Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Reflections In The Mirror: An Examination Of Racially Congruent Mentoring Of Black Teacher Candidates In A Teacher Education Program, Mary Louise Gregory

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The high demand for Black educators in K-12 schools across the United States has caused several teacher training programs to rethink how they prepare Black teacher candidates for the teaching workforce (Andrews et al., 2019; Blazar, 2024; Milner & Howard, 2004). Improving teacher candidate training, especially for Black teacher candidates can boost K-12 Black teacher representation. Literature on Black teacher candidate’s experiences while being mentored identifies several challenges that include issues with implicit bias, microaggressions, stereotyping and other occurrences of racial discrimination (Daly et al., 2024; Hampton et al., 2008; Kardos & Johnson-Moore, 2010; Rodriguez et al., 2020). The process …

Examining The Relationship Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Preparation For Ethnic Studies: The Role Of Unconscious Bias, La Taschya Renee Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between cultural competency and teacher preparedness for Ethnic Studies, and seeks to understand whether unconscious bias influences that relationship. California’s Assembly Bill 101 mandates that all high school seniors take Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest school district in California, the second largest in the U.S., and the fifth most segregated school district in the nation. With 44% of White high school teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District situated in the north region and a significantly less presence throughout the other three regions, the question of …

Response To Intervention Implementation With Culturally Diverse Students, Alysia R. Chatman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study examined how elementary educators implement response to intervention (RTI) and multitiered systems of support with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Drawing on self-determination theory and culturally relevant pedagogy, the researcher conducted semistructured interviews with five participants, three classroom teachers, one interventionist, and one campus administrator from three Title I elementary schools in a large suburban Texas district. Transcripts were analyzed through thematic coding. Four themes emerged: (1) training and preparedness for RTI implementation, (2) administrator support and follow-through, (3) understanding and application of culturally responsive teaching, and (4) RTI meeting structure and process. Participants reported a …

Building English Language Awareness In Pre-Service Content Teachers Across Thailand Through An Ai-Assisted Clil Approach, Thana Kruawong

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

Faith, Justice, And Language: Equipping Christian Teachers For Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogies, Grace Inae Blum

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay argues that Christian teacher educators must integrate linguistically sustaining pedagogies into teacher preparation as a faithful response to God’s call to justice, love, and hospitality. In classrooms shaped by increasing linguistic diversity, these practices move beyond accommodating multilingual learners to affirming and sustaining their linguistic and cultural identities. The essay begins by clarifying key concepts (Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Linguistically Responsive Teaching, and Translanguaging) and exploring their intersections with faith-based commitments. It then presents a theological rationale rooted in Scripture, emphasizing diversity as part of God’s design, justice as a biblical mandate, and love as a guiding ethic. Finally, …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Clash Of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (Edi) And Anti‐Woke‐Ism: Reclaiming And Re‐Storying Edi For Thriving Communities, Ardavan Eizadirad, Sabreena Ghaffar Siddiqui

Education Faculty Publications

This commentary examines the evolution of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) discourses, critiquing its shift from grassroots activism to a performative tool co‐opted by institutions and weaponized by politicians. It addresses concerns from the antiwoke backlash and advocates for reframing EDI as a community‐driven framework for thriving communities, fostering belonging and engagement, through data‐driven decision‐making that facilitates transformative systemic change.

Integrating Goal-Setting Into An Urban Community College Developmental Mathematics Course: A Multi-Perspective Learning Experience, Tamie S. Dickson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Developmental mathematics (DM) students often encounter systemic and contextual obstacles in higher education. Low self-efficacy, math anxiety, multiple external demands, and pervasive gaps in prerequisite knowledge can all undermine the strategic behaviors needed to manage the academic environment independently. Although DM reforms are widely researched, the literature lacks a firsthand perspective on the daily processes students apply as they assume control over their learning. This qualitative action research study investigated the integration of intentional goal-setting into a recently redesigned one-level pilot DM course at an open-access, urban community college. The practitioner-researcher created the PATHway framework—rooted in Zimmerman’s (2000) three-phase Self-Regulated …

Effectiveness Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Service Learning With English Language Learners Via Zoom, Donita Grissom, Padideh Fattahi Marnani, Sophie Cuocci, Irina Mclaughlin

Journal of English Learner Education

This study investigates service-learning experiences for university students in a teacher certification program, explored through the lens of sociocultural theory. Data was collected from pre-service teachers (PST) involved in service learning conducted virtually using Zoom with Vietnamese pre-service teachers. Data was in the form of surveys, which included short reflections and yes/no responses. Findings show that the service-learning program allowed PST to have the opportunity to apply the strategies learned in their coursework with ELs and increased their sense of preparation as a result. Pre-service teachers reported the service-learning communities of practice to be beneficial for their ELs. Implications highlight …

Transdisciplinarity Through A Functional Approach In The Content Areas: Commonalities For School Teachers, Karen L. Terrell, Luciana C. De Oliveira, Jia Gui

