Education Commons^™

Race, Dis/Ability, And The Potential Of The Co-Taught Classroom: Exploring Co-Teachers' Interruptions Of Inequity, Mallory A. Locke

Theses and Dissertations

Although the co-taught classroom is the fastest-growing inclusion model in U.S. public schools, an increasingly-diverse student population coupled with the continued overrepresentation of students of color in special education threatens to undermine its potential as an inclusive space that ensures success for all students. This multiphase, critical qualitative study explored how three pairs of co-teachers navigated race and dis/ability within co-taught classroom spaces serving students with multiple, intersecting identities. Informed by Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), Critical Race Spatial Analysis, and the DisCrit Classroom Ecology framework, this study sought to examine how co-teachers’ own educational histories and beliefs about race …

Teacher Knowledge, Perceptions, And Language Orientations Towards Oral Language Instruction In A Dual Language Classroom, Lucy A. Montalvo

Theses and Dissertations

Dual language (DL) schools provide literacy in students’ native languages; however, it is unknown if there is a focus on oral language (OL) development, an essential component for emergent bilinguals’(EB) literacy development. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study is to understand what DL teachers in Virginia know about OL instruction when providing literacy instruction to EB students. This study also explored DL teachers’ perceptions and language orientations towards OL instruction in a DL classroom. The Holistic Biliteracy Framework by Escamilla et al. (2014) provided a research-based pedagogical model to compare teachers’ knowledge on OL instruction. The Language Orientation Framework …

Investigating Recommended Language Instruction Of Complex Literary Texts: A Content Analysis Of Close Reading Lesson Plans For Elementary Grades, Michelle Flory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Expectations have been placed upon elementary teachers from the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts to guide students through close readings of informational and literary texts. This content analysis examined online close reading lesson plans to determine common objectives in elementary close reading lessons using literary text and to delineate which aspects of language are recommended for close reading instruction. Lessons for primary and intermediate grade levels were stratified and highlighted which instructional moves and student tasks are recommended for making complex language in texts more comprehensible. Key findings indicate a lack of alignment in lesson planning between …

Linguistic And Cultural Diversity: Examining Support For English Language Learners In Canada Through Multiliteracies And Sociocultural Theories For Teaching And Learning, Rasha Qaisi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores and analyzes the use of multiliteracies, multimodalities, and sociocultural perspectives as pedagogical practices for the teaching and learning of secondary school students and adult learners for literacy and second language acquisition. This qualitative, comparative case study research questions the impact of the theory of multiliteracies and the use of multimodalities and technology has on student experiences across the curriculum and language acquisition with English language learners (ELLs). More specifically, this research study investigates the implementation of multiliteracies, multimodalities, and sociocultural theories of education in language acquisition classrooms, the use of technology in the classroom, and the role …

The Implementation And Impact Of The Leveled Literacy Intervention System On Middle School Students In Special Education, Krystin Mccormick Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to determine the effects of a direct, individualized, and intensive reading intervention on middle school students with identified learning disabilities in the area of reading. The Leveled Literacy Intervention System was used as the reading intervention in this study. Oral reading fluency and reading comprehension skills were measured, as well as the student participants’ attitude toward reading. Data collection methods included LLI system assessments, district level benchmark reading assessments, and student questionnaires. The teacher-researcher analyzed the data and determined the 18-week LLI intervention had positive impacts on the student participants’ oral …

Exploring The Experiences And Effectiveness Of Student Loan Entrance Counseling, Manoj Thekkadathu Oommen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student loan debt is one of the most pressing issues in the United States today. The rate of student loan debt in the United States continues to rise year after year, and the country is experiencing a crisis of increased student loan debt. A program that started with a budget of $15 million in 1965 to expand access to higher education has increased exponentially to over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt today. Students are ushered into the college experience often without possessing a firm grasp of basic financial literacy skills. Federal legislation mandates borrowers to take a 30-minute counseling …

Impact Of An Emergent Reading Skills Intervention On Letter Recognition And Phoneme Identification In Pre-Kindergarten Children, Laura K. Simmons

LSU Master's Theses

Research in the field of early literacy has demonstrated that letter recognition and phoneme identification are two necessary components of emergent reading skills (Casbergue & Strickland, 2016). Emergent literacy refers to the reading and writing skills that young children develop prior to learning traditional literacy skills and has been linked to increased literacy achievement (Justice & Pullen, 2003). This study focused solely on emergent reading skills. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a targeted multi-sensory intervention on the emergent reading skills of letter recognition and phoneme identification using a multiple baseline design (Kazdin, 2011). …

Exploring Teacher Agency And Literacy Practices In A Border-Region Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Monica Sifuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers in the 21st century public school classroom are often faced with systemic pressures—from the state and district level—that may influence their instructional practice. With the increasingly globalized country and exponential increase in emergent bilingual students, it has become imperative that teachers reflect on the types of literacy pedagogy employed with their students, especially those teaching in border regions. Teachers must begin to view themselves as agents of change and as facilitators of learning.

