Education Commons^™

When You Look Into The Mirror And See Nothing: Psychic Disequilibrium And Its Relationship With Impostor Phenomenon In Hmong Women Leaders In The United States, Mai Nhia Xiong-Chan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Xiong-Chan, M. (2023). When You Look into the Mirror and See Nothing: Psychic Disequilibrium and its relationship with Impostor Phenomenon in Hmong Women Leaders in the United States.

Hmong have made considerable educational and socio-economic strides in the United States, post immigration after the Vietnam War. This has been achieved through significant challenges such as language, culture, discrimination, poverty and racism. This phenomenological study focuses specifically on Hmong women leaders in the United States and, through qualitative research, examines how psychic disequilibrium and impostor phenomenon have impacted their journeys. Using thematic analysis this study focused on the following research questions: …

Food Justice And Urban Agriculture: Using City Spaces To Foster Equity, Jessica Giese

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In an increasingly urban society, urban agriculture creates opportunities to address inequalities in access to healthy foods and bridge gaps in our food systems. While solving the problems of food and environmental injustice demands large-scale changes at a systemic level, urban agriculture can promote community engagement, education, and sovereignty, empowering city residents to gain control over their resources and access to nutritious foods. This research seeks to explain how two very different urban agricultural projects are impacting their communities through access, engagement, and education. Intersections Food Forest is a neighborhood project that utilizes an empty city lot to cultivate perennial …

Critical Race Theory: Measuring Anti-Black Sentiment In South Korean English Education, Kenya Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This research study examines how anti-Black sentiment influences Black teachers’ experiences in South Korea, using the critical race theory (CRT) framework to analyze various forms of anti-Black sentiment (ABS) and explore correlations between major tenets of CRT and types of ABS. Previous research has concluded that Black teachers continue to face overt racism in South Korea. Also, there continues to be a lack of empathy or disinterest in discussing racism in Korea. Unfortunately, the amount of research that focuses on the experiences of Black teachers teaching English in East Asia, primarily South Korea, is scarce. This study will add to …

Yo Soy Mi Idioma: Latinx Bilinguals’ Journeys To Two-Way Immersion Education, José Becerra-Cárdenas

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how the lived experiences of Latinx bilingual teachers influenced their path toward two-way immersion (TWI) programs and informed the development of their beliefs about education. This research was designed as a qualitative multiple case study, with triangulated data points including surveys, dialogues, and journals. The results were analyzed using pattern matching and cross-case analysis. Underpinned by Critical Race Theory (CRT), both LatCrit and Counter-Storytelling were utilized to add dimension to the Latinx experience, which not only takes into consideration experiences of migration, immigration status, language, and ethnic identities, but also rejects the notion that there is a …

The Case For Culturally Affirming Systems Of Education: Exploring How Professional Development Impacts Culturally Relevant And Critical Literacy Teaching Practices, Carey Seeley Dzierzak

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This case study based on a qualitative paradigm utilized grounded theory to analyze teacher interviews, focus groups and elite interviews focused on culturally relevant and critical literacy practices. This case study focuses on a small group of teachers and facilitators in a large urban school district in Minnesota. This dissertation focused on the impact of culturally relevant and critical literacy professional development on teachers' mindsets and practices. The theoretical concepts that emerged from this case study are the importance of culturally affirming systems. The data collected from this project support the need for creating culturally affirming classrooms, diverse literature, and …

Mitigating Climate Change: Understanding How Teachers Integrate Social Justice Themes In Environmental Education, Gregory Simons,

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is an increasingly severe global issue with devastating repercussions for marginalized, poor, and vulnerable people. As a result, environmental education has evolved over the years to build upon outdoor nature study and ecological concepts to incorporate fundamental principles of social and environmental justices while addressing climate change. This qualitative research study employed both an online survey and semi-structured interviews to address two research questions grounded in the environmental justice movement to determine how social justice intersects with pressing global issues commonly found in environmental science curriculum. First, how do environmental science educators integrate social justice themes in their …

Need Not Apply: A Systematic Literature Review Re-Evaluating English Prestige And Its Retribution On Foreign English Language Leaders And Their Learners’ Identity, Jessica Ibarra-Gambrill

