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Theses/Dissertations

2015

Hamline University

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Increasing Number Sense At The Preschool Level, Sarah Marie Koenig Dec 2015

Increasing Number Sense At The Preschool Level, Sarah Marie Koenig

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone addresses the question, “What strategies can be used to increase number sense at the preschool level?”. Current research states that preschoolers need opportunities to learn about numbers and math concepts through a balance of natural play and exploration, intentional teaching, and structured learning activities embedded in their daily routines. Through the process of curriculum design using McTighe and Wiggins’ Understanding By Design framework, the author created a learning plan that includes lessons, resources, and parent/child activities using a variety of instructional strategies to teach number sense at the preschool level. The learning plan includes a sequence of activities …

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Using Guided Math And Flipped Learning In A Fifth Grade Fractions Unit, Kristin Leigh Moore Dec 2015

Using Guided Math And Flipped Learning In A Fifth Grade Fractions Unit, Kristin Leigh Moore

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was: How can I design a math curriculum that will increase fifth grade students’ understanding of fraction concepts? The author began her research by investigating the struggles elementary students face when learning fraction concepts, which led to a study of four instructional strategies: ability grouping, differentiation, flipped learning, and guided math. The author considered the work of Boaler, Sammons, Tomlinson, Tucker, and Vann to inform her research. After careful reflection on the benefits and limitations of each strategy, the author chose to create a hybrid unit utilizing both guided math and flipped learning. …

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Somali Stories: A Development Of A Story-Based Esl Literacy Tool For Use With Older Adult Somali Women, Susan Renee Marshall Dec 2015

Somali Stories: A Development Of A Story-Based Esl Literacy Tool For Use With Older Adult Somali Women, Susan Renee Marshall

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is on incorporating what was learned through research to develop a curriculum resource. The primary research question addressed in this project is how educators can incorporate stories from older adult Somali women into English language instruction to improve these students’ English language writing skills. Key influences include my experience as an ESL educator and my strong interest in stories, including their use in education. The study has a curriculum development design. A curriculum resource, in the form of a story-based literacy tool designed to teach English language literacy skills to older Somali women, was developed. …

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Elementary School Teacher Inspiration In Lifelong Musicianship, Austin John Wellman Dec 2015

Elementary School Teacher Inspiration In Lifelong Musicianship, Austin John Wellman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study gathers the stories of musician teachers, asking how teacher avocations in music might impact the students in the classroom. This work begins by telling the music and teaching story of the author. Topics related to music are explored in the literature review, including music as an avocation, educational research surrounding music, and finally music as a possible sense of community. Six teachers are observed and interviewed, three of whom are music teachers, and all of whom are at minimum musicians by hobby. Three notable themes are found common to all teachers participating in the study. First, all participants …

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Journey To Inclusion: A School’S Perspective From Self-Contained Ecse Classrooms To Inclusive Preschool Programs, Allison Marie Hirsch Dec 2015

Journey To Inclusion: A School’S Perspective From Self-Contained Ecse Classrooms To Inclusive Preschool Programs, Allison Marie Hirsch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, How can a school effectively transition from a self-contained Early Childhood Special Education classroom to a full inclusion preschool program? What I have done in this capstone is set out with the objective of defining what is a successful inclusive preschool program, what are the best strategies for these programs, the benefits and barriers to the programs and how to best implement these programs into a school setting. This study details questions and answers from parents and teachers who are currently part of a full-inclusion preschool program.

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Pushing Past The Plateau: A Diary Study Of A Not Quite Intermediate Korean Language Learner, Jonathan D. Wilson Dec 2015

Pushing Past The Plateau: A Diary Study Of A Not Quite Intermediate Korean Language Learner, Jonathan D. Wilson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In this study the author explores the internal and personal aspects of his own learning of the Korean language through the qualitative perspective of a language learning diary. Language fossilization is brought into focus as the author resumes learning the language after a three year break and attempts to push past his perceived plateau. Fossilization is a foundational concept in the field of adult Second Language Acquisition (SLA), yet seemingly none have covered this issue using the diary study design and the unique, inside perspective that this design offers. The author developed his own study plan and recorded regular introspective …

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How Hope And Motivation Lead To Self-Regulation Middle School Students, Jessica Marie Winter Dec 2015

How Hope And Motivation Lead To Self-Regulation Middle School Students, Jessica Marie Winter

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the study was to determine how hope, motivation and goal setting led to selfregulation in middle school students. The research methods used in the study were mixed methods, which enabled students to give voice to the provided data. On the basis of the research, it was concluded there was a relationship between goal setting and selfregulation in middle school students.

