Education Commons^™

Decolonization Of The Writing Classroom: Creating Space For Decolonial Theory, Tools, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, And Methods To Improve The Emerging Bilingual Student Experience, Desiree L. Brown

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author addresses the colonial roots of the secondary writing classroom and the origin of standard academic English which enables strict standardized testing and writing assessment requirements that in-turn incite linguistic violence towards emerging bilingual students. The author frames her study within the framework of April Baker-Bell and Asao B. Inoue through a reflective/reflexive study of her teaching in a ninth grade writing classroom in a primarily Hispanic school district in South Texas, which is assessed by the state of Texas through STAAR. This study seeks to identify instances of linguistic violence being perpetuated in the writing …

Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados

Dissertations

From the time of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) to the present day, standardized testing has become the benchmark measure for student assessment and school accountability in the United States. Multilingual learners are a vulnerable population with more testing and accountability requirements than mainstream students. Not only are they required to learn a second language, but they are also assessed within the same standardized testing paradigms as their peers - native speakers of the English language. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the benefits of instructional practices and assessments that provide multilingual students and teachers prompt and …

Uncorking The Speaking Skill: Wine And Prosody In Conversation, Efren Antonio Serra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although the skill of speaking is necessary for attaining basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), most traditional second language acquisition programs base their pedagogy and curriculums on lexis and grammar of the written form and phonology/phonetics. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how to effectively adapt content-specific material for developing the speaking skill at community colleges with adult students who are interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry as a sommelier. Courses for becoming a sommelier or a server in the wine industry are traditionally offered at community colleges under the culinary arts and hospitality management programs, …

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

Navigating Acculturative Stress: A Guide For Supporting Newcomer Students In California Esl Classrooms, Daniela Lopera Ruiz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Acculturation has been widely studied as a post-migration phenomenon that individuals face when coming in contact with their new recipient culture and environment. The different experiences, tasks, and requirements that newcomers must endure upon arrival may lead to their suffering prolonged periods of discomfort. This moderate, intermediate, or acute feeling of uneasiness is defined as acculturative stress. In it, the continued exposure to stressors such as adjusting to a new culture, rules, behavioral patterns, a second language, finding housing, and obtaining an education and employment can lead to trauma. This field project has been designed to provide educators and allies …

Esl To Composition Transitions: Investigating The Differences In Disciplinary Values Among Two-Year College Faculty, Amy M. Flessert

English Theses & Dissertations

In this qualitative methods study, I draw on Paul Kei Matsuda’s 1999 article “Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor” to examine if, more than 20 years after its publication, there is still a significant disciplinary division between ESL writing and first-year college composition. I surveyed writing instructors from both ESL and ENG at Mid-Atlantic Community College (MACC) regarding what they value as “good” writing. I also worked with three faculty members – one in ENG, one in ESL, and a third who teaches in both departments, serving, in this study and the department, as a “bridge” …

Settlement Workers In Schools: A Look At The Importance Of The Swis Program, Tule Dugan

Major Papers

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) provide newcomer students (elementary and secondary) and their families with support as they integrate into their new Canadian communities. In this paper, I explore the experiences of Settlement workers and the perceptions of their roles in the eyes of the newcomer students, families, and school staff they support. I researched the benefits and challenges they experience while supporting the acculturation process of their clients. I also review recommendations on how to support these individuals in their roles. Using a social constructivist lens supported by the Ecological Systems theory, I endeavor to uncover themes that highlight …

Belonging And Banding Together: Perspectives And Insights Of Newly Recruited Ell Musicians, Edward Francis Luckey, Edward Luckey, Edward Luckey

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to bring forward the lived experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) musicians who were new to the band program as of the Spring of 2021. This study was born out of previous coursework and reflection where it became apparent that more must be done to provide access to our band program for students who are in our ELL program. Therefore, the research question that guides this study is “What are the lived experiences of ELL band students?” The methodology is primarily a pursuit of the stories and lived experiences of the ELLs via a …

Practicing Self-Advocacy For Displaced People In The English Language Learner Classroom, Payton Persinger

MA TESOL Collection

This study is comprised of a literature review of best practices for working with displaced people and interviews with teachers of refugees. The author found that self-advocacy is multifaceted and that promoting self-advocacy is a key way to support learners in advocating for themselves and their communities. As borders become less porous, there will be more refugee crises, and more language teachers will be needed. Best practices for teaching languages include seeing students as cultural experts, teaching and encouraging resistance, being a trauma-informed practitioner, teaching legal rights, and making room for students to choose what they learn.

