Education Commons^™

Increasing Support And Collective Teacher Efficacy Of Part-Time English-Language Instructors In A Japanese University, Philip J. Gurney

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) seeks to enhance the support and collective teacher efficacy of part-time English-language instructors in the Department of English Language and Culture (DELC) at Kei University (KU) (pseudonyms), a private university in the Kansai region of Japan. Currently, part-time and foreign part-time English-language instructors teach most of the compulsory English courses in the DELC at KU, but they receive limited institutional support and guidance, which negatively affects their ability to teach effectively and their students' learning outcomes. This OIP examines the lack of support and collective teacher efficacy of part-time instructors as a problem of practice …

Reaching New Heights: A Pathway To Pedagogical Equity For English Language Learners, Helen Emeny

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

During the past decade, classrooms in the province of Alberta, Canada, have become more culturally and linguistically diverse. Despite having a strong desire to meet the academic needs of their students, most teachers do not have a well-developed understanding of pedagogy specific to teaching English as an additional language. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents educators in the Central School District of Alberta (a pseudonym) with a pedagogical framework that promotes the development of more equitable and democratic classrooms for English language learners (ELLs). Sociotransformative constructivism (STC)—a union of social constructivism and critical cross-cultural education—lays the theoretical groundwork for …

School Leaders’ Supports Of Dual Language Science Teachers, Monica E. Manning, Casey Graham Brown

School Leadership Review

English learners account for 21.7% of the Texas public school system (Texas Education Agency, 2022). This qualitative study was conducted to examine how teachers of English learners in a dual language program perceived the educational supports they received affected student achievement in science. Teacher participants were asked about their experiences with administrative supports and how those supports affected their teaching and student performance. Two administrators were also interviewed for the study.

The teacher participants identified administrative supports they perceived to be beneficial to student learning and to the functioning of the EL program and science classroom. The administrative supports identified …

Breaking Barriers: A Blended Mosaic Model Of Inclusion For English Language Learners, Najwa Zebian

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) presents a holistic, authentic, and proactive inclusion plan for English language learners (ELLs) at Graus Secondary School (GSS). It is framed around a problem of practice (PoP) that emerged due to an influx of newcomers to Ontario in 2016. This OIP proposes a solution to the inevitable exclusion that ELLs experience, builds on existing initiatives and offers additional support to administrators and school staff that maximizes authentic inclusion in the reception and inclusion of incoming ELLs. This solution, the author’s blended mosaic model of inclusion (BMMI), transforms the view of diversity from a fixed mosaic …

Neoliberal Reading Interventions And Student Needs, Mahbuba Hammad

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This article discusses reading programs within the context of Neoliberalism and the extent to which they address student needs. The rise of such reading programs in the market economy has come at the expense of placing the burden of reading development solely on the shoulders of students after restricting their academic and personal growth. The article explores how this has been done without any consideration regarding the needs of ethnically and culturally diverse students; and without taking into account the relationship between poverty and educational outcomes. Without a doubt, this has affected the ability of students to think critically about …

Challenges With Academic Achievement For Esl Students At The Elementary Level From A Teacher’S Perspective, Julie Xu

All Theses And Dissertations

English language learners (ELLs) are currently one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. As growth of the ELL population has surpassed predictions over the years, there a great need to adequately train teachers to effectively serve these students. This pilot study sought to understand the challenges with academic achievement for ESL students at the elementary level from a teacher’s perspective. This case study research was conducted to answer four research questions: 1) What current challenges do teachers have with serving ELLs? How are they currently addressing these challenges? 2) What (if any) current instructional strategies are currently …

Parent Involvement In Contested Times: A Brief Analysis Of The Effects Of Anti-Immigrant Policies On Latinx Immigrant Parent Involvement, Maria Isabel Morales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement.

