Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Redefining “Lgbtq+ Interculture” In Academia, Samantha Winterberg, Michelle Mccraney

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face discrimination, harassment, and exclusion in academic settings, which can negatively impact their academic and personal success. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to experience negative mental health conditions, drop out of school, and struggle to find employment after graduation. Cultural humility fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is critical to ensuring an equitable educational experience for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Intercultural understanding is essential to develop cultural humility so that attitudes reflect empathy and tolerance of differences, including sexual or gender orientation variances or ambiguity. Understanding how …

Book Review: Just Schools: Building Equitable Collaborations With Families And Communities, Tara Bartlett

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

K–12 schools are facing a syndemic of critical junctures right now: On the one hand, school communities and families are still reeling from the effects of racial reckonings and the COVID-19 pandemic, while on the other hand, school leaders and decision-makers are grappling with how to effectively engage families and students amid demands and realizations for equity and justice. The book Just Schools: Building Equitable Collaborations with Families and Communities (2020) by Ann Ishimaru provides tools and pathways forward. Ishimaru first describes how our education systems have long been incubators of oppression and disengagement, steeped in colonizing methods and deficit …

Academic Acculturation, Linguistic Diversity, And Inclusivity In Online Adult Learning, Jeannie Elizabeth Headley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of practice addressed in this study is that online writing tutors in higher education are challenged to support multilingual adult online learners in the development of standard academic writing, including learners of different English dialects. The purpose of the qualitative basic study was to explore the challenges writing tutors face while supporting multilingual adult online learners in the development of standard academic writing. Social constructivism theory was used to bridge the gap between old concepts and new concepts of writing pedagogy used by participants to mitigate linguistic diversity challenges. Seven one-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with writing center …

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 …

Predictive Nature Of Teacher Traits On Academic Achievement Of African-American Students, Lacoñia Rayelle Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, biases, a lack of cultural diversity in teacher and administrative staff and misunderstanding about methods for teaching low socioeconomic students have related to the underperformance of African-American students when compared with their European American peers. Therefore, this quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the impact of teachers' ethnicity, years of experience, and motives of hope and fear on the academic success of African-American students in reading and math. Data were collected from 55 7th- and 8th-grade teachers from a charter school system (25 reading teachers and 30 math teachers) using a survey and the Multi Motive Grid. Forward …

Local Government Programs For The Learning Of English Among Adult Spanish-Speaking Immigrants, Charlotte E. Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spanish is the second-largest speaking language in the United States, and while many government agencies have developed programs to help immigrants learn English, little is known about how program participants perceive the programs in terms of utility in transitioning to life in America or the usefulness of skills learned. Using Blalock's racial power-threat theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of one such program in a mid-Atlantic city specifically oriented toward Spanish speaking immigrants. Data were collected from 15 adults, Spanish speaking program facilitators and a review of publicly available documentation …

System Challenges For Bilingual Clinical Social Work In Forensic Settings, Roberto G. Arroyo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little information exists about challenges that bilingual clinical social workers face when engaging individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in forensic settings, which may influence the efficacy of services provided. Bilingual clinical social workers in the U.S. state of South Carolina lack operational guidelines to assist people with LEP who are involved in forensic matters. The purpose of this study was to explore challenges that affect delivery of bilingual clinical social work to people with LEP in forensic settings. Ecological systems theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Purposive and snowball sampling methods led to the participation of …

Cultural Integration In Newly Formed Public-Private Partnership Organizations, Scotty O. Izevbigie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) formed public-private partnerships (PPPs) with local and international private companies during the construction of the Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) project. These PPPs had employees from different cultural backgrounds who brought new cultures, ideas, innovation, and experiences to their PPPs. The limited PPP literature did indicate that different cultures should be properly integrated to avoid challenges and conflicts in the new organization. If not properly managed and integrated, cultural conflict can create communication problems, increased employee dissatisfaction, higher turnover, and poor employee performance. Using Risberg's communication theoretical foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study …

Counselor Educators' Experiences With Emotionally Charged Exchanges While Teaching Multicultural Counseling, Marsha Milan-Nichols