Journal of English Learner Education

In 2020, the WIDA Consortium released a revised English language development standards framework that integrates a functional approach to language development, grounded in systemic functional linguistics, across core subjects: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Central to this framework are four Key Language Uses—Narrate, Inform, Explain, and Argue. While this holistic approach is promising, it poses challenges for elementary and middle-grade teachers and ESOL specialists, who often teach multiple subjects. To ensure all teachers can implement this approach effectively, the integration of functional language must be simplified for generalist instructors. This article explores how identifying linguistic commonalities across …

Exploring Language Through Systemic Functional Linguistics: Importance Of Communicating And Developing Academic Language For Multilingual Learners, Yana Shifrina-Piljovin

Journal of English Learner Education

Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a comprehensive theory of language that offers a unique perspective on how we use language to communicate and create meaning. SFL provides educators with a powerful theoretical framework for understanding how language functions in various contexts and how this knowledge can be applied to enhance classroom instruction. Developed by linguist Michael Halliday in the 1960s, SFL has become an influential framework for understanding linguistic metafunctions, from everyday conversations to academic discourse. The "systemic" aspect of SFL refers to the idea that language is a network of systems, each offering a set of choices for expressing …

The Benefit Of Qualified English Language Teachers In Non-English-Speaking Countries, Tina M. Allen-Abulhassan

Journal of English Learner Education

Abstract

This study explores the impact of qualified English language teachers on English Language Learners (ELLs) in their home countries, assessing how English language instruction can enhance their preparedness for higher education in Western universities. The need for effective English language education is underscored by the scarcity of qualified ESL instructors, which leaves L2 learning ill-equipped for academic success. Utilizing Vygotsky’s social development theory, particularly the Zone of Proximal Development, this research examines the role of social interactions with qualified native speakers in fostering language proficiency and academic achievement. The literature review highlights significant barriers ELLs face, including inadequate teaching …

Utilizing Interactive Ebook For Language Learning: Designing A Computer-Assisted Approach For Basic English Listening, Ita Sarmita Samad, Umiyati Jabri, Ismail Ismail, Mustakim Mustakim, Rahmad Risan, Imam Akbar

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The low listening skill ability of the students at Muhammadiyah University of Enrekang is a challenge because it is often making them failing to obtain an English competency certificate as a requirement for a proposal seminar. This research aims to develop an interactive eBook to help the students improve their listening skills by focusing on 2 things, doing needs analysis and designing eBook listening prototype. This research uses the research and development (R&D) design. There are 9 English lecturers and 40 students as participants which taken purpossively. The instrument used is a survey and analyzed qualitatively. The results show that …

The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching The Worlds Of Black Poetry To High School Students, Mary Beth Cancienne Phd, Hermione Dewitt, Zoe Mcdowell, Kaleigh D. Phelps, Liz Shanks James Madison University

Virginia English Journal

This article titled The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching the Worlds of Black Poetry to High School Students features lesson plans that high school English graduate candidates wrote in a high school English methods course after participating in the decennial Furious Flower Poetry Conference in September of 2024 at James Madison University. High School poetry lessons featured are based on the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, Jericho Brown, Nikki Giovanni, Sophia Elhillo, DaMaris B. Hill, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and Yalie Kamara. Poetic themes and craft taught and discussed in the lesson plans include identity, language, culture, hope, symbolism, tone, diction, and …

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Visual Literacy, English Learners, And The Slider, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

The article looks at some of the ways “degrees of intensity” can be taught and practiced with visual supports such as sliders, graphs, or emojis, with a focus on English learners of all ages.

Foundations In Bilingual Education, Eln123, Fall 2025: Syllabus, Bede Mccormack

Open Educational Resources

Foundations of Bilingual Education (ELN123) is a writing intensive course that requires students to be engaged in several high and low stakes writing activities throughout the semester. This requirement will be fulfilled through several informal written assignments and a formal written assignment. Course topics include cultural, psychological, socioeconomic, linguistic, cognitive and curricular factors that affect the academic achievement of emergent bilingual students. It introduces the philosophical, legal, and sociological aspects of bilingual education, and prepares reflective educators through the use of a teacher education ePortfolio. It also satisfies the Urban Studies requirement at LaGuardia. This course is equivalent to a …

Augusto Boal’S Forum Theater In Language And Culture Courses A Reflective Documentation, Mona Eikel-Pohen, Mona Eikel-Pohen

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

This documentation is the revised and translated version of the 2024 article Augusto Boals Forumtheater im Deutschunterricht (Eikel-Pohen 2024). It features new observations from the second iteration of a Forum Theater project in a GER 202 language and culture class from 2025 and is again based on autoethnographic notes (Rodriguez-Mejia 2023: 71). It documents the revised application of Augusto Boal’s Forum Theater applied to language and cultural teaching in a socially critical, holistic, cooperative, intercultural, and practical way. Boal’s method aims at exposing structural oppression and allows individuals to explore options for action through play. The instructor followed Boal’s model …

Multi-Generational Biases Perceived By Women To Senior Leadership Positions In Non-Profit Higher Education, Regina Watkins, Deanna R. Davis

