Education Commons^™

Content And Context: Objective Formation In Fyc Activity Systems, Peter Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

Context is key. We as First Year Composition (FYC) teachers focus on context when teaching the rhetorical situation as a reading and writing tool. Contexts influence the systems we teach within as well as how and why we teach, and determine students’ experiences and perspectives as writers. A required course, FYC acts as a contextual nexus: we help students bridge high school writing to college writing; we assign more generalized essays and research papers to prepare students for more discipline-specific genres in advanced writing courses; and we have activities that (un)intentionally develop “soft skills” in preparation for upper level courses …

Curriculum Adaptations To Teach For Creativity Using A Published Language Arts Curriculum, Barbara T. Prendergast

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to examine a published language arts curriculum, determine how Anna Craft’s possibility thinking framework could be integrated into the curriculum, and then observe how students responded to the implementation of lessons integrating the elements of possibility thinking. The findings revealed that a teacher can use the possibility thinking elements to encourage creativity while still teaching the objectives of a published curriculum. Creativity development can be encouraged by using a variety of supports that build possibility thinking. The data demonstrated a connection between life experiences and the curriculum through possibility thinking. The …

American Indian Culture And Secondary Science Curricula: Examining The Confluence Of Native Epistemologies And U.S. Public Education Science Standards, Molly Anne Wolk

Theses and Dissertations

Innate to the traditional science curricula taught under the auspices of United States public education are a Neoliberal axiology and Eurocentric epistemology (Howard & Kern, 2019) that do not meet the cultural needs of American Indian students (Cobern & Loving, 2001). It is inequitable that American Indian students do not see themselves and their cultures reflected in traditional public school science texts and curricula. At the confluence of often-undifferentiated science curricula and American Indian culture and language, there is a need for a responsiveness that benefits American Indian students. This present study illuminates the research question, “What is revealed about …

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 …

Students' Stories About Internationalization Efforts In Technical Colleges: Transcending Learning Theories And Institutional Supports, Rachel Ann Dobrauc

Theses and Dissertations

Much of the research regarding internationalization practices pertains directly to four-year institutions, but community colleges are also called to prepare students for participation in an increasing collaborate and interconnected global world (Dellow, 2007; Treat & Hagedorn, 2013). The unique mission of technical colleges, in particular, is positioned to provide opportunities for this type of learning. This global learning curriculum gap at the community college level has also not been widely examined from the student perspective.

This research addressed the gaps with regard to two-year technical colleges and student perspective and asks: How do students attending a technical college with an …

Heritage Language Learners Of Arabic In Islamic Schools: Opportunities For Attaining Arabic Language Proficiency, Khuloud Labanieh

Theses and Dissertations

This study highlights the experiences of former high school students in learning and using their Heritage Language (HL) in their homes, communities, and community schools. The study also reveals the major challenges in maintaining and promoting Arabic language proficiency as viewed by the study participants. Eight participants from three different full-time community schools in the Midwest participated in this study. Each participant completed three formal interview sessions and one follow-up interview. The interview data provide unique perspectives of the participants themselves, offering a window into their language input, language behavior, and their sociolinguistic experiences including their language attitudes, ethnic, and …

From Reduction To Empowerment: A Second Look At Access To World Language Education For The African American Student, Alicia Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

College readiness policies dictate the number of credits of world language study a student ought to obtain by the time he / she graduates from high school (Barnes, Slate, & Rojas-LeBouef, 2010). However, traditional schooling practices camouflaged by “neutral” education policies limit African American students’ access to quality curricular and instructional discourses (Apple, 1999; Gillborn, 2014; López, 2003). Limited access to enriching educational goods and resources, world language instruction in particular, causes them to question their self-worth and academic identities, decreases their classroom engagement and motivation to learn, and impacts their secondary and post-secondary learning outcomes (Fernández, 2002; Pringle, Lyons, …

Program Models, Pre-Service Teachers, And Emergent Bilingual Instruction, Hannah R. Meineke

