Digital Commons Network^™

Benefits Of Co-Constructing Latinx Consciousness Within Schools, Elizabeth Cruz Reyes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Within the Latinx community, there are arguments about identity labels, who can speak better Spanish, who is a better Latinx, and how Latinx culture should be maintained. Latinx consciousness originates from Gloria Anzaldúa’s (1987) concept of mestiza consciousness and the respective work that Gloria Anzaldúa has inspired. Latinx consciousness involves the complex: spiritual, personal, social, political, economic, and historic factors that influence the lives of Latinx students. This senior capstone defines Latinx consciousness and examines the benefits of co-constructing Latinx consciousness. The benefits are framed within the context of education, Latinx attitudes, language use, language loss, and cultural longevity. The …

Learning Local Languages As A Means Of Preserving Culture: An Analysis Of The Federal Education Laws’ Treatment Of Regional Languages In The Basque Country And Colombia, Olivia Jaramillo

Honors Theses

Regional languages are essential components of vibrantly diverse cultures. Across all regions of the globalizing modern world, regional languages remain one of the clearest markers of the rich heritage and history that each continent, country, state, city, town uniquely possesses. Unlike the more dominant languages of our evolving international landscape, local and regional languages explicitly capture precise cultural experiences of limited populations. These languages carry specific nuance, meaning, grammar, and vocabulary obscured by other forms of communication. This project, researching and analyzing two individual countries’ regional language education under the federal legal systems, holds the importance of safeguarding local languages …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation Of Teachers’ Perspectives Towards Integrating Culture Into Chinese-As-Aforeign-Language (Cfl) Curricula And Instruction In American High Schools, Xuan Song

ETD Archive

The importance of integrating culture into foreign language teaching and learning has been acknowledged in the U.S. by the National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project and foreign language professionals. However, it remains challenging for Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language (CFL) teachers to embrace this concept thoroughly and implement it effectively in their CFL classes. The study explores six CFL teachers’ perceptions and experiences towards culture and language integration into their CFL curricula and instruction in American high schools. This study aims to describe the overall landscape of culture-language integration in the CFL discipline in American high schools by revealing the essential knowledge of …

Decolonizing And Diversifying French Curriculum In Twin Cities K-12 Schools, Helen Radovic

French Honors Projects

French classes in United States K-12 schools are still largely Paris-Centric and targeted towards a white/upper-class student demographic. The purpose of this study is to examine K-12 French teacher’s strategies in promoting diversity in their classrooms, and what effect this has on student engagement. Participants include eight K-12 French immersion teachers in the Twin Cities (Minnesota). Results from the study are complex and varied, however, they indicate that use of authentic resources and connection to students’ personal interests and culture are major ways in which the French curriculum can be reshaped to promote diversity and engagement.

The Texas Community-Engagement Research Alliance Against Covid-19 In Disproportionately Affected Communities (Tx Ceal) Consortium, Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Chris Amos, Bettina M. Beech, Robert L. Ferrer, Lorna Mcneill, Jasmine J. Opusunju, Emily Spence, Erika L. Thompson, Luis R. Torres-Hostos, Jamboor K. Vishwanatha

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires urgent implementation of effective community-engaged strategies to enhance education, awareness, and inclusion of underserved communities in prevention, mitigation, and treatment efforts. The Texas Community-Engagement Alliance Consortium was established with support from the United States’ National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct community-engaged projects in selected geographic locations with a high proportion of medically underserved minority groups with a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 disease and hospitalizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of the Consortium. The Consortium organized seven projects with focused activities to address COVID-19 clinical and vaccine trials …

It's Just Who I Am: A Narrative Inquiry Of The Emergence Of Culturally Responsive School Leaders, Bm Towns

ETD Archive

Culturally Responsive School Leadership is one of the most essential elements of the academic and longitudinal success of minoritized students from urban hyper-ghettoized communities. Despite the impact of Culturally Responsive School Leadership, the focus on improving learning has centered teachers instead of their leaders. Upon this realization, this study set out to center the Culturally Responsive School Leader, their context within the landscape of leadership and education, the history of Black Americans, and the frameworks of cultural and social capital as critical to the manner in which Culturally Responsive School Leaders engage with their students, families, communities, and the educational …

Guide To Ms558 John M. Sharp Papers, Erick Balandran

Finding Aids

John McCarty Sharp was a Professor of Language and Linguistics at UTEP where he taught for at least 35 years. His papers date 1910 – 2002 and contain teaching materials, pamphlets, publications, correspondence, class notes, and other items.