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This comprehensive literature review aims to progress the dialogue on the influence of English prestige in the ESL field related to hiring practices, pedagogical practices, and consideration for how it impacts learner success. Traditional interpretations of cultural capital from Bourdieuean theory form a deficit view of Communities of Color with an extension to immigrant families and those for whom English is not the first language. Further to that, Bourdieu's concept of linguistic capital measures against the knowledge of the ability to speak the official language. The English language has served as a gatekeeper worldwide as the demand for English language …

Trauma, Trust, And Academic Achievement Stories Shared By High School Dropouts, Vicci Una Johnson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study is based on interviews with twelve adults who dropped out of high school before earning their diploma. Participants were asked several semi-structured open-ended questions. The Primary research question is: How do adults earning their high school diploma describe what stopped them from graduating on time? The participants shared stories of family trauma. The Secondary research question is: Who did you trust in your family or at school to ask for advice or help with any issue? Nine of the twelve participants responded they would not trust a parent, teacher, counselor, or school social worker to advise …

What Are The Doorways And Barriers To Enrollment In College Preparatory Courses For Students Who Are Black, Hispanic, And American Indian?, Alicia Moore

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Upper level honors, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment courses in high schools reflect different racial demographics from mainstream on-level courses. The research question addressed in this study examined the doorways and barriers to enrollment in college preparatory courses for students who are black, Hispanic and American Indian. A mixed method approach was used to determine the precise racial disparity and an understanding of why the disparity exists. A quantitative analysis measured racial disparities in enrollment data for honors, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment core courses in a large suburban high school. White and Asian students were over-represented in college preparatory …

African American Parent Perspectives On School Segregation And Integration, Beatrice Rendon

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone thesis explores the question: What are African American parent perspectives on segregation and integration in a large urban district in the Midwest? I review the literature on Critical Race Theory, counterstorytelling as a narrative research approach, historical factors leading to re-segregation in American schools, African American family engagement paradigms, African American families and school choice, and the effects of segregation on students. My narrative research approach centers the voices of four African American women who tell the stories of their school experiences as students and parents of Black children in the same urban district. While each parent had …

Feeding Inequity, Erin Lange

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is no law that requires Minnesota public schools serve meals during the school day. For some students, particularly those who qualify for free or reduced meals, attending a school that does not offer food service risks negatively impacting both their health and learning. This study surveyed 127 participants to find out what legislators, educators, and community members know about Minnesota’s laws related to school meals and what those respondents believe regarding whether legislation should be created to ensure public schools serve meals to students. Survey results found that many Minnesotans were not aware of the current school lunch …

The Effects Of Using Morphemic Analysis On Comprehension Of Unknown Academic Vocabulary, Jon Avery

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast amount of research on morphemes and literacy, examination of how morphemic analysis affects secondary language learners is limited. Morphemic analysis is the process of using common Latin and Greek prefixes, roots and suffixes to hypothesize the meaning of unknown vocabulary. The primary purpose of the research is to determine how morphemic analysis affects English learners ability to determine the meaning of unknown academic vocabulary in their high school advanced placement geography class. The secondary purpose of the study is to provide secondary teachers a tool to do something about the vocabulary gap they observe between native speakers …

How Can An Intermediate Elementary Educator Use Critical Literacy To Promote Social Justice Through Book Clubs?, Grace Shields Mevissen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research is to better understand, “How can an intermediate elementary educator use critical literacy to promote social justice through book clubs?” The author researched and defined social justice, critical literacy and book clubs. After, the author administered a pre assessment, helped facilitate book clubs and a post assessment. The action research was conducted in a suburban school that is mainly comprised of white students. Two groups, having selected the same text, were chosen as a focus group. The author notes and highlights themes across all seven of the students’ experiences throughout the unit. The author …

American Indian Ethnic Studies: A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Approach To Teaching An American Indian Ethnic Studies Unit, Bryan K. Deiman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic studies courses are designed to tell the stories of ethnic groups who have historically been marginalized in all or many aspects of society in the United States. The purpose of this study was to create a unit for an ethnic studies high school course centered on the American Indian experience. Adhering to the theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy, or culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, the unit for this course was designed to decentralize whiteness and focus solely on the American Indian perspective. This unit was created with a strong emphasis on community outreach, seeking input on content for lessons …

What Are Teacher Perceptions Of An Equity Committee?, Isabel Rowles

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study takes a constructionist approach to answer the research question: What are teacher perceptions of an equity committee? This research study was done using a combination of direct observation, field notes, a survey and interviews. The data from these instruments was analyzed by broadly identifying three common themes that emerged through each data collection method. Limitations, implications and recommendations are made for future research.