This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 …

In The Middle: An Examination Of The Factors That Contribute To Overage Middle School Students, Delma Martinez

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

According tothe U.S.Census Bureau (2014), the popuation of overage students is at almost 16%. According to Gerwetz (2005), this population of students have a high probability o f dropping out of school. Because of this, job prospects and career opportunities can be bleak for these students; therefore, school districts should review current practices and policy to find ways to better support overage middle school students. This study interviewed 17 middle school educators to examine the contributing factors along with best practices to address this educational dilemma. This study utilized semi-structured interviews of middle school teachers in an urban district.

Creating Inclusive Learning Communities For Ell Students: Transforming School Principals' Perspectives, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams, Trish Morita-Mullaney

Kathryn Brooks

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our considerations of broader systemic challenges that impact the success of ELLs in our schools. This article shares the dialogues that school administrators are having about ELL students and discusses the use of social justice and equity focused professional learning communities as a way to transform this discourse to address the broader …

English Language Learners In Title I Programs In New Mexico Public Schools, Gabriel C. Baca

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and subsequent reauthorizations require the United States Department of Education to distribute funding to states that ultimately goes to local school districts for the purpose of improving the academic achievement of disadvantaged students, including English Language Learners (ELLs). In New Mexico, 64% of public school students participate in Title I programs, and 16% of all New Mexico students are ELLs. However, no studies to date have explored how New Mexico public school districts are implementing Title I with respect to English Language Learners. Therefore, …

A Quantitative Comparison Of The Reading Achievement Of English Learners In Dual Language And Transitional Bilingual Programs, Shajaira P. Lopez

Dissertations

One of the goals of bilingual education research is to identify programs that have shown to be effective in increasing the English proficiency of English learners (ELs). The purpose of this archival comparative study was to conduct a quantitative comparison of the English reading achievement of third grade ELs enrolled in dual language education (DLE) programs to those enrolled in transitional bilingual education (TBE) programs in order to determine which program is more effective in improving the reading proficiency of third grade ELs in the Chicago Public Schools. The data analyzed in this study were the 2010-2014 reading scores on …

A Meta-Analysis Of Research-Based Reading Interventions With English Language Learners, Maritza Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Response to Intervention (RTI) model, introduced as part of the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2004, is a proactive process of early interventions and evidence-based instruction for all students. RTI has additional intensive and individualized interventions to prevent student underachievement, including students at risk for academic failure and culturally and linguistically diverse students (Vellutino et al., 1996; Donovan & Cross, 2002; Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Vellutino, Scanlon, Small, & Fanuele, 2006; Al Otaiba et al., 2009). Klingner and Edwards (2006) suggest that the needs of culturally and linguistically …

The Nature And Function Of Professional Support Networks For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Betsy Lynn Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The English learner (EL) population in the United States continues to grow. To improve their pedagogy in working with this population, many educators have received training in English as a Second Language (ESL), but the gap between ELs and their native English speaking peers persists. When teachers engage as members of professional support networks, they are more likely to successfully implement the strategies learned in their ESL professional development (Echevarria, Richards-Tutor, Chinn, & Ratleff, 2011). This study considered the nature and function of the professional support network of a district's ESL-endorsed teachers. Using network theory methods, 257 teachers and other …

A Case Study To Determine Characteristics For A Successful, Diverse School District, Tanya J. Vest

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a rapidly changing society, education must make adjustments and keep learning focused on the needs of students by providing increased opportunities for success. Classrooms are filled with students of different cultural backgrounds which makes education a challenge to every building leader and teacher. The challenges are how to design instruction and implement it to meet the academic and Social needs of all learners. Understanding different lifestyles, languages, word context, body language, traditions, and dress present opportunities for educators to expand their cultural knowledge and create learning objectives for students which ultimately affect student achievement in the educational environment.