Building A School Culture Of Success For Multilingual Learners: A Multiple Case Study Of Perspectives From Secondary School Leaders, John P. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to address achievement and opportunity gaps for Multilingual Learners (MLs) by studying secondary schools who have established a school culture that prioritizes ML support and success. It draws on existing literature in the fields of ML best practices, educational leadership, and school culture research to study case schools in order to distill from their lived experiences recommendation for practitioners. The author used a multiple case study methodology to delve into four case schools identified as exemplars of cultures for ML success. The author used in-depth qualitative interviews to find out if leaders in any secondary schools …

First-Year Mainstream Teachers' Perspectives On Preservice Preparation In English Language Learner Instruction, Sally Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms has significantly increased over the past decade, first-year teachers continue to begin their careers without adequate training in ELL instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore first-year mainstream teachers’ perspectives of their preservice course training and field experiences in ELL instruction. The study site was a small west Tennessee school district where 32 students are currently receiving English as a second language (ESL) services. Supported by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study was framed by the concept of hands-on experience for learning, which is used by …

Esl Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Sensitivity Training In K-12 U.S. Classrooms, Cherise Rosemarie Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have suggested that intercultural sensitivity can improve intercultural relationships and that training increases English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. However, research investigating teachers’ perceptions of their training in intercultural sensitivity is limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with training and professional development (PD) toward becoming more interculturally sensitive in K-12 U.S. classrooms. The conceptual framework was Chen and Starosta’s concept of intercultural sensitivity, as a concept from their theory of intercultural communication competence. The research questions addressed the teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with …

The Policy Feedback Loop: Exploring English Learner (El) Policy, Policy Implementation, And The Relationship Between Policy, Research, And Practice, Nathan D. Koerber

Doctoral Dissertations

This study will explore the EL policy implementation process and offer evaluative feedback by systematically reviewing the history of US federal educational language policy and its impact on schools and classrooms, as well as the role research, has played in the development of EL policy. Additionally, this study will explore how current language policy implementation impacts programming and practices in both the UK and the US through two separate case studies, as a means of providing evaluative feedback on the policies.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the complicated history of EL policy and its impact, as well …

Pedagogy Or Andragogy?: Which Teaching Method Produces Successful Esl Tutoring That Involves Musical Activities?, Julia Cormack

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Considering the connections between music and language, as well as Chi et al.’s (2001) theory, this thesis introduces an original case study investigation: which teaching method, pedagogy or andragogy, will be most effective in one-on-one ESL tutoring sessions that use music as source material? The term pedagogy often describes the art and science of teaching. However, its Greek roots refer to the method of the teacher leading the classroom. Meanwhile, andragogy describes a teaching method where the teacher engages with the students in the learning and leading; Greek for “leader of man,” andragogy most often refers to teaching adults. To …

Secondary Teacher Attitudes Targeting Inclusion Of English Language Learners In Mainstream Classrooms, Jacquelin Drusilla Buttram-Brownell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Educational leadership in public schools have struggled to service second language learners across the United States. Although support systems in urban education settings have seemed to be fully staffed, the surge of new immigrants, has posed challenges to classroom teachers. Unspoken attitudes of bias and perception of faculty members have been menacing and could have impeded equitable practice and performance of both the English language learner and the teacher. Previous research of Reeves (2002, 2004, & 2006) has inferred teachers have struggled with their attitudes toward ELLs in their mainstream classes and have indicated professional development as being essential. Specifically, …

Variety In Second Language Instruction: Student Engagement In Sla, Emily Borgstrom Woodruff

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a collection of works completed by the author during her time as a student in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. It highlights important aspects and experiences of foreign language education that represent the author’s personal journey of learning and teaching.