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When And Why Do Native English Speaking Students In A Spanish Immersion Setting Switch Into English During Math Instruction?, Samantha Marie Judith Holland Dec 2015

When And Why Do Native English Speaking Students In A Spanish Immersion Setting Switch Into English During Math Instruction?, Samantha Marie Judith Holland

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed when and why do native English speakers in a Spanish immersion switch into English during math instruction? This capstone studied 30 students in a Spanish immersion school in an affluent suburban area in the Upper Midwest. The author used literature from other types of immersion schools to highlight the lack of research on native English speakers in immersion settings. This capstone used audio- recordings, questionnaires and open-ended interviews to research the question. The researcher concludes that teaching Spanish vernacular in the immersion model would decrease the amount of English in the math classroom and that language objectives …

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How Can The 5-E Learning Cycle Model Of Instruction Be Used To Develop A Differentiated Science Unit On Evolution Based On Six Minnesota Evolution Standards?, Monica Christine Digre Dec 2015

How Can The 5-E Learning Cycle Model Of Instruction Be Used To Develop A Differentiated Science Unit On Evolution Based On Six Minnesota Evolution Standards?, Monica Christine Digre

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction be used to develop a differentiated science unit on evolution based on six Minnesota evolution standards? The capstone documents a middle school life science teacher’s experience developing a curriculum for teaching evolution in a nontraditional way. The author explores the difficulties in teaching evolution with a traditional approach by researching experts in the field of both Evolutionary Biology and secondary science instruction. Through the use of the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction, the author develops an inquiry-based and hands-on curriculum to teach …

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Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Dyned Multimedia Courseware: An Evaluation Of Call In An American Technical College, Gail Katherine Ellsworth Dec 2015

Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Dyned Multimedia Courseware: An Evaluation Of Call In An American Technical College, Gail Katherine Ellsworth

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of teachers and students using the DynEd Multimedia Courseware in adult ESL workshops in an American technical college setting. The goals of the study were to determine (a) the teachers’ perceptions of their training to facilitate DynEd, (b) the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the facilitators’ role in supporting students, and (c) the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of DynEd’s appropriateness for adult learners at our institution. Data from questionnaires and focus group interviews were analyzed using Chapelle’s (2001) Criteria for CALL Task Appropriateness as the conceptual framework. Findings suggest that both teachers and students need …

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Critical Literacy For Linguistically Diverse Students, Jennifer Ann King Dec 2015

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 …

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The Emotional Effect Of Same Sex Grouping, Katherine Barwacz Heidrick Dec 2015

The Emotional Effect Of Same Sex Grouping, Katherine Barwacz Heidrick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how do gender roles affect the achievement of school-aged children? It documents one teachers research in her fifth grade classroom by creating a curriculum related challenge that students worked on in mixed gender groups and same gender groups. The author documents the details of the research literature review in order to analyze and validate the study. The action research portion included surveys that students responded to, asking them to reflect over their experience. In conclusion, the author describes both successes and struggles of working with mixed and same gender groups and concludes …

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Listening Strategies For English Language Learner Comprehension, A Teacher Resource Guide, Ana Marie Ruiz Mclafferty Dec 2015

Listening Strategies For English Language Learner Comprehension, A Teacher Resource Guide, Ana Marie Ruiz Mclafferty

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone examines listening strategies for English Language Learners in grades 3-5 and includes a teacher resource guide to help support students in the listening language domain. There are very few resources for elementary teachers to support students in listening comprehension strategies. The teacher resource guide includes think-aloud, focus questions, journaling and interactive listening strategies. Lesson templates and examples are included.