A Quality Improvement Project To Examine The Impact Of The Use Of Structured Diabetes Educational Materials For Medical Personnel, Alina Jaffer

DNP Projects

With the immigrant population increasing in the United States, the demand for healthcare providers who can provide culturally appropriate care and intracultural communication has increased. Compared to individuals born in the United States, immigrants with diabetes are less likely to meet the standardized targets for diabetes management, resulting in disparities in diabetes-related complications. The problem is the lack of evidence-based patient education for all people, including immigrants who do not speak English as a first language. The purpose of this project was to assess whether or not language-specific structured diabetes educational material for healthcare personnel use would increase the efficacy …

Bridging Teacher Candidates, School Communities, And The World During A Pandemic, Sarah Jean Baker, Jennice Mccafferty-Wright, A. Minor Baker, Stefanie D. Livers

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

The Covid-19 pandemic caused distance that separated the teacher from the learner as schools and higher education moved to virtual and flexible learning communities. Likewise, at the same time racial tensions were growing further increasing the distance and divide across the country. This positions teacher educators with the responsibility to bridge this distance.

The challenges of preparing educators for activism in a post-Covid educational context that considers cultural literacy, ethical leadership, and community engagement is explored with three narratives. These narratives provide the opportunity to think with and through our commitments in early childhood and elementary teacher education. Collectively, these …

The Barriers To Family Engagement In Educational Settings, Julielys Ortiz-Leger

Community Engagement Student Work

We assume that educators are being professionally trained to handle distinct situations, especially pretraining to families. Most specifically, training on family engagement and ways to engage hard-to-reach families. Family engagement is defined as teachers and parents sharing the responsibility to nurture and help the students learn and meet their unique educational goals. Family engagement encompasses so many different factors and through this research and project, we will be exploring the barriers that families experience when it comes to engaging effectively in educational settings. Educators, administrators, social workers, community leaders, school psychologists, and other education-system-affiliated persons were invited to participate in …

Who Can Teach Us? An Exploration Of The Influences Of Pedagogy On The Disempowerment Of Indigenous Peoples Of Oaxaca, Mexico, Mariaelena G. Steiner

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Persistent poverty coupled with inequality and marginalization continues to broaden the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous populations of Oaxaca, Mexico. Particularly in the field of education, Oaxaca exhibits an insufficient and inadequate pedagogical system. Federal, State, and NGOs educational interventions have been unreliable at best, demonstrating minimal outcomes predominantly in the degree and percentage of engagement that the indigenous of Oaxaca demonstrate at creating and implementing educational alternatives suitable to their local and state needs. The development of an ethnic pedagogical system—with all its propositions of community engagement for the purpose of progress—is critical to poverty exits as demonstrated by …

Dismantling The Dichotomy: Latinx Identity And Assimilation In Early Childhood Education, Rocio J. Olvera

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of children in early childhood education (ECE) are Latinx. Drawing on ethnic identity, culture, and language, this thesis describes the dichotomy between adherences to one’s ethnic identity and assimilation into the dominant societal culture. This paper describes how assimilation harms students and provokes negative implications such as identity loss, confusion, and loss of cultural ties. Dismantling the dichotomy is possible through the power of language, culture, and strengthening teacher-parent relationships.

Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser

Senior Honors Theses

Modern historical instruction requires educators to cover broad expanses of history and prepare students for standardized testing. In the push to meet state standards and cover the vast curriculum in short periods of time, many educators have begun to teach to the textbook. Much to the detriment of students, this educational practice has favored periodization and content quantity over the development of crucial historical skills. Rather than adhering to popular education trends, teachers can consider implementing oral history projects within their elementary and middle school classrooms. Oral history is a methodology that employs first-hand accounts to teach about key historical …

The Importance Of Learning Deaf Culture Through A Black Deaf Perspective In The Field Of Communication Sciences And Disorders, Lindsay Lee

Honors College Theses

As the diversity in the demographics of clinical populations increases in the United States, clinicians must also be accountable for learning the culture of their patients. The Deaf community, specifically individuals who identify with Deaf culture and Black Deaf culture, is a multifaceted, cultural group that has been marginalized within various settings including social, political, and employment settings, including academic and clinical research. This review will examine the historical developments within Deaf History in the United States, the injustices related to Deaf culture, and more specifically Black Deaf culture, and discuss the critical need for Deaf research and tools that …

Rural Teachers’ And School Leaders’ Perceptions Of School Climate And Student Achievement In Math And Reading: A Multiple Case Study, Matthew James Dolegowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of how school climate affects student achievement in math and reading at rural schools. The conceptual framework guiding this study was Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory intertwined with the U.S. Department of Education’s School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) (2019) school climate model to influence student academic achievement. Purposeful criterion sampling was used to select 13 teachers and school leaders from two rural schools in Western New York. Data was collected through a survey, teacher interviews, and school leader interviews. The data was triangulated and analyzed using …

