Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Student Engagement And Academic Performance Of Iraqi Refugee Community College Students In America, Lucinda Scheidt Hollands

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The framework of culturally relevant pedagogy was used to explore how Iraqi refugee students defined academic success, described their optimal learning environment, and remained engaged in college despite cultural differences. Knowledge gained through this research encourages positive social change to embrace diversity and help newcomers adapt to American educational systems.

Exploring Factors That Contribute To Academic Persistence For Undergraduate Hispanic Nontraditional Students At Hispanic Serving Institutions In The Southeast, Floralba Arbelo Marrero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the academic persistence of 10 undergraduate Hispanic nontraditional students enrolled at a public and a private not for profit Hispanic Serving Institution in the southeastern region of the United States, each in their last year of a bachelor degree program. Using a phenomenological research design and an ecological and sociocultural framework the findings indicated that family context, personal aspirations, campus environment within Hispanic Serving Institutions, life challenges, and English language learning each play a vital role in the persistence behaviors of this population. These factors interact at the student and institutional levels to provide students with internal …

Classroom Intercultural Competence In Teacher Education Students, Interns, And Alumni, Christine K. Holland

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of a student teaching internship upon the classroom intercultural competence (CIC) of teacher education students and alumni. Phase I employed quantitative methodology to compare the intercultural competence as measured by Ross, Thornson, McDonald, and Arrastia’s (2009) Cross Cultural Competence Inventory (3CI) for three groups. The 3CI is a 63-item survey that uses corresponding questions to assess intercultural competence. Survey items are scored with a 6-point, strongly agree-to-strongly disagree Likert scale (Thornson, 2010). The three groups included teacher education students enrolled in a field observation course, students enrolled in …

New Dwc Syllabus Using Nonwestern Sources, Aubrey Moore

Education Student Scholarship

This project presents a new, annotated syllabus for the Development of Western Civilization (DWC) curriculum at Providence College. The syllabus follows most of the same topics discussed in 3rd semester DWC, but instead uses almost all nonwestern sources for reading material. The purpose of the project was to gain a better understanding of western civilization while providing an alternative to how people learn about the society they live in, to better understand other societies, and help to put historical events into a broader context.

The Academic Effects Of Learning Styles On Esl (English As A Second Language) Students In Intensive English Language Centers, Baderaddin Mahmood Yassin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the learning styles of ESL students (students who learn English as a second language). The focus in this study was on the ESL Arab Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates) students who study English as a second language in Intensive English Language Centers (IELCs) in the United States. The study explored the ESL Arab Gulf students' learning style preference and how they are affected by different variables such as cultural background, gender, and language level in IELCs. ESL Arab Gulf students were administered the VARK Learning Styles questionnaire. It measures several sensory types of …

What’S In A Test? Constructions Of Literacy And Its Implications For English Proficiency Test Design, Josye Marie Brookter

Dissertations

Although college-level composition pedagogy is becoming more open to language diversity, some crucial current-traditional vestiges remain, particularly in proficiency exams. Too often these exams only identify students who are slipping through the cracks of literacy instruction, while the definition of English represented by this test limits alternate notions of writing and literacy. The test represents local, institutional values about written English, although those values must also be consistent with national standards. Typically, administrators, teachers, and students feel compelled to choose traditional forms of writing over postmodern ones, a choice that is seldom discussed in the literature. Conflicting perspectives of English …

Qualitative Analysis Of The Impact Of A Cultural Partnership On The Cultural Orientation Of Undergraduates, Sadie Liedall, Sarah Lieske

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This study compared changes in the Cultural Orientation of four groups of undergraduate students in a course, Human Relations in a Multicultural Society. The hypothesis for this study was that the intentional, cross-cultural experiences the students experienced in the course did have an impact on the Cultural Orientation of each student. A convenience sample of 85 students registered for 4 sections during fall 2011. The course design provided for intercultural partnerships with individuals from diverse populations outside the classroom and for reflection on such interactions. Each student completed (1) minimum of 18 hours service learning at an agency with persons …

Factors Influencing The Institutionalization Of Diversity In Higher Education, Kelly S. Meier