The first section is comprised of the author’s teaching perspectives which are represented through the author’s desired professional environment, her teaching philosophy statement, and the author’s professional development through teaching observations. The second section presents the author’s pedagogical research pertaining to foreign language pragmatics and music integration in the classroom. The …

Adaptive Learning Environments And Student Learning Outcomes, Marie-Conceptia Girault

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the urgent need to alleviate South Carolina from poverty and elevate them into the 21st century industry, South Carolina Department of Education (SCDOE), has vowed to educate all South Carolina students and ensure that they graduate prepared for success in college, careers, and citizenship (SCDOE, 2017). To accomplish this mission, SCDOE has developed rigorous educational standards, which include technology-integrated curricular (SCDOE, 2015). Through a non-experimental quantitative study, the relationship between adaptive learning environments (ALE) while employing technology and student outcomes were explored. These learning outcomes were in support of K-12 novice-mid language learners and were defined as …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Dispositions And Technology Integration Knowledge Of English Language Teachers, Moe D. Greene

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the pervasiveness of educational technological tools, their potential is generally overlooked. An examination of technology integration literature suggests a gap in understanding why teachers lack the necessary knowledge to successfully integrate technology in their teaching as well as an absence of a robust technology integration theoretical framework. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) was developed to explain the specific knowledge needed for effective technology integration. Several limitations, however, have been noted in regards to the ability of this framework to capture the connections between the complexities of teachers’ contexts and their technology integration knowledge. This dissertation advances current literature by …

Exploring The Strategies English As A Second Language Teachers Use To Teach Students, Unika Lasha Felton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the local school district under study located in southern United States, English as second language (ESL) students are experiencing lower than expected standardized testing scores according to expectations set forth by the state Department of Education. The purpose of this project study was to explore the strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. The conceptual framework was Gagne’s conditions of learning theory, which is used to assess students’ lack of preparation for future academic and career success. The research question asked what strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. A qualitative exploratory case study with purposive sampling …

Insights Into The Lived Experiences Of English Language Learners, Rina Kassem

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine how schools can provide special language instruction to meet the increase in the numbers of English language learners (ELLs) and its effect on educators as well as students. This is a descriptive single case study that is focused on a public school, prekindergarten through fifth-grade located in a middle class suburb in a big metropolitan area in the Midwest. This study addresses the commonality problems that face a school system include academic performance, different cultural backgrounds, communication issues, professional development, and funding. To address these issues it is necessary to understand how …

From Anxiety To Motivation: Creating Anxiety-Free Classrooms Using Culturally Responsive Teaching, Jing Rong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Simultaneous with cultural and economic globalization, English is spread as the key to receiving education in the U.S. This trend is starting to bring about new knowledge ecologies involving English as a second language (ESL) students and instructors. However, learning efficiency issues have been frequently confronted by ESL students, among which learning anxiety is a major setback. There are multiple factors causing learning anxieties, including the cultural transitions that ESL students are experiencing. This study focuses on analyzing the causes as well as the solutions to ESL students’ learning anxiety issues. Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) is a practical and effective …

Self-Directed Learning Practices In Esl: How Beginning Adult Latinx English Language Learners Can Increase Learning Outcomes, Jessica Parisi

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project investigates the self-directed learning (SDL) practices that could increase learner outcomes in English language acquisition for beginning adult English language learners (ELLs), and presents on a website designed for the learner, the practices and local resources to engage them. Non-credit English as a second language (ESL) courses in community colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area have high enrollment and low levels of advancement, especially beginning levels. Latinx adult ELLs face unique challenges that contribute to their low rates of advancement, including linguistic isolation, and work and home duties that often prevent learners from attending classes the …

Taming Test Anxiety About Multiple-Choice Questions In Academic-Track Esl Students: A Test-Taking Skills Workshop Series, Lori Selke

Master's Projects and Capstones

Test anxiety among students at all levels is a well-documented phenomenon. Academic English learners, however, such as those who enroll in for-credit academic classes in California community colleges, face issues specific to their situation. Most notably, these students are often unfamiliar with the multiple-choice question (MCQ) test format, which is common in the United States but not as frequently utilized in in other countries. Students thus lack knowledge of the specific strategies and approaches that can help them successfully complete an assessment offered in this format. Both test anxiety and cultural unfamiliarity with assessment formats can prevent students from exhibiting …