World History Lesson Module Design: Promoting Civic Responsibility Through Engagement, Relevancy, And Global Understanding, Jacalyn R. Polloway

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

A goal with this capstone was to create a classroom that advocates civic responsibility through the use of understanding, engagement, application, compassion, and skills to succeed in the future. If lessons are geared around critical thinking, engagement, and creativity while in a world history class that also reminds students of empathy and relevancy to their lives, then students may begin to think about civic responsibility and social justice not only throughout history but also in their lives. Whether it’s the topic of warfare, genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis, discrimination, or other societally relevant topic, teachers need to inspire strategies to …

Student Reactions To Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Designed To Build Trust And Mutual Respect, Karrah O’Daniel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In a qualitative study of an inner-city, diverse classroom, this Capstone looks at the question: How do students describe their reaction to culturally relevant pedagogical strategies designed to build engagement, trust, and mutual respect in a culturally diverse classroom managed by their Caucasian teacher? The Capstone shares some personal stories of the researcher and looks at the existing research about the importance of relationship building, particularly within the realms of trust and mutual respect between students and teachers. This particular Capstone focuses deeply through the eyes of race and culture in the classroom, especially examining the realities of lack of …

The Use Of Graphic Organizers When Writing With Dual Identified El And Ld Students, Katherine Corrigan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study will focus on the growth and student attitudes and their perceptions of their own ability regarding argumentative and expository writing tasks, specifically in the area of organization and development for dual identified EL and LD Hispanic, middle school students. This study seeks to answer the following guiding questions: Can a graphic organizer help improve organization and development in an argumentative or expository writing task? and How does the explicit instruction and use of an intentionally designed graphic organizer improve student perception of their own abilities and attitudes towards completing an argumentative or expository writing task? The quantitative data …

Defining The Correlation Between Multicultural Training For Pre-Service Teachers And Their Effectiveness In Implementing A Multicultural Curriculum In The Classroom, Lynne Chung

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

As educators, we must hold each other accountable. It begins with how we are initially trained and the ideas we foster into actions that transcend textbooks and ultimately put into effective lessons. More often times than now, pre-service training reflects the values of the dominant society that may lead to perpetuating the status quo. This study aims to define the correlation between multicultural training for pre-service teachers and their

effectiveness in implementing a multicultural curriculum in the classroom. Through in- depth interviews with five practicing teachers in their first- through third-year of

teaching, the study documents their personal experiences with …

Equity And A Quality Education: Perceptions Of Suburban And Urban High School Graduates, Leanne Kampfe

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study utilized grounded theory analysis through a critical lens and within a qualitative paradigm to research how students define the quality of their education and its connections to equity. The study focused on a small sample of students, all of whom graduated from one suburban and one urban high school in a Midwestern, metropolitan area. Focus groups, elite interviews, and document analysis were all used to collect data. The theoretical concepts that emerged from the data illustrated the negative impact of white supremacy with regard to the achievement of an equitable, quality education by all students. The data …

How Family Advocates Home-Visiting In A Midwestern Urban Area Describe The Impact Of Family Stress On Children’S Learning And Success In School, Virginia Lucio

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Seven Out of School Factors common among the poor that significantly affect the health and learning opportunities of children. In depth interviews were employed to allow six Family Advocates to answer interview questions regarding their experiences in witnessing the the seven factors. Findings suggest that many children possess one or more of the factors which are related to a host of poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological problems that children often bring to school, ranging from neurological damage and attention disorders to excessive absenteeism, linguistic underdevelopment, and oppositional behavior. Implications for future research …

Teacher Sustainability Cultural Wealth Among Suburban Educators Of Color, Verna Wong

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how do teachers of color sustain themselves in a profession that struggles to retain teachers? It utilized bell hooks’s feminist theory to look at the challenges and strengths of teachers through gender, race and class intersections. Because retention is a concern, especially among teachers of color, the ndings describe how teachers utilized cultural wealth to strengthen their capacity to stay in their profession. Tara Yosso (2005) denes cultural wealth as “an array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist macro and micro …