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

To understand the impact of diversity in higher education, it is important to consider the critical role that diversity plays in the educational process. This requires a broader understanding of the influence diversity can have on the curricular, co-curricular, and interpersonal experience of a developing college student (Denson & Chang, 2009). Strategies for anchoring diversity as a core value or relating it to the inner workings of an institution are in demand (Chun & Evans, 2008). The purpose of this study was to identify highly actualized diversity initiatives and practices that can be replicated at other institutions meeting the sample …

Contextualizing The Path To Academic Success: Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students Gaining Voice And Agency In Higher Education, Melissa Holmes, Cristina Fanning, Amanda Morales, Pedro Espinoza, Socorro Herrera

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This ethnographic case study documents the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) first-generation immigrant students as they developed their sense of voice and personal agency at a predominantly White, Midwestern university. The study is framed within the larger context of an ongoing, longitudinal study on the BESITOS (Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students Interacting To Obtain Success) model of recruitment and retention (Herrera & Morales, 2005; Herrera, Morales, Holmes, & Terry, 2011-2012), which was developed in 1999 to address the multifaceted assets and needs of Latina/o learners in higher education. The model takes into account literature on CLD student recruitment and retention …

Chemical Education Experiences From The English Language Learner Perspective, Annette Flores

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a region populated by Spanish-speaking immigrants and their descendants producing a large English Language Learner (ELL) student population. ELLs have historically had low literacy rates and achievement levels when compared to their counterparts. In order to address this achievement gap, previous research efforts and curriculum interventions have focused on language acquisition as being the determining factor in ELL education, with little attention given to academic content acquisition. More current research efforts have transitioned into English language acquisition through academic content instruction; this present research study specifically focuses on ELL experiences in chemistry. Participants were …

Writing Program Design For Esl Writers, Kacie M. Kiser

English Theses & Dissertations

Research and scholarship in the field of second-language writing have suggested that English as second language students (ESLs) require different modes of instruction than their native English speaking peers within the composition classroom (Matsuda, 1996; Silva, 1994). Yet ESL students are commonly marginalized in institutions' writing programs due to several commonplace beliefs shared by administrators that ESL students can be taught according to the same standards as mainstream students. Therefore, writing program administrators and instructors often do not have specific knowledge of ESL writing issues and, thus, do not know how to pedagogically accommodate these students or design a program …

A Cultural Approach To Understanding Professional Experiences Of Foreign-Born Faculty In U.S. Educational Leadership Preparation Programs, Iryna M. Khrabrova

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate professional experiences of foreign-born faculty members serving in U.S. educational leadership preparation programs utilizing a cultural approach to discern their lived experiences related to professional life. Cultural values reflected in professional life experiences were explored. The information gathered through phenomenological approach was used to analyze the influence of national background on the professional experiences of foreign-born faculty in educational leadership preparation programs.

African American Students’ Experiences, Achievement And Outcomes; Examined Through The Lenses Of Teacher Expectations, Racial Congruence And Stereotype Threat, Carla Postell

Dissertations

The phenomenological study examined the retrospective perceptions of academic experiences and outcomes of 13 African American full or part-time college students enrolled in either a community college or university located in an urban area. For the purpose of this study, educational experiences are defined as self-reported academic achievements and perceived success levels attained by participants during high school. Academic outcomes are the self-reported academic achievement and success level attained at their colleges and universities. The researcher interviewed participants, using a one-on-one interview process to conduct the interviews.

This study examined influences of race congruence between students and teachers. This topic …

A Study Of Two Generations Of Culturally Diverse Community College Students Views On Leader Attributes In Self And Others, Paula Jeanine Hodkowski

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

One community college mission is preparing students for the expectations and opportunities of the workplace including roles as collaborators and leaders. Increasingly, representatives from “cultures” of generation, gender, and diverse ethnicities are gaining an education in community colleges. Research supports that cultural aspects and views of others impact an individual's leader identity.

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to determine if participants representing millennial and generation X self-report leader behaviors of “modeling the way” and “enabling others to act”; and rate leader traits in others responding to “fits my image of a leader;” And to determine if their …

Restoring Relationships: Indigenous Ways Of Knowing Meet Undergraduate Environmental Studies And Science, Nancy Leigh Rich

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As places to engage with changing and complex ideas, institutions of higher education offer a logical site for bringing Indigenous ways of knowing together with environmental studies and science. However, profound differences between Indigenous and Western knowledges, as well as ongoing colonialism, cultural biases of science, and the nature of mainstream academia, have discouraged this endeavor. Recent developments in undergraduate pedagogy now point the way.