The …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students' Standardized English Literacy Achievement And Language Redesignation Status: A Multiple Regression Analysis, Matthew R. Weyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation stated that by 2014 all students would reach proficiency in all subjects. However, this has not been the case as NCLB has had mixed effects for culturally and linguistically diverse students (CLDs) (Hopkins, Thompson, Linquanti, Hakuta, & August, 2013). Language redesignation policies, often termed reclassification, can be considered a significant contributor as the variation in policies and practices alone has led to significantly different achievement for CLDs across the country (Hill, Weston, & Hayes, 2014; Mahoney & MacSwan, 2005) and has created an expansive achievement gap with their non-CLD White counterparts (Reardon, …

Factors That Contribute To Hispanic English Language Learners' High Academic Performance In High School Science In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas: A Multicase Study, Antonio Elizondo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to identify, discover, uncover, examine, and document factors that contribute to Hispanic English Language Learners’ (ELL) high academic performance in high school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Participants were high school seniors enrolled in college-level classes who had scored commended on the science exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and ranked toward the top of their class. One science teacher and school administrator from the respective schools also participated in this study. One student from each of four different high schools in south Texas was selected to participate. School officials …

Creating Inclusive Learning Communities For Ell Students: Transforming School Principals' Perspectives, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams, Trish Morita-Mullaney

Susan Adams

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our considerations of broader systemic challenges that impact the success of ELLs in our schools. This article shares the dialogues that school administrators are having about ELL students and discusses the use of social justice and equity focused professional learning communities as a way to transform this discourse to address the broader …

School Principals' Perceptions Of Bilingual Education And Their Relation To English Language Learners' 8th Grade Reading Performance On Staar, Imelda Mares

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research examined school principals’ perceptions of bilingual education to determine whether perceptions were a function of gender, age, years of experience, level of academic knowledge of bilingual education, and language discourse or bilingualism. Moreover, this study explored whether principals’ perceptions of bilingual education were related to English language learners’ 8th grade reading performance as measured by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Thirty-one middle and high school principals in five school districts from south Texas and one district from southeast Texas responded to an electronic survey that solicited demographic information, perceptions of bilingual education, and academic …

Selected Factors Related To The Mathematics Academic Achievement Of Eighth Grade English Language Learners, Anthony Garza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to examine selected factors related to the 8th grade mathematics achievement levels of English Language Learner (ELL) students in selected South Texas middle schools. The dependent variable, ELL mathematics achievement, was measured by the ELL student’s raw score on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) or the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness linguistically accommodated test (STAAR L). The factors examined in this study were 1) parent’s educational background, 2) socioeconomic status, 3) parental involvement status at school, 4) number of people in the household, 5) family structure, 6) primary …

Action Research As A Self-Improvement Tool In Efl, Mustafa Turkyilmaz

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

In this paper, action research method will be examined from the students’ perspectives. Action research projects help the students to gain self-control of their learning experiences. Although action research projects are more common on higher academic levels such as graduate studies, researches show that such projects are easily adaptable in prep schools or any foreign language learning environment. Ensuring the autonomy of the students to control and manage a project, an action research project is a reliable method for EFL teachers. It also gives students a chance to individualize their learning experiences.

Esl Program Models And Court Cases: An Overview For Administrators, Chris Jochum

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The demographic of our country’s public school students is very diverse and continues to change. By 2020, African American, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American groups will account for more than 40 percent of the U.S. population and this percentage is expected to increase to 50 percent by the year 2040 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). Currently, 46 percent of all schools in the United States have English Language Learners (ELL) or English as Second Language (ESL) students (National Center for Educational Statistics). Furthermore, Hispanics now make up the largest minority group in the United States and it’s estimated that by …

Kazakhstan English-Major Students: Motivation To Learn English And Academic Achievement, Aizat Nurshatayeva

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The marked increase in the amount of research on foreign language learning motivation in the last 30 years is due to the widespread recognition of the vital importance of motivation to language learning achievement (Chambers 1999; Dörnyei 2001; Ushioda 2006). The complexity of motivation as such adds to the variety and range of research most of which is heavily influenced by the socio-educational model of second language acquisition formulated by Gardner (1985). His distinction between integrative orientation (when a learner wishes to communicate with people from the target culture) and instrumental orientation (when a learner wishes to learn the language …

Challenges Of Oral English In English As A Second Language (Esl) Learning In Nigeria, Olufunso Fasanmi