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor educators foster the multicultural counseling competence of counselors-in-training; however, counselor educators face challenges that include emotionally charged exchanges that may might impact counselor educators' relationship with students. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate counselor educators' experiences with emotionally charged exchanges related to teaching multicultural counseling. The ecological systems theory was used as a conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 4 counselor educators from Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs-accredited counselor education programs in the United States shared their knowledge of these emotionally charged exchanges through semistructured phone interviews in their natural settings. …

Effectiveness Of A University Bilingual Degree Program Among Overseas Chinese, Sherry Liu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The language and communication skills of foreign students have long been a concern in

U.S. universities. The majority of U.S. universities require foreign students for whom English is not their native language to take English language proficiency tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as part of admission requirements. Some universities have included interventions to increase the success of Chinese students against their struggle to understand English course content. One such program is the Gateway to Successful Tomorrow Bilingual Degree Program (GST). The gap to be addressed on this study was that the effectiveness of …

Multicultural Psychosocial Education And The Malleability Of The Epistemic Essentialist Entitativity Processes, Kathryn Marie Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive epistemic systems are reasoning structures that promote an individual's categorization of group members through processes known as cognitive epistemic essentialist entitativity (EEE). The propensity of these processes to become stagnant is known to lead to stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors when individuals are presented with ambiguous information about outgroup members. Educational materials about the contributions, cultural patterns, and social customs of ethnic and cultural groups can reduce stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors. However, whether being presented this material through multicultural psychosocial education in a formal setting is an effective strategy to influence the malleability of EEE processes has not been addressed …

Religious Beliefs And Counseling Ethical Guidelines: Challenges For Catholic Counselors, Theophilus T. Okpara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Catholic Church tenets are in dissonance with American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical guidelines regarding same-sex sexual orientation. While homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual II as a disorder, the Catholic Church upholds same-sex sexual acts as grave depravity and disordered. Catholic counselors may face the dilemma of adhering to their religious tenets or their professional guidelines in working with gay men and lesbian women clients. Previous research has indicated that values conflicts between religious beliefs and ACA Ethical Codes on same-sex sexual orientation have resulted in legal issues due to counselors refusing therapeutic relationships or providing …

Acculturation, Identity Formation, And Mental Health-Related Issues Among Young Adult Ethiopian Immigrants, Sam A. Wolde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigration is a contributing factor to population growth in the United States. Ethiopian immigrants who are residing in the United States constitute the second-largest African immigrant group next to Nigeria. The effect of immigrants' identity formation and acculturation process on their social and emotional wellness has drawn behavioral and social scientists' attention. Still, limited research has been devoted to exploring Ethiopian immigrants' acculturation and identity formation processes and how these processes shape 1.5- and second-generation immigrants' perceptions of mental health-related issues. This phenomenological study explored identity formation, acculturation processes, and mental health beliefs in 1.5- and second-generation Ethiopian immigrants. Face-to-face …

An Empirical Assessment Of Multicultural Education Programs In Reducing Islamophobia On A College Campus, Amin Asfari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anti-Muslim prejudice has increased precipitously since the attacks of September 11, 2001, including prejudicial effects related to socio-cultural differences on college campuses. The purpose of this quasi-experimental exploratory research was to understand the effectiveness of multicultural education programs (MEPs) in reducing anti-Muslim prejudice in higher education. Grounded in intergroup threat theory and frame analysis, it was hypothesized that students who are not engaged in multicultural affairs will perceive Muslims as more threatening and will therefore hold more prejudiced views than would students who active in multicultural affairs. The sample consisted of 125 respondents (N = 51 from a group participating …

Haitian Adult Immigrants As Learners And Parents, Dayana Octavien Philippi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Haitian immigrant parents often face challenges to visibly engage in their children's education in the United States due to social, cultural, and economic factors. This study addressed parent involvement (PI) among Haitian immigrant parents of adolescents in a Florida community. The purpose of this exploratory, multiple-case study was to better understand connections between immigrant Haitian parents' beliefs and learning experiences and their experiences supporting their adolescents' learning. Three research questions were developed to explore Haitian adults' lived experiences and perceptions of themselves as keepers of knowledge and as learners, their experiences and perceived roles as parents, and the resources they …