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Exploring Attitudes Toward Teacher Led Parent Advocacy Models That Address Racial Education Inequity, Paula Yadel Cole Dec 2015

Exploring Attitudes Toward Teacher Led Parent Advocacy Models That Address Racial Education Inequity, Paula Yadel Cole

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The question addressed in this project is, “what are teachers and parents’ attitudes toward a teacher led parent advocacy model that addresses education inequity in Minnesota?” The premise of this work is that according to available research, current models for parent engagement in schools are not relevant to families of color. In depth interviews were conducted to understand how six families perceive the education system and how empowered they feel about leading their children towards higher education. The author also collected questionnaire responses to investigate how teachers feel about leading instruction at a potential parent leadership academy. The findings conclude …

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Assessing Remedial Course Transitional Intervention Effectiveness For First Generation College Students, John Nathan Day Dec 2015

Assessing Remedial Course Transitional Intervention Effectiveness For First Generation College Students, John Nathan Day

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

First generation college students experience a more challenging transition to collegiate success than their peers. As institutions feel the pressure to fulfill their enrollment goals, the doors of opportunity are being widened which includes an increase in first generation college students This study focuses on how the remedial course intervention affects student confidence levels in key college success indicators after their first semester of college level coursework. A survey is used to determine variations between first generation students who were exposed to this form of intervention, and those who were not. The findings point to a need for expanded conversation …

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The Pathway To A Senior Housing Officer, A Latino Man’S Journey, Javier Gutierrez Dec 2015

The Pathway To A Senior Housing Officer, A Latino Man’S Journey, Javier Gutierrez

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study presents my experience as a Latino male entering the field of residential life and working my way to a senior level housing officer position. My personal account is situated in the context of the greater societal issues of how identity and mentorship are significant in a successful path into residential life. The significance of this study results from the low number of Latinos obtaining and moving up the ranks in residential life. The number of Latinos in the United States is increasing and the number of Latino students entering higher education is growing. Staffs working in student affairs …

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Student Self-Regulated Learning Through Use Of The Linguafolio® Online In A Beginning Middle School El Class, Melissa Rose Davey Dec 2015

Student Self-Regulated Learning Through Use Of The Linguafolio® Online In A Beginning Middle School El Class, Melissa Rose Davey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative mixed methods case study explores how LinguaFolio® Online is an appropriate strategy for increasing self-regulated learning in a beginning ESL class. Five participants in a middle school beginning ESL class used LinguaFolio® Online over eight weeks in order to report on learning and submit evidence exemplars. All participants used LinguaFolio® Online for various user interactions concerning self-regulation and self-assessment. Participants completed a pre- and post-survey so that perceptions could be compared before and after use of LinguaFolio® Online. The results of this study specify two important trends; first, regular use of the selfassessment lists contained within LinguaFolio® Online …

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Creating Collaborative Parent-Teacher Learning Environments In An English Language Learner Setting, Joseph William Hutchins Dec 2015

Creating Collaborative Parent-Teacher Learning Environments In An English Language Learner Setting, Joseph William Hutchins

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

There is agreement in the academic community that parent involvement is critical to the academic achievement of all students. With the student population of America rapidly changing, the collaboration between parent and teacher continues to be more challenging. This study aims to explore the obstacles that inhibit collaboration with ELL (English Language Learners) families. The author documents details related to the barriers that exist in these relationships and current strategies commonly used to help with parent involvement in an ELL setting. Given the rapid increase in the Somali population in recent years in the Twin Cities, the author used this …

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Adult English Learners' Perceptions Of Their Pronunciation And Linguistic Self-Confidence, Jennifer Marie Zoss Dec 2015

Adult English Learners' Perceptions Of Their Pronunciation And Linguistic Self-Confidence, Jennifer Marie Zoss

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Second language pronunciation research often focuses on intelligibility from the perspectives of native-speakers. However, few studies focus on English learners’ (ELs) perceptions of pronunciation, and few studies examine linguistic self-confidence (LSC). This study explores advanced-level adult ELs’ perceptions of their own pronunciation and the relationship between their perceptions and LSC. Inspiration for this study comes from ELs in my classes and Tracy Derwing’s 2003 study. This mixed methods study utilized an initial questionnaire followed by individual interviews. Results from data obtained suggest that adult ELs perceive English pronunciation affects quality of life in a variety of ways. Results also suggest …