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Second language learning has continued to pose learning challenges to English as a Second Language Learner (ESL) learners in Nigeria. Many scholars have carried out various research works on the problems of language learning and have come out with various recommendations, but in spite of these efforts, the problems of learning to use a second language have persisted. As it is, many of the teachers of English are non – native speakers and secondly, the language is being learnt and used far away from its natural environment. Elugbe (2000) observes that non native speakers are not likely to have expertise …

Literary Creativity In Second Language English: A Speech Act Study Of Ola Rotimi’S Ovonrawmen Nogbaisi, M.J. Oloko

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Language remains the most formidable tool that writers use for literary creativity. It is the vehicle through which literature delights and instructs. The most important gift God gave human beings over and above other creatures he created is the power of language (Ezeigbo 2008). Language is indispensable to the creative artists, to literary critics, who must have a facility for words. Words are no doubt a powerful tool in the literary arsenal of the writer. In the hands of a writer, words can do a lot of things. Writers are creative people who create with words. It is no longer …

The Role Of Staff Development In School-Based Management, Hon Yau, Alison Cheng

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Today’s frontier is knowledge. Brain has taken precedence over brawn; our physical struggle for existence has been replaced by intellectual struggle, and knowledge of words has become the most valuable tool for this struggle. Words are the very cornerstone of any language. With a good vocabulary, which indicates scope of knowledge, we can grasp the thoughts of others and be able to communicate our own thoughts to them. As Stahl (1999) argued, discussion of words is discussion of knowledge of the world, and knowledge of the world is knowledge of who we are and where we stand in the world. …

Assessment Practices In English Language At The Nigerian Secondary School Level: A Psycholinguistic Issue, Oluwole Akinbode, Anthony Dairo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The major purposes to which the results of assessment could be put were diagnosis, evaluation, guidance, grading prediction, and selection. In Nigeria, it is unfortunate that the results of many examinations have been used almost exclusively for grading and promotion exercises and inevitably there has been a neglect of diagnosis, guidance and evaluation although considerable informal use of assessment for these purposes are made by teachers in the classroom.

Developing Positive Self Concept And Self-Esteem As Panacea For Industrial Development And Harmony In A Work-Race, Hassan Modupe

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

In today’s society, teachers must use a variety of strategies to reach all students when teaching mathematics. Classrooms today have many diverse learners, and teachers must be equipped to teach special education students, English Language Learners (ELL), and those served in inclusive classes. In order to reach the many needs of students today, teachers must be prepared with creative and research-based lessons and activities that will match the learning styles of all students. Teachers must be able to use teaching styles that adapt to students’ multiple intelligences. In order to teach to the diverse learning styles, teachers must get to …

Creating Inclusive Learning Communities For Ell Students: Transforming School Principals' Perspectives, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams, Trish Morita-Mullaney

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our considerations of broader systemic challenges that impact the success of ELLs in our schools. This article shares the dialogues that school administrators are having about ELL students and discusses the use of social justice and equity focused professional learning communities as a way to transform this discourse to address the broader …

Impact Of The Media On The Senior Secondary School Students Performance In Speech Work In English Language, G.O. Oyinloye, I.O. Adeleye

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Most Nigerian students learn English Language as a second Language (L2).They have acquired their mother tongues (L1) and are very proficient in them before entering the school. In most cases, many secondary school students do not have the opportunity to use English language at home. For such students, English Language learning and use is restricted to the classroom. Therefore, these students use their mother tongue more in the school environment, at home and for interpersonal relationships. These practices are negatively affecting the production of some sounds in English Language, which is the language of education, government, commerce and international communication.

Promoting Effective Home-School Connections For The English Language Learner, Meredith Gibbons

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

It was a typical day as a reading specialist in Mrs. Kyle’s second grade classroom. It was an energetic classroom of twenty-four students in a small school situated just outside of an urban school district. As Mrs. Kyle instructed the rest of the group, I sat with a small group of remedial reading students in the back of the room. It wasn’t uncommon for a large percentage of English Language Learners (ELL) to be referred to the reading specialist, and subsequently, qualify for reading support services. These students typically received a considerable number of additional services, including reading, ELL instruction, …