Using critical inquiry and qualitative methodology, this comparative study developed recommendations for practice based on current undergraduate teaching practices that bring Indigenous ways of knowing together with environmental studies and science across a diversity of …

English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement Of International Students: A Meta-Analysis, Rachawan Wongtrirat

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Studies have been conducted to determine the impact of English language on the academic achievement of international students in higher education institutions in the United States. The results of these investigations have been varied and at times contradictory. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate studies from 1987–2009 that examined the correlation between the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) on grade point average (GPA) and course completion. The results indicated that the TOEFL has a small predictive ability on GPA and course completion of international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The findings are …

Making The Internet Friendlier For Mfl Educators, Pilar Munday

Languages Faculty Publications

Tools and tips for the foreign language teacher (particularly Spanish teachers).

College Search Factors That Impact College Matriculation For African American Students: Implications For Policy And Praxis, Brandi Nicole Van Horn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College access is a top educational priority in the United States as millions of federal and state dollars are funneled into programs to ensure college access for all students, minorities and low-income students in particular (U.S. Department of Education, 2009a; U.S. Department of Education, 2009b). Over 80% of high school students and their parents aspire to attain postsecondary education (Dounay, 2006; Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2007). Yet, minorities' and low-income students' ability to penetrate postsecondary doors remains relatively depressed in comparison to their non-minority high-income student peers (Freeman, 2005; Perna, 2007). Most of the research related to college access …

Parental Influences On Hmong University Students' Success, Andrew J. Supple, Shuntay Z. Mccoy, Yudan Wang

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This study reports findings from a series of focus groups conducted on Hmong American university students. The purpose of the focus groups was to understand how, from the perspective of Hmong American students themselves, acculturative stress and parents influenced academic success. Findings of a thematic analysis centered on general themes across focus group respondents that related to parental socialization, gendered socialization, and ethnic identification. Each identified themes is discussed in reference to gendered patterns of experiences in Hmong American families and in reference to academic success.

Motivation Factors As Indicators Of Academic Achievement: A Comparative Study Of Student-Athletes And Non-Athletes Academic And Social Motivation, Jonell Pedescleaux

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate non-cognitive motivational factors as indicators of academic achievement of male athletes and male non-athletes as measured by a secondary data analysis of the College Student Inventory (CSI) from Fall 2003 to Fall 2005. Deci and Ryan's (2000) self-determination theory provided the conceptual framework for this study.

The CSI was administered through a survey technique. Participants in the survey sample were selected from 142 first semester freshman male athletes and male non-athletes enrolled at a Midwestern University.

The data gathered from the CSI provided information on non-cognitive variables of academic and social motivation …

Language Learning Interest At A New Management University In Multilingual Singapore, Glenn Wharton

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The purpose of this article is fourfold: first, to report on a university-wide survey assessing demand among bilingual undergraduates for foreign language study in a management university in Singapore; second, to determine those factors influencing students' foreign language choice and also those influencing decisions not to pursue foreign language study; third, to discuss how the results contribute to curricular planning for foreign language provision; and fourth, to provide readers with a non-U.S. or European perspective on the issues of foreign language learning interest and choice. Using an online survey, results from 708 respondents indicated that, although already bilingual, an overwhelming …

African American Student Retention: A Study Of The Effects Of An Intrusive Advising Intervention At A Career College, Deanna R. Burt

Dissertations

This casestudy integrates mixed methodologies to examine the retention effects of an "intrusive advising" intervention using two groups of at-risk, first-time, first-year, African American students enrolled in a predominantly-White, career ("proprietary") college. By design, the study uses data from mixed sources to respond to the overarching research question, "How does intrusive advising influence the retention of African American students who are at risk of attrition?"

Quantitative data was collected and analyzed using a quasi-experimental research design methodology. Qualitative data was collected and analyzed from focus groups, personal interviews, and field notes as a means to provide deeper understanding of the …

Factors That Contribute To The Educational Success Of Haitian-American Women, Magdana Louis

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence academic success among Haitian-American women.