This case study takes place in two high school settings that are in the same district and are located roughly 10 minutes from the US Mexico …

Using Creative Writing And Literacy To Dismantle The School To Prison Pipeline, Tyler N. Gross

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this research was to elevate the voices of minoritized girls of color (those with intersecting identities such as being Black, Brown and/or gender nonconforming, and/or having a disability) through creative writing and literacy, by engaging them in a process of inquiry that allowed them to creatively express themselves and to share their experiences within the school-to-prison pipeline. Using creative writing and a curriculum that the researcher created, the young women participating in various activities that helped them share their experiences and allowed them to think about countering the narrative about young girls of color and with …

A Pulse On Language Equity In First-Grade Urban Classrooms, Deborah N. Kuether

Theses and Dissertations

Students of color are the majority in many U.S. urban public schools, yet U.S. education policy and practice continue to be centered largely on White, middle-class, monocultural, and monolingual norms of educational achievement (Alim & Paris, 2017). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn more about the teacher decision-making process and the extent to which first-grade mainstream teachers include culturally and linguistically sustaining practices during literacy instruction. Evidence using the foundations of the critically conscious teacher framework (Joseph & Evans, 2018) and of the role of language and culture as a medium in teaching and learning (de Jong …

The Effects Of Great Leaps Reading On The Reading Fluency Of Elementary Students With Reading And Behavioral Deficits., Gwendolyn Shultz Ashley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of one reading fluency intervention presented in digital form. It begins as an overview of the academic challenges faced by students classified as emotional behavioral disorder in our P-12 schools, due to challenges accessing the curriculum. Children that also have reading fluency deficits have an even more difficult time accessing grade level curriculum. Several theories of education are presented, with a focus on instructivist theory. Instructivist theory focuses on such methodology as Applied Behavior Analysis, which includes Discreet Trial Training and direct instruction.Repeated reading is included. All of these are components of Great Leaps for …

A Curriculum Creation For Revolutionary Change: Using Diverse Mentor Text To Teach Literary Elements Through A Social Justice Lens, Sara Barkley

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to present a literacy curriculum designed specifically for fifth grade students. The curriculum utilizes Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (1995) and Learning for Justice (2018) social justice standards and domains, in order to provide best practices for all students to achieve academic success, celebrate diversity, and take action against injustices in the world. The following question framed the literature research that was conducted to develop this curriculum: How can we create a literacy based curriculum through a social justice lens that utilizes diverse children’s mentor text in order to create equitable school experiences? The question was …

The Impact Of Prioritization Of Independent Reading On Male, Struggling Adolescent Readers’ Engagement, Motivation, And Achievement, Meagan Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

To become better readers, students must read more and more, increasing the volume, complexity, and variety of books chosen. While independent reading is the best avenue by which to do this, many teachers still struggle to devote their limited instructional time to independent reading. Specifically addressing the context of my school, there was a clear distinction in gender and reading: boys were falling behind, less engaged, less motivated to read than girls. This research aimed to address the gender gap in reading by making independent reading a priority in the classroom. As a case study, five male eighth graders were …

Adaptation Of The Brockton High School Literacy Initiative To Elementary Schools In Jackson County, West Virginia, Sonya Jane White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Implementing organizational change related to student achievement is a daunting task that requires buy-in, planning and support structures to ensure fidelity of implementation in the classroom over many years. Brockton High School’s Literacy Model demonstrated such a change is possible and sustainable. Elementary schools in Jackson County, West Virginia were given a mandate from their superintendent to implement the Brockton High School Literacy Model in the kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms in their schools. The immediate concern was how to successfully modify or adapt a high school model to be appropriate for students who were still learning to read and …

Avoiding "Oh My God" Experiences: How White Female Developmental Literacy Instructors (Dis)Engage Race In Their Instructional Decision Making, Alison Michelle Douglas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the instructional decision making of White female community college developmental literacy instructors in order to better understand pedagogical practices that impact educational inequities for Black male students in developmental literacy classes. Historically, the U.S education system has underserved Black male students, and college success rates demonstrate that educational inequities persist for Black male students today. Although much research has focused on educational inequities for Black male students in K-12 and university environments, little research has focused those inequities for Black male students in community colleges. In addition, although research that explores Black male experiences in educational settings …