No One Is Ever Going To Acknowledge The Language That You Speak”: A Discourse Historical Approach To The Construction Of English Learners’ Identity In Federal Policy, Nicoleta Hodis

Theses and Dissertations

Using the discourse historical approach (DHA), this thesis examined how actors from diverse educational settings (federal, state, and districts) discursively constructed the identity of the English learners (ELs) during the appropriation of new educational policy (i.e., ESSA of 2015). This study intended to understand how both “human” and “non-human” educational actors (i.e., the texts of the educational policy and the key actors responsible for the appropriation of the ESSA of 2015) construct and position the identity of ELs in relations of power and knowledge and how the macro-policy discourse shapes how policies are interpreted at the meso- and micro-level. …

Trauma-Informed School Programming: A Partnership Approach To Culturally Responsive Behavior Support, Tessa Bellamy, Govind Krishnamoorthy, Kay Ayre, Emily Berger, Tony Machin, Bronwyn Elizabeth Rees

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite significant investments and reforms, First Nations students have poorer educational outcomes than non-indigenous students. Scholars have pointed to the need to improve the cultural competence of teachers and school leaders, revise punitive and exclusionary disciplinary procedures. and promote the use of culturally responsive practices to mitigate the impacts of colonization, transgenerational trauma and ongoing structural inequities on students. The development of such trauma-informed, culturally responsive systems in schools requires educators to respectfully work in partnership with First Nations communities, as well as health and community services supporting First Nations families. This pilot study evaluates the impact of multi-tier trauma-informed …

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Single Parents Who Are Rearing Elementary-Aged Children Enrolled In A Public School In A Rural Community, Jenine Lavonne Cotman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of single parents who are rearing elementary-aged children enrolled in a public school in a rural community. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development was used to guide this study. Vygotsky’s theory focuses on cognitive development being fundamentally framed by social interaction. Vygotsky also believed that cognitive development is strengthened when a child is encouraged to learn within their zone of proximal development, which refers to a person’s current cognitive space that can be further developed with social interaction and help from a teacher, peer, or parent. …

Effectiveness Of Interprofessional Education Modules On Cultural Competency Of Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy Students, Ayse Ozcan Edeer, Nadia Rust

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The United States is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures. Graduate-level teaching methods must prepare students to work with diverse populations and in various contexts. The outcome of instruction should be technically competent and culturally humble health care providers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative interprofessional instruction on cultural competency levels of Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) and Master of Science Occupational Therapy Program (MSOT) students. Methods: This was a pre-posttest quasi experimental study. A total 58 students from the DPT (28) and MSOT (30) programs participated and provided demographic …

The Fence, Lashaundra S. Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Standard American English (SAE) has been seen as superior to African American Vernacular English (AAVE), but both languages can be used interchangeably through the linguistic practice of code-switching. Code-switching pedagogies have been used to more effectively teach elementary students SAE while building on their knowledge of AAVE. Additionally, games have been inserted into the classroom to extend traditional English-language learning, which allows students to embody the language-learning experience in a setting with lower stakes and reduced judgment. Combining code-switching pedagogy with game-based learning, my game The Fence can be used in the classroom and at home to teach children …

Mirrors To The Soul: Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Critical Reflections Of Situating Race, Racism, And Antiracism Within The Literacy Curriculum, Marian Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

Research that engages preservice teachers in critical reflective practices may reveal the level at which they understand and confront their own biases when addressing race within the institutions and societies they interact. This study was conducted to understand the depth in which elementary preservice teachers critically reflect on their own racialized experiences and beliefs and how they situate race within the literacy curriculum through the lens of critical race theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 preservice teachers. Findings indicated that preservice teachers believe antiracist themes should be integrated into literacy. However, due to lack of exposure, limited coursework, and …

'Analogy-Based Comprehensive Diabetes Education' (Abcde) Improves Glycemic Control Of Diabetic Patients In An Underserved Population: Results Of A Retrospective Chart Analysis, Rajagopal V Sekhar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Diabetes is the leading global cause for blindness, kidney failure and amputations. Preventing these complications requires optimal glycemic control, and it is imperative that diabetic patients understand the fundamental concepts of diabetes care. Although patients attend formal diabetes education classes, many do not comprehend basic concepts of diabetes, and are often noncompliant with diet, exercise and medications. A novel approach termed 'analogy-based comprehensive diabetes education' (ABCDE) was developed to educate HIV-patients with diabetes about basic concepts of diabetes care. The object of this manuscript is to report the results of a retrospective chart review on the impact of ABCDE on …