Methodology. A survey research method was used in this study. A quantitative approach was taken when analyzing the data. For this study, 213 Haitian-American women with college degrees completed the Inventory of College Success for Haitian-American Women. One descriptive analysis was conducted and 10 hypotheses were tested by one-way ANOVA.

Results. This study examined 16 dependent variables and 10 independent variables with 10 hypotheses. The results indicated that Haitian-American women perceived self-motivation, financial assistance, accessibility to resources, self-perception, time management, spiritual …

Cross-Cultural Competence Assessment Instruments For The U.S Military Academy's Semester Abroad Program, Scott E. Womack

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Microblogging On Twitter: Social Networking In Intermediate Italian Classes, Enza Antenos

Department of World Languages and Cultures Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Second language acquisition (SLA) research has explored the significance of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in educational models for second language (L2) pedagogy. Recently, the proliferation of Web 2.0 technologies has become the focus of many teachers and researchers who study the impact of Web 2.0 innovations on L2 teaching and learning. The majority of students enrolled in language courses in postsecondary institutions, too, are “digital natives”—a generation of “‘native speakers’ of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet”(Prensky, 2001, p. 1)—who desire obtaining information in new ways. Web 2.0 provides the core for an internet experience that is …

Motivation, Language Learning Strategies, And Course Performance Among English Speaking College Students Learning A Romance Language, Kathia Flemens

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Only 8% of American college students study a foreign language (Christian, Johnson, Malone & Rifkin, 2003). Part of the reason stems from a decrease in foreign language requirements from four to two years at many secondary schools, thus reducing the number of students exposed to foreign language learning (Brecht & Rivers, 2000; Congressional Hearing Document, 2001). This creates a shortage of qualified human resources proficient in a second language at a time when an influx of immigration and globalization have created an increasing need to learn a foreign language (General Accounting Office, 2002). Meeting the human capital foreign language deficit …

First-Generation, Income-Eligible Peer Mentor Study, Charlotte L. Giscombe

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine how mentoring affects the peer mentor. Despite the proliferation of peer mentoring programs, little research has been conducted to consider how mentoring affects the peer mentor's attitudes, leadership ability, and academic accomplishments when engaging in a mentoring relationship.

The focus of this study is on the at-risk peer mentors who are part of the federally funded Student Support Services (SSS) located on a midwestern university campus, and seeks to ascertain whether their grade point average, retention, graduation rates, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, and leadership abilities are changed by serving in a mentoring relationship. Since these …

Application Of The Interactional Model Of Cultural Diversity To Identify Diversity Climate Factors Associated With Organizational Effectiveness In Accredited U.S. Physical Therapist Education Programs, Elizabeth Francis Giles

Health Services Research Dissertations

Accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs are responsible for the preparation of its graduates to provide culturally sensitive care to meet the physical therapy needs of an increasingly diverse population. While the importance of workforce diversity has been articulated, the effect of diversity climate on organizational effectiveness within accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs has not been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity (IMCD, Cox, 1993) as a theoretical framework to identify diversity climate factors associated with organizational effectiveness in accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs. A descriptive, …

Cultural Disparities Of Sat Scores And The Influence On Higher Education Opportunities For African American And Latino Students, Nichelle Hoover

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Inequalities in the distribution of education resources and cultural identification can lead to lower SAT scores for African American and Latino students. By using SAT scores as one of the primary sources to determine admission to institutions of higher education, educators may be denying minority students admission to a variety of colleges and universities, depriving the student of his or her best choice and the college of an engaged and diverse student body, and contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities in the system. The evidence contained in this literature review shows that, given the current system, those students' SAT scores …

Attitudes Toward And Knowledge Of Affirmative Action In Higher Education, Erika Ann Carr

Dissertations

Affirmative action has become an increasingly important topic in higher education because colleges and universities are key battlegrounds regarding how affirmative action policies are enacted. Senior-level higher education administrators have historically taken the lead in shaping affirmative action policies in higher education, and knowing their own community's standpoints on the policies could assist them in deciding how to proceed in defending affirmative action in the face of increasing opposition.

This study measures individuals' attitudes toward and knowledge of affirmative action within one university in the state of Michigan, where affirmative action was banned through a state-wide election in November 2006. …