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How Can The Relationship Between Climate Change And The Coast Redwood Forest Be Incorporated Into Fifth And Sixth Grade Environmental Education Programs?, Dorea Eve Martin Dec 2015

How Can The Relationship Between Climate Change And The Coast Redwood Forest Be Incorporated Into Fifth And Sixth Grade Environmental Education Programs?, Dorea Eve Martin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The question for this research is: how can the relationship between climate change and the coast redwood forest be incorporated into fifth and sixth grade environmental education programs? Climate change is a real, global problem, and this capstone is intended as a resource for environmental educators to incorporate climate change into their programs. It includes a literature review of scientific research on climate change impacts on coast redwood forests and presents a lesson plan for teaching climate change in the redwood setting. The lesson plan covers basic climate science, dendrochronology, and carbon footprints, and was conducted at Westminster Woods, a …

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Tutoring As An Elementary Reading Intervention To Benefit Bilingual Learners In Mexico, Hannah Marie Paulson Dec 2015

Tutoring As An Elementary Reading Intervention To Benefit Bilingual Learners In Mexico, Hannah Marie Paulson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone project is, can peer tutoring be used as an effective elementary reading intervention to benefit bilingual learners in Mexico? Key influence for this capstone was the author’s observation of a lack of effective reading interventions in bilingual environments. The study is a qualitative study in which the author implemented a seven-week peer tutoring training with nineteen fifth grade tutors. These peer tutors each worked one on one with a fourth grade student to apply specific reading strategies. The goal of the capstone was to determine whether peer tutors could positively affect student outcomes …

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How Attachment Style Correlates To Symptoms Of Burnout For Direct Care Staff In A Company That Serves People With Developmental And/Or Intellectual Disabilities, Shantel Lee Pickar Dec 2015

How Attachment Style Correlates To Symptoms Of Burnout For Direct Care Staff In A Company That Serves People With Developmental And/Or Intellectual Disabilities, Shantel Lee Pickar

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to find if adult attachment style is correlated to depersonalization, lowered sense of accomplishment, and/or emotional exhaustion for direct-care employees and supervisors in one company that serves people with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. A thorough review of literature was completed on this topic as well as a voluntary, unpaid employee survey which determined propensity for burnout as well as attachment style. Data was gathered and analyzed and results are shared in the context of this study.

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Teaching Mla Formatting And Research Using Screencasting Technology: Resources For High School English Teachers And Students, Tegan Skye Madson Dion Dec 2015

Teaching Mla Formatting And Research Using Screencasting Technology: Resources For High School English Teachers And Students, Tegan Skye Madson Dion

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The topic for research was how online screencasts demonstrating research and MLA format in research writing can support students in learning key research and research writing skills. The online screencasts are designed with English Language Learners and students who do not have access to help from people with research writing experience outside the classroom. The screencasts demonstrate steps in the research and formatting process to support students with demonstrations as they begin their own research. The videos may also be used by teachers, as part of a flipped classroom model, to teach research skills and MLA format. The author provides …

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Successful Characteristics And Motivations For Farmers To Participate In A Small Farmers’ Market: A Case Study Of A Small Minnesota Farmers Market., Josephine Marie Wood Dec 2015

Successful Characteristics And Motivations For Farmers To Participate In A Small Farmers’ Market: A Case Study Of A Small Minnesota Farmers Market., Josephine Marie Wood

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is characteristics that make a farmers’ market successful from the perspective of vendors who participate in a case study market. Other information is also obtained to learn more about the vendor’s background, reason for selling at the case study market, as well as disadvantages to the case study market. The methodology to answer the question included both questionnaire surveys and face-to-face interviews. Literature supporting the increase in farmers’ markets across the United States as well as information on how to begin a farmers’ market was included in this study. The study concluded that …

