Education Commons^™

Effective Language Arts Teachers Of Urban African American Middle School Students In The Greater Detroit Area, Lanissa Laura Freeman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Teaching in a large urban district has been historically described as a complex task and with the growing number of diverse students, the challenge continues to grow. The challenge is now coupled with major budget shortfalls. Across the nation public schools are struggling to keep the doors open, and provide basic supplies for students and teachers. Despite looming layoffs, closing schools, consolidations, and increased academic demands, there is a group of teachers in every urban district that consistently get results. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the beliefs, backgrounds, and classroom practices effective language arts teachers used …

The Relationship Between Arabic Language Proficiency, English Language Proficiency, And Science Academic Achievement Of 11th Grade Arabic Speaking English Language Learners, Shadia Y. Zamlut

Wayne State University Dissertations

Limited schooling in the first language (L1) has allowed English Language Learners (ELLs) to face obstacles in their second language (L2) and science courses. Therefore, this study examines these variables in the following two hypotheses: (1) there is a significant relationship between Arabic language proficiency and English language proficiency and (2) there is a significant relationship between Arabic language proficiency and science academic achievement. A causal-comparative design was used to examine these hypotheses. The investigator selected sixty 11th grade Arabic-speaking students based on a nonrandom sampling method from one high school in the Metropolitan Schools (pseudonym) in Southeast Michigan. The …

Racial/Cultural Identity Development In Foster Children Placed In Transracial Foster Homes, Vanessa Brooks Herd

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to identify how racial and cultural identity is developed and maintained in foster children who are placed in foster homes racially and culturally different than they are. The research questions included how the foster care system addresses racial identity issues and how foster parents assign meaning to the transracial foster care experience. Another area of interest was the preparation by the foster care system for foster parents to manage issues of racial identity. The pre-training curriculum for foster parents was subjected to a content analysis.

Urban High School Students' Attitudes Toward Democratic Citizenship: A Comparison Of Students In The Njrotc Program And Students In Traditional Civics Classes, Ruthann Burns-Mcfadden

Wayne State University Dissertations

Conscientious and informed citizenry is essential in maintaining the integrity of American democracy. On the other hand, continued lack of engagement in and lack of positive attitudes towards civic participation can cause democracy to suffer. During the 21st century, schools are expected to prepare and motivate students to participate in their government. Research provides evidence that a positive relationship exists between civics education and increased civic and political knowledge; however, classroom instruction alone cannot provide all that is needed to promote a community of civic-minded individuals. Further, a survey of state level civics standards acknowledged the important relationship between participatory …

Mainstream Teacher Attitudes Toward English Language Learners, Cristina Gonzalez Dekutoski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze data from practicing mainstream K-12 teachers currently enrolled in graduate courses at a large, urban, Midwest university regarding four categories of their attitudes toward English language learners: (a) inclusion of ELLs, (b) the second language acquisition process/language and language learning, (c) modification of coursework, and (d) ESL professional development. Though studies on teacher attitudes toward ELLs remain sparse, research on this topic is important for two reasons. First, as the rigor of grade level curriculum increases ( i.e. high school graduation requirements, state MEAP testing, NCLB) understanding complexities of ELLs …

Art Education: The Learning Connections Derived From A Creative Artistic Experience, Pamela Ann Woods

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ART EDUCATION: THE LEARNING CONNECTIONS DERIVED FROM A CREATIVE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE

by

PAMELA ANN WOODS

May 2011

Advisor: Dr. Karen L. Tonso

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Education

This study investigated the school experiences of art students in a Commercial Art program. This qualitative study advances an argument for recognizing arts students' dismissed voices, as they seek an audience where their views, talents, and career choices are respected. This argument grows from 1) a critique of standards-based policy (when it goes too far), 2) a discussion of the importance of arts education for student success and, 3) …

A Qualitative Study On African American Males' Perceptions Of Reading, Phyllis Marie Stallings

Wayne State University Dissertations

African American male students begin experiencing failure when they enter fourth grade. At this grade, the curriculum becomes more focused, students are expected to complete high-stakes standardized tests, teachers become more distant, and students are expected to become independent learners. Many African American male students are not ready for this transformation. They may not have developed the reading skills needed to understand text books for social studies and science, and are deficient in regard to the math skills needed for problem solving. Understanding which factors are contributing to African American male student failure is important, especially in determining if these …

The Effects Of Story Performance On Fourth And Fifth Grade Students' Comprehension And Oral Reading Fluency Of Narrative And Expository Texts, Shawn Kevin Wightman

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study was undertaken as an attempt to assess the effects of storytelling and reading aloud on fourth and fifth grade children's comprehension and oral reading fluency of both narrative and expository texts. The independent variable involved two strategies for introducing stories to children (storytelling and story reading) and a comparison strategy (silent reading). Each treatment (or strategy) was used, in part, to differentiate literacy instruction over a period of seven weeks.

Treatment 1 consisted of twenty-eight teacher-storytelling performances (fourteen narrative and fourteen expository). Likewise, Treatment 2 consisted of twenty-eight teacher-story reading aloud performances of narrative and expository texts (the …

The Relationship Between Study Abroad And Motivation, Attitude And Anxiety In University Students Learning A Foreign Language, Stefania Gabriella Morreale

Wayne State University Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to discover the program effects of long- and short-term study abroad for university students at a midwestern, public university. Affective outcomes, such as motivation, attitude and anxiety, were examined using Gardner's Attitudes and Motivational Test Battery (AMTB) survey and a student demographic questionnaire. Quantitative data from the student demographic survey reported that the typical foreign language student surveyed is female, between the ages of 18-22, a junior, a liberal arts major with non-native fluency in the target language. The typical study abroad program attended by this sample is: short-term (less than eight weeks), most …