sketch out the geopolitical and sociocultural exigencies that allow for theoretical movements to unfold, paying more attention to the geopolitical implications of thinking “from” Latin America and the Caribbean. Second, we address the ethical imperative of thinking …

Exploring The Purdue Teacher Education Program: Focus On Diversity, Equity, And Social Justice, Julia Pirrello

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

During this time of heightened awareness of social injustices via Black Lives Matter protests, the #MeToo movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that teacher preparation curriculum includes attention to knowledge and skills related to social justice issues in education. Th e purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which social justice, diversity, and equity are addressed in the foundational courses of the Purdue Teacher Education Program (PTEP). McDonald (2005) proposed a framework in which social justice is integrated across all experiences (e.g., courses, activities, clinical placements) in a teacher education program. In an …

Review Of The Australian Core Skills Framework And Digital Literacy Skills Framework And Relevant Assessment Tools. Final Report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, Jana Scomazzon

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This is the final report of a project commissioned in 2020 by the then Department of Education, Skills and Employment to review the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF) and tools available to support assessment using these frameworks. The review explored the development and history of the ACSF and DLSF, their use and application in the Australian context and examined features of selected international adult skills frameworks and curriculum. Through this desktop research and range of consultation activities with stakeholders, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has investigated current use of the ACSF and …

Responding To A Call To Action For Health Equity Curriculum Development In Pediatric Graduate Medical Education: Design, Implementation And Early Results Of Leaders In Health Equity (Lhe)., Raquel G. Hernandez, Darcy A. Thompson, John Cowden

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Introduction: Recent calls to action have urged graduate medical education leaders to develop health equity-focused curricula (HEFC) to redouble efforts to promote pediatric HE and address racism. Despite this call, examples of HEFC for pediatric residents are lacking. Such curricula could catalyze educational innovations to address training gaps.

Objective: To describe the design, content, and delivery of "Leaders in Health Equity (LHE)," an innovative HEFC delivered to categorical pediatric residents using multi-modal, service-free retreats.

Methods: This single institution, longitudinal curriculum study occurred between 2014 and 2020 and reports multi-level outcomes including: (1) impact on trainee's health equity related knowledge, skills …

Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Adult immigrant English learners (ELs) must navigate living in a new country while also learning a new language. These immigrants are becoming both multicultural and multilingual. It has been established in prior literature that as immigrants adjust to living in a new culture with a different language, they experience both a language (Wardhaugh & Fuller, 2015) and cultural (Gibson, 2001, as cited in Schwartz, 2006, p. 2) shift. These shifts can sometimes result in immigrants losing connection to their first languages (Zhang, 2010) or their home cultures Gu and Lai (2019). Self-reflection activities have been shown to allow individuals to …

Campus Assembly Minutes 09/27&29/2022, Campus Assembly

Campus Assembly

No abstract provided.

The ‘Ezel Project’ Inquiry: Mesotransformative Praxis To Decenter Whiteness In Racialized Organizations And Schools, Justin Gerald

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, a Black scholar in the midst of understanding his neurodivergence and his identity as someone who has been dis/abled reacts to the prodding of white peers by creating a course on decentering whiteness. The scholar then interviews ten of the participants in said class to understand how they came to select such a course and what they might have accomplished in attempting to challenge the structure of whiteness in their institutions. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, Critical Whiteness Studies, Dis/Crit, and in particular the work of Victor Ray, this work seeks to examine the narratives that brought …

Effect Of Vertical Alignment On Elementary, Middle, And High School Music Programs, Tamekia Denise Holliday

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of vertical alignment on elementary, middle, and high school music programs. Thirty-five (n = 35) elementary, middle, and secondary music educators participated in the study. Of the 35 participants, 41% (n = 15) were high school music educators, 25% (n = 9) were middle school music educators, 27% (n = 10) were middle and high school music, and 2% (n = 1) taught elementary, middle, and high school. Analysis of survey data revealed significant relationships related to vertical alignment. The most significant relationship was between vertical alignment and retention (r = .643, p < .01), suggesting that student retention increases as vertical alignment increases. As well, results indicated that as vertical alignment decreases, the number of students “who wish to continue in music classes but cannot” increase (r = -.530, p < .01). Analysis of open-ended survey questions revealed valuable themes related to consistent band participation, music teacher expectations, and the effect of vertical alignment on music programs. Applying the results of this study may improve understanding of the effects of vertical alignment and enhance effective teaching and learning in music.