Race, Repair, And Youth Participatory Action Research In One Rural School, Carol Thompson, Felicia Crockett

The Rural Educator

This qualitative study examines the progress of a rural New Jersey school in addressing longstanding racial conflict after implementing a Youth Participatory Action Research project two years prior. Here we take up the thread as students continued to develop activities meant to increase awareness of ongoing issues, and as adults used professional development time to model best practices in managing racialized interactions. Eight teachers and staff not originally involved and nine students who had been directly involved were interviewed and a student focus group conducted. All participants agreed that progress had been made though issues around curriculum and discipline remained. …

Indigenous Mexicans In New York City: Immigrant Integration, Language Use, And Identity Formation, Leslie A. Martino-Velez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As indigenous Mexican immigrants migrate, settle, and raise families in the United States, parents, particularly women, and their children increasingly have contact with community institutions, such as schools. Despite their growing numbers in U.S. schools, indigenous children, youth, and their parents are often invisible due to their ethnolinguistic identities and undocumented status. Understanding what parents do to help their children is essential to understanding the first generation's integration and their children, the second generation.

To better understand this, I conducted an ethnographic research study at a bilingual Head Start program in New York City, in East Harlem, where many undocumented …

Exemplary Practices Which Support Achievement Gaps In Reading And Writing For Hispanic Ell Learners In Title I Twenty-First Century Elementary Schools, Melinda Gonzalez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by public school 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade teachers to support English language learners in Title I public schools.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described 14 teachers' 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade perceptions on effective strategies to support English language learners in reading and writing. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations of an expert panel of experts and data was coded using NVIVO.

Findings: The expert panel members identified multiple strategies to support English language learners. Strategies include (a) Question higher level of …

Teacher Perceptions Of Special Education And Race Disproportionality Within Special Education Classifications, Debra J. Daly

Theses and Dissertations

The lack of involvement of students with disabilities in a regular classroom has remained a major concern in education. Every year, the number of special students escalates. For instance, in the United States, students with disabilities accounted for 13.7% of all students between the ages of three to 21 by 2018 (Kositsky, 2019). According to several reports, it is evident that the lack of inclusion of these students in normal school curricula causes emotional distress, depression, withdrawal from society or suicide in some cases. Every child has the right to access quality education. Institutional leaders know that it is not …

Chapter 15 - Digitization And Equity: Digital Inequities In Education And Strategies To Improve Digital Inclusion, Babu George, Yaprak Dalat-Ward, Elodie Jones

Advanced Education Programs Faculty Publications

COVID-19 exposed a wide range of challenges hidden unnoticed in the promise of digital education. Digital education was once promised as the grand equalizer of access and inclusion in education. However, the massive deployment of digital tools in the educational realm during COVID-19 provided significant counterevidence to this promise. If education is a fundamental right and if digital technologies are the only way to gain access to education, it is important that these technologies be made available to everyone for effective use. However, as COVID-19 would demonstrate to us, this has not been the case. There have been stark and …

Va-T’En Rougarou (Go Away Rougarou), Mackenzie Page

Department of Educational Curriculum and Instruction

The purpose of this story is to introduce children to the idea of documenting Louisiana Folktales. This story is appropriate and aligned to ELA and Social Studies Standards from the Louisiana Believes curriculum and is appropriate for elementary aged students. Va T’en Rougarou or in English translation, Go Away Rougarou, can be used in the classroom to engage students in problem solving situations.

The Dual Role Of A Teacher And Teacher Leader: An Auto-Educational Criticism Examination, Joseph Bolz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world of teaching has long been explored: from works focused on different contents to different grade bands to different techniques and methods to best practices, the literature is dense with materials on the world of teaching. Where this literature has just begun to shed light however is the world teacher leadership. As an educator in a dual role since 2014, that of a teacher and a teacher leader, I have beared witness to what current research has only recently begun to unearth.

It is here that I situate myself, as the researcher of teacher leadership and the subject of …

A Refugee Resource Guide 2022, Kerri Ullucci

Education Faculty Publications

Rhode Island has long hosted refugees from around the world. Schools in RI, particularly those in Providence, currently enroll hundreds of refugee youth. After spending a semester conducting research and teaching in a school that serves refugee youth, it became clear that explicit teacher training about this population rarely occurs. This guide seeks to provide resources in which to address this need.

At Roger Williams University, I teach courses in our Education programs about race, class, and culture. My professional research centers on the same topics. While on sabbatical, I created several documents for the principal I worked with, to …