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated by the year 2030, over 40% of the K-12 population in U.S. schools will be children whose first language is not English (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007; Shin & Ortman, 2011). This situation has potential academic consequences for emergent bilingual students (EBS) attending schools without adequate accommodations. The issue of teachers who are underprepared to meet the needs of EBS contributes to the academic consequences absorbed by this K-12 population, and to the social and cultural cycle of oppression for this marginalized group. Thus, integrating knowledge, skills, and dispositions (KSDs) beneficial for meeting the needs of EBS becomes …

Reading Workshop & Formative Assessment: Maximizing Quality Reading Instruction, Katherine Ann Lindner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to closely examine an elementary teacher’s classroom practices in implementing reading workshop, to examine her assessment practices within this model and to see if, when, and how her assessment practices support or enhance constructivist practices within reading workshop. This qualitative case-study, was designed to examine, in depth, the teaching practices of one teacher attempting to implement constructivist teaching and learning practices in literacy instruction (reading in particular) in her classroom. The findings revealed that teachers implementing reading, when coupling that with formative assessment practices, can use those practices to enhance and grow students’ reading …

The Influence Of Transcultural Humility Simulation Development Activities On The Cultural Competence Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Teresa Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

One way to mitigate health disparities in the provision of nursing care and impact social justice with vulnerable populations is the development of cultural competence. Although addressed in nursing curricula, gaps in how to best address cultural competence remain. A study was undertaken to determine whether participation in a researcher-designed intervention, entitled Transcultural Humility Simulation development, based on components of Campinha-Bacote’s model with an emphasis on “becoming” culturally competent, improved cultural competence in graduating baccalaureate nursing students. A longitudinal, descriptive, quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest comparison group design using embedded mixed methods was used. A total of 57 student participants from one baccalaureate …

How Does Youth Participatory Eco-Justice Action Research (Ypear) Affect The Development Of Environmental Literacy In Urban High School Students?, Joella L. Zocher

Theses and Dissertations

The field of environmental education (EE) has the aim of producing an environmentally literate citizenry that is not only aware of environmental problems, but motivated to work towards their solution (Stapp, 1969). However, much of the U.S. EE curricular focus has been on understanding the biophysical environment with rural populations, with little discussion about the environmental problems created by the dominant Western cultural norms (Kenis, & Mathijs, 2012; Malone, 2006; Prakash,1995). This study suggests in order to truly develop environmentally literate citizens who will work to change the oppressive habits of our dominant culture, people must be willing to enter …

American Sign Language Advanced Studies Programs: Implementation Procedures And Identifying Empowering Practices, Amy June Rowley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a comprehensive analysis of three universities that have degree awarding American Sign Language programs. The overall theoretical approach was grounded in Freirean thought. For each of these programs, I collected various documents that allowed for an in-depth analysis of the structure, curriculum and program philosophies. A document review of the syllabi, course description, the courses required for graduation, and analysis of data collected through individual interviews with each program coordinator, helped answer research questions: (1) What are curricula designs and infrastructure of existing American Sign Language degree programs? (2) What are the philosophies within the American Sign …

Differences In The Extent Of Use Of Culture In The Classroom Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Teachers And The Relationship To Student Reported Academic Achievement In Reading And Math, Nicole M. Butt

Theses and Dissertations

With the historical lack of academic achievement of American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AI/AN) students in public schooling, Indigenous communities have expressed the need to emphasize Indigenous culture in the education of AI/AN students. This study investigated if the relationship between the use of Indigenous culture and academic achievement can be validated through the use of the National Indian Education Survey database. This study examined (1) if there is a difference in the extent of AI/AN culture used in the classroom between Indigenous teachers and non-Indigenous teachers, (2) if there is a relationship between the student reported academic achievement of AI/AN …

Effective Elements Of Science Teacher Professional Development, Amy Jean Zientek

Theses and Dissertations

Educational reform efforts to improve students' learning outcomes are often present in teacher professional development opportunities; however, the structure and design of these opportunities vary and often focus on a homogenous student population; that is, White students in suburban schools. Reform efforts in teacher professional development that aim to educate teachers not only about science content and pedagogy, but also about practices that aim to reach a diverse student population is needed. This study examines three, science teacher summer professional development (PD) programs [SUN, SEPA, and CLA], and explores how programs affect teacher learning outcome(s) and any subsequent translation into …