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Perceptions Of Cultural And Linguistic Preparedness: Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students’ Beliefs About Their K-12 School Setting, Rebecca Rosenbarker Dec 2015

Perceptions Of Cultural And Linguistic Preparedness: Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students’ Beliefs About Their K-12 School Setting, Rebecca Rosenbarker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, do deaf and hard of hearing university students think their K-12 setting prepared them to succeed linguistically and culturally in both the Deaf and hearing communities? This research examines the survey responses of 11 deaf and hard of hearing university students through a mixed-methods approach. Through this research, the following trends were identified. First, the majority of participants found their school setting helped prepare them linguistically and culturally for the hearing world. Next, the majority of students from mainstream settings did not feel their school prepared them linguistically or culturally for the …

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How Can Critical Literacy Be Used To Address Social Justice Issues Through A First Grade Social Studies Read Aloud Curriculum?, Katie L. Lorenz Dec 2015

How Can Critical Literacy Be Used To Address Social Justice Issues Through A First Grade Social Studies Read Aloud Curriculum?, Katie L. Lorenz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can critical literacy be used to address social justice issues through a first grade social studies read aloud curriculum? The goal of research was to create a read aloud unit that reinforces social studies standards while addressing social justice issues and teaching students to evaluate text and challenge the power of text through a critical literacy approach to instruction. This curriculum relies on current research pertaining to critical literacy, effective classroom read aloud practices, and a backward design lesson template model. The author describes the details of the curriculum and connects …

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The Confluence Of Stem Education And Language Learning: Curriculum Integration To Benefit Language Learners, Christian Joseph Engelbret Dec 2015

The Confluence Of Stem Education And Language Learning: Curriculum Integration To Benefit Language Learners, Christian Joseph Engelbret

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The number of elementary STEM schools has risen dramatically in the last decade. The national government has identified goals for preparing learners for the workforce in the STEM areas, while also decreasing the achievement gap between white students and their non-white peers. This research paper seeks to answer three central questions: 1) How can these various STEM disciplines be integrated in an effective and meaningful manner to improve both academic language and content area knowledge of English Learners? 2) What lesson design format best prepares teachers to implement a project-based or integrated curriculum? 3) How can partnerships between higher education …

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Young Adult Saudi Learners With Low-Level Literacy, Randy Allen Heuring Dec 2015

Young Adult Saudi Learners With Low-Level Literacy, Randy Allen Heuring

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The guiding question addressed in this curriculum project was, how should phonics be used to improve the English acquisition success rate of Saudi military students? It documents the design and creation of a specialized unit that takes into account all aspects of student learning based on prior knowledge, educational background, cultural values, interest, and motivation. The author integrates newly developed, modified, and existing curriculum, based on relevant research into the methods. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the curriculum. He describes both success and struggles in implementing the …

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An Alternative For Alternatives: Designing A Teacher Licensure Program For Teacher-Led Schools, Tim J. Quealy Nov 2015

An Alternative For Alternatives: Designing A Teacher Licensure Program For Teacher-Led Schools, Tim J. Quealy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what are the essential components of an alternative licensure program designed to best prepare teachers for success in a teacher-led school? It documents the creation of a teacher preparation program designed specifically for the unique skills and knowledge sets required for a teacher to be successful in a teacher-led school setting. The research question was influenced by the researcher’s own experience, both as a product of a traditional teacher preparation program and as a teacher in a teacher-led school. To determine the essential components for the teacher preparation program, the capstone first …

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Analysis Of Nominalization In Elementary And Middle School Science Textbooks, Breanna Marie Mueller Nov 2015

Analysis Of Nominalization In Elementary And Middle School Science Textbooks, Breanna Marie Mueller

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research in this capstone examines the existence and implications of nominalizations through a text analysis of first through fifth grade and middle school science textbooks. This study utilizes various tools based on Systemic Functional Linguistics to determine the quantity and types of nominalizations found in various text levels, to reveal how frequently nominalizations are modified by a prepositional phrase that shows agency or force, to uncover how nominalization might affect the syntax and semantics of a text, and to deduce how nominalization might contribute to lexical density. The author also compares the results to address what nominalizations look like …

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