Education Commons^™

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. …

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 …

What Teaching Approach In An Online English Class Is Effective In Improving Guatemalan Business Professionals’ Oral Use Of The Language, Erin Raxon

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The motivation behind this capstone was to create a curriculum unit plan specifically for Guatemalan business professionals wanting to learn oral English in an effective way. This capstone looks at the online learning setting, curriculum models, class size, adult learning, and Guatemalan culture. Based on this research and a questionnaire answered by business professionals in Guatemala City, a curriculum plan is designed. The limitations (and implications) of this curriculum plan are assessed. The curriculum plan is pending implementation.

Facilitating Provider Education: The Role And Impact Of Healthcare Educators, Jenna Brianne Laine

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research design was utilized to inform two primary research questions: “How do healthcare educators describe their role[s] and experiences educating providers in a healthcare setting?” and “What adult learning principles, determined by Malcolm Knowles, can be identified in provider education materials utilized in a healthcare setting?” Ten participants, who self-identified as healthcare educators utilizing an electronic medical record as a tool for teaching medical providers, participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview participants also submitted education materials they utilize to train medical providers at six healthcare organizations. From the ten interviews, seven categories were determined: research interview participant descriptions, role …

How Do The Life Stories Of Non-Traditional Students Impact Their Educational Journeys, Janna Lynn Graham

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question highlights the importance of personal narrative and explores the notion that reframing one’s story can have a strong impact on future success. The author discusses research pertaining to disconnected learners and examines the way in which personal stories influence classroom motivation. The data collection process takes an autobiographical approach as three non-traditional students share their educational life histories. Students’ stories are comprehensively explored through interviews, a review of student records, and observations. Each documented educational journey emphasizes the significance of individual stories and the importance of acknowledging the unique struggles faced by non-traditional students.

A Needs Analysis Of Intercultural Competency Skills For The Community Interpreter Preparatory Course, Tina Marie Kush

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed is, In preparing a needs assessment for a 40-hour community interpreter training course,

• What intercultural competence skills do adult ELs need to develop?

• What gap exists between the intercultural competency beliefs, strategies and behaviors of perspective EL candidates and those needed to succeed in the interpreter training course?

The motivating factor in this capstone was investigating ways to prepare adult ELs to enter the 40-hour professional community interpreter training. The study had a qualitative research design that included three individual expert interpreter interviews and a focus group of eight adult ELs. Results indicated that …

Graduate Students’ Perceptions Of Sense Of Community And Contributing Factors, Amy Lynn Watters

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that a strong sense of community has many benefits for the learner, including increased engagement, persistence, satisfaction, and perceived learning. The growth of online learning requires that effective strategies be identified to establish a strong sense of community in a virtual environment. This mixed method study investigated the following primary and secondary question: What are graduate students’ perceptions regarding sense of community in the online graduate programs at a small, private college? What contributes to graduate students’ sense of community in the online graduate programs at a small, private college? A quantitative survey using Likert-type questions was sent …

Identity-Focused Second Language Acquisition: A Systematic Review Of Classroom Applications, Heather Lynn Stockton

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is, what does research say about identityfocused second language acquisition (SLA) as applied in the classroom? The aim of this study is to provide stakeholders in ESL contexts with an overview of existing research on identity-focused SLA with particular emphasis on classroom applications. This information is investigated in the hopes of uncovering practical tools and strategies for educators to use in support of both SLA and identity development. Identity-based SLA is defined and discussed using Bonny Norton’s (2006) five beliefs about identity as a framework. Twenty-four studies with classroom applications of identity-focused SLA …

Finding ‘A Heart To Continue:’ A Study Of Constructive-Developmental Diversity And Academic Literacy Learning Experiences In The Adult English As A Second Or Other Language (Esol) Classroom, Jennifer Rae Ouellette-Schramm

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Developing academic literacy skills is becoming increasingly high-stakes for Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) learners to accomplish goals like passing the General Education Diploma (GED) test or preparing for post-secondary. ESOL literature suggests that academic literacy development is not only a language issue, but a cognitive and academic phenomenon. Related to an adult learner’s cognitive and academic learning is stage of epistemological complexity. Theories of adult epistemological development, including constructive-developmental theories, are based on empirical research demonstrating that the logics through which adults construct meaning can continue to develop over time following predictable …