Increasing Capacity And Quality Of Alternative Break Programs: Moving To A Student Led Model, Margot Southwood Howard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was, how does changing a higher education social justice focused alternative break program from staff led to student led affect the capacity and quality of the program? The primary intervention that was employed was through integrating a student led executive board into an alternative break program. The author used an action research approach and studied the program they oversaw professionally. She used a survey, interviews, and program data to examine the result of adding an student led executive board. She found great success in making this transition. There was both an increase in …

Educator Perceptions Of The Disproportionate Experience Of African Americans In Special Education, John Palen Geske

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is, what are educators’ perceptions of the causes of the disproportionate experience of African Americans in special education? In this study, the author examines educators’ beliefs about two existing racial trends in special education. The first is the over-identification of African American students as candidates in need of special education. The second part of the disproportionate experience is that African American students tend to make less growth than their White peers once receiving services. In this research, the author provides a historical synthesis of the extensive record of disproportionality literature. The capstone includes …

Tales For A Teacher’S Toolbox: Stories Of Emergent Bilinguals And Their Funds Of Knowledge, Erika Rae Bakkum

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Through a systematic review of ethnographic studies, this qualitative study collected stories that demonstrate the cultural wealth of emergent bilingual students. The stories collected demonstrate the aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant capitals (Yosso, 2005) as well as the experiential and social and emotional assets (WIDA, 2014) of emergent bilingual students. The narratives documented in this study can be retold as counter narratives that contradict commonly held deficit beliefs regarding emergent bilingual students, their families, and their communities.

Effects Of Incorporating Multiculturalism In A High School Civics Classroom For Increased Student Interest And Engagement, Alison Beatt Ellertson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study is, what are the effects of incorporating multiculturalism in a high school civics classroom for increased student interest and engagement? This action research study was conducted in a ninth grade civics classroom over the course of three weeks and in three separate class periods. There were 85 students included in the research. Students were observed, interviewed and participated in a survey. The research compared a unit that had limited multicultural elements to a unit that fit a multicultural framework and curriculum. Findings suggest that relevancy is key to keeping students interest and introducing …

What Makes An Effective Bullying Prevention Program In Urban Middle Schools?, Diane Louise Durnick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-bullying curriculums and programs available for middle schools to reduce bullying behaviors among students. Research involved identifying what has been proven to reduce bullying behaviors in schools, as well as, what students say best reduces bully behaviors at school. The curriculums were then evaluated against proven best practices, and a whole-school plan was created to apply at an urban middle school incorporating the best strategies to be most effective in reducing bullying behaviors.

Professionals Reflect On The Under Representation Of Visitors Of Color In Wilderness Areas, Jessica Iris Ostrov

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to capture the perspectives of five wilderness area staff as they reflect on the scarcity of visitors of color to their places of employment. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn the viewpoints of the participants. Findings suggest that the racialized history of the United States and the framework of inequity in the formation of park systems encouraged the subsequent development of urban identities that have resulted in cultural traits separating many people of color from all peoples' roots in nature. In addition, contemporary barriers due to the opportunity gap for communities of color create …

Assessing The Impact Of Public Secondary School On The Cultural Identities Of Native American Students, Joseph Vincent Hobot

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which public secondary education has impacted the cultural identities of Native American students who were at one time enrolled therein, or regarding their current perspectives on how the cultural identities of youth within their families currently attending a public secondary school are being impacted. The study began with an autoethnographic submission whereby the researcher’s own experience as both a Native American student and educator was also included as a part of the research. From there, additional data was sought and collected through the use of intensive interviews with subjects …

Critical Literacy For Linguistically Diverse Students, Jennifer Ann King

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is how can a critical literacy unit on exploring identity enable secondary ELLs to find voice and take action? It documents the creation of a twelve lesson unit organized around three target texts and one digital storytelling project. These lessons blend the components of the SIOP Model for effective instruction of English learners (Echevarría, Short, and Vogt, 2013) with activities to promote critical literacy. Additionally, the author documents the relevant research used in the creation of the curriculum along with the successes and challenges of the curriculum development process. In reflecting on the …