Cultural Relevance In An English Language Learners' Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study, Katherine L. Roe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities typically provide remedial reading coursework for English language learners (ELL) to develop academic reading proficiency. However, a disproportionate number of ELLs fail to exit remedial classes. Prior research has indicated cultural relevance can motivate and stimulate learning; however, the extent to which a culturally relevant classroom curriculum makes a difference in the ELL classroom experience has not been fully explored. This study describes the experience of cultural relevance in an academic reading ELL college class. Moll's funds of knowledge was used as the conceptual framework in a qualitative case study to examine how cultural strengths and knowledge …

Using Cultural Cognition For Learning English: A Mexican Immigrant Family's Perspective, Cherri Louise Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem focused on the 11 million Mexican immigrant families in the United States who speak little or no English. Their stated needs for English literacy, socioeconomic and academic success, and the increasing calls for xenophobic legislation throughout the nation indicated a need to investigate alternative pedagogies to compel positive social change through language fluency. In this case study, Mexican immigrant second-language learners and their descendants were asked how they wanted to learn English and if using native culture as a learning tool would help in achieving their literacy goals. Prior researchers had not asked those questions. Three adults …

Validation Of Parsons' Structural Functionalism Theory Within A Multicultural Human, Sandra Simone Minott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shared values and norms are at the core for unifying different cultures socializing or working to fulfill the goals and mission of organizations. Researchers have not examined how employees representing different cultures socialize via shared norms and values in human service companies. The purpose of this ethnography study was to explore the process of 8 culturally different employees working together at a human service organization. Using purposeful sampling, multicultural employees were selected from 4 departments within the human service company. Face-to-face interviews, field notes, questionnaire, and participant observation were the tools for collecting the data. Descriptive coding, value coding, and …

School Counselors' Perceived Multicultural Competence, Adherence To The Asca National Model, And Students' Performance, Jessica Helene Conroy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multicultural competence (MCC), despite its integral part in school counseling and the school setting, is not applied within the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national model (NM). Rather, the ASCA NM is a guideline that is expected of school counselors with limited opportunity for deviation. Without incorporating multicultural practices in the school setting, student performance may suffer. Student performance affects everyone who is learning, working, or has a child who is or will be at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to identify if perceived MCC, as measured by the MCCTS-R, and/or adherence to the ASCA …

The Lived Experiences Of Limited English Proficiency, Spanish-Speaking Male Ex-Offenders, Paula Nery Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Spanish-speaking men in the United States with limited English proficiency following their release from prison. The study specifically examined the experiences of these men in their efforts to access health care treatment, housing, education, and employment in Central Pennsylvania. An empirical, phenomenological research design was employed that used self-stigma, critical race, and self-determination theories for in-depth interviews with 8 men who spent 5 to 24 years in prison. A tiered coding method was used to generate 6 interconnected themes that tell the story of these men's lives: …

Counseling Canadian Aboriginal Peoples: Alliance, Outcome, And Counselor Training Level, Sidney Shaw

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study evaluated predictors of outcome in counseling with Canadian Aboriginal peoples. The therapeutic alliance and counselor training level were predictor variables analyzed in relationship to client outcome. The client’s rating of the alliance was correlated with outcome and counselor training level was not significantly correlated with outcome.

Making Sense Of Exit Exam Policies: A Phenomenological Study Of English Language Development Teachers, Scott N. Forrest

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of understanding regarding how sensemaking could be incorporated into a professional development program to improve teacher quality and student achievement. The lived experiences of high school English language development teachers as they interpret English language development and one state's high school exit exam instructional policies were explored in this phenomenological study. The conceptual framework that supported this study is based on the theory of sensemaking, the processes by which educators interpret and implement policies. The participants were English language development teachers of English learners who have not yet passed the exit exam. Data were collected through …