Flipgrid And Second Language Acquisition Using Flipgrid To Promote Speaking Skills For English Language Learners, Annelise Difilippantonio-Pen

Master’s Theses and Projects

Integrating twenty-first century skills within the classroom has become a global driving force within the educational field. While schools have adopted models of one-to-one technology or digital formats for native English speakers, addressing the twenty-first century skills for English language learners have been absent. Given that the present global society is driven on bilingualism and multilingualism, English language learners need to be given the equitable digital opportunity to build their twenty-first century skills. The purpose of this mixed methods research study is to explore the influence and use of the digital application, Flipgrid, on the oral, English development for foundational, …

Harmonizing Music And Language Acquisition: Learning Language With The Arts, Samantha Ontiveros

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio consists of select work the author completed during the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. Throughout the portfolio, the author shares her personal ideas, opinions, teaching observations, and personal teaching examples utilizing song; all these were found to support the research presented in this portfolio.

This portfolio contains three main sections: (1) teaching perspectives, (2) research perspectives, and (3) an annotated bibliography. The focus of this portfolio is to find new ways to teach language using artistic and creative outlets, such as multimodality, technology, and most importantly, music. The portfolio contains effective ways to …

English Proficiency At A Glance: A Literature Review And Qualitative Interview Analysis For First-Time Tesol For First-Time Tesol Volunteers, Molly Bebko

Honors Projects

The purpose of this literature review and these consultations is to present the demands and needs of ESL volunteers in order that they may be effective teachers. These demands of ESL volunteers will be categorized according to the eight domains of the 2008 TESOL International Association Standards for ESL/EFL Teachers of Adults Framework. The literature review comprised of a thematic search of past and current research. The consultation process was semi-structured, phenomenological, and qualitative. The primary investigator interviewed five professionals in the ESL field. After both the literature review and consultation process, themes were identified and results were categorized into …

An Urban High School’S Response To A Demographic Shift, Tristian Cox

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

With the increasing numbers of Latino English Learners in United States, school educators are tasked with how to better service this population of students. New immigration destination schools are being affected by challenges that come with this increasing population of students. High schools that are experiencing demographic shifts from being predominantly African American to Latino are not prepared to meet the needs of these students. Moreover, additional challenges that arise with this group of students involve addressing their socio emotional and acculturation needs. This qualitative study examined how key personnel in an urban high school responded to a swift …

Educational Challenges Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Learners In Canada And In The United States Of America: A Systematic Literature Review, Fabiana Menezes

Major Papers

This systematic literature review (SLR) examined Canadian and American peer-reviewed articles published in the past ten years (2009 – 2019) which pointed out the main challenges that affect culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners in their educational settings in Canada and United States. More specifically, it scrutinized the central theories that have been used to explain the main challenges that hinder the success of CLD learners in their educational settings in North American schools. Four key themes emerged in the analysis of fifteen peer-reviewed articles: A research-to-practice gap in the education of CLD learners; inappropriate referrals of CLD learners to …

Nursing Faculties’ Perceptions Of Teaching Students Who Speak English As Second Language, Natalia S. Ruiz Muniz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing students who speak English as a second language (ESL) often struggle due to language barriers, the complexity of the medical vocabulary, and the knowledge base that they must develop in a short time. These struggles may be due in part to the preparation of nursing educators to meet the specific needs of the ESL student population. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to develop a greater understanding of nurse educators' perceptions when teaching ESL nursing students. The conceptual framework used was Cummins' framework for the development of language proficiency. Four research questions guided this basic qualitative research …

English As A Second Language Teachers' Perspectives Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy For Saudi University Students, Maysa Safi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFor many years, the integration of English language into Saudi Arabia's culture, education, and curriculum were not of importance. A gap in literature exists regarding this phenomenon of localizing regional teaching practices, or pedagogy, to better meet Saudi students' learning needs while adhering to the social, political, and cultural constraints of Saudi society. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perspectives of university-level English as a second language (ESL) teachers who have taught in Saudi Arabia concerning the use of culturally relevant pedagogy to provide students with effective and engaging instruction. The conceptual framework was based …