Journal of Research Initiatives

Women remain underrepresented in senior leadership in both public and private industry and in non-profit postsecondary education. One reason that has been identified for the gender disparity in senior leadership positions is second-generation or implicit biases. The problem addressed in this study was the existence and persistence of second-generation biases that contribute to the lack of active senior women mentors, potentially inhibiting junior women from Generation X and millennials from achieving senior leadership status in non-profit higher education. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of perceptions of second-generation biases, …

Boundless Possibilities: Reimagining Blackness In Wilson Kwamogi Okello’S On Blackness, Liveliness, And What It Means To Be Human, Duane Ebesu

Journal of Research Initiatives

Wilson Kwamogi Okello's *On Blackness, Liveliness, and What It Means to Be Human* theorizes the inheritances of systemic anti-Blackness while affirming Blackness as a site of creativity, vitality, and world-making. Okello examines how Western humanism and the coloniality of knowledge have excluded and restricted Black life both socially and within educational systems and epistemology. The volume is composed of three parts and critiques the regulative logics of higher education, the aesthetics and relationality of Black life, and the pervasive reach of carceral systems. At its core, Okello proposes a reconceptualization of Blackness in terms of "liveliness," viewing it as a …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Teacher Attitudes Toward Multilingual Pedagogies, Lauren H. Ramers

Dissertations

In an increasingly globalized world, substantial numbers of multilingual learners occupy K–12 and higher education spaces bringing diverse linguistic resources that, when intentionally and appropriately leveraged, can significantly enhance English language learning outcomes. Multilingual pedagogies, which honor and build upon students' full linguistic repertoires, are essential for fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. This quantitative exploratory study investigated teachers' attitudes toward multilingual teaching with the goal of developing a reliable survey instrument—the Multilingual Pedagogy Scale (MPS)—to measure how teachers perceive language learning in multilingual classrooms and what they report doing in their classrooms.

First, a review of the research helped …

Precarious Privilege: Exploring The Intersection Of White Teacher Habitus And Social Justice In International Schools, Kevin L. Workman

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the underresearched phenomenon of White teacher allyship within an emergent diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) movement in international schools. Gaining momentum in 2020 as a digital, postcolonial counterstory, the movement exposed structural inequities and racism across the international school ecosystem. Applying an antiracist reading of Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of practice, the study analyzes how White teachers (n = 8) from diverse international contexts understand, experience, and assess their participation in DEIJ activities. Thematic analysis of interview data corroborated the digital voices, explicitly identifying White supremacy as a key force shaping the field’s doxa. The study …

Experiencing Race, Racism And Racialization In Transnational Contexts: Racial Literacies Of First-Year International Asian Students., Nasiba Norova

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research focused on exploring the racial literacies of first-year international East Asian (EA) students, specifically examining their perceptions of and experiences with race, racism, and racialized groups in various social and educational contexts in both their home countries and the United States. The study used critical ethnography to examine the perspectives of EA international students and composition faculty. It involved multiple semi-structured interviews, journal entries, racial literacy autobiographies, site document analysis, and class observations to understand how students perceived exposure to race, racism, and racialized groups and how faculty viewed the importance of racial education for international students in …

Navigating Early Intervention: The Experiences And Impact Of A Parent Coaching Model On Immigrant And Refugee Families In Rural Massachusetts, Emily Pleasant

Capstone Collection

Early Intervention (EI) programs play a critical role in supporting the developmental needs of children from birth to age three. This study explores the experiences of immigrant and refugee families engaging with EI services in rural Massachusetts, focusing particularly on the implementation and effectiveness of parent coaching models. Utilizing a mixed methods design that incorporates both narrative and phenomenological approaches, the research examines how families from culturally diverse backgrounds perceive and engage with EI services. This study discusses what barriers or facilitators they encounter throughout their journeys with Early Intervention. Preliminary findings suggest challenges related to language, cultural differences in …

The Impact Of A Multilingual Learner Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Perceptions Of Teacher Support, Mark A. Bryan

Dissertations

The population of multilingual learners is struggling to adapt to mainstream classes because the educational system has failed to support them on the same level as native English speakers. The gap in achievement and lack of teacher preparation demonstrates a clear need to support teachers who educate them. This study, a nonequivalent (pretest and posttest) control-group design combined with a cross-sectional survey design, addressed the effectiveness of a professional development series focused on best practices for teaching secondary math to multilingual learners. The professional development intervention consisted of one 45-minute initial session followed by twelve 15-minute mini lessons throughout the …

Deaf Faculty Members’ Experiences In Higher Education Institutions, Stephanie Proctor Horvath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deaf faculty members bring diverse perspectives to higher education, yet their experiences remain underexplored in academic research. The critical first year of teaching can shape their career experiences, revealing both opportunities for growth and systemic barriers. The purpose of this study was to understand deaf faculty members’ experiences, focusing on their transition into academic roles, the accommodations provided in their workplaces, and the challenges they faced. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 Deaf faculty members, whose teaching experience ranges from 1 to 30 years. In the reflexive thematic analysis and AI-coding of this data, …

Learning English On The Border: Identities, Investment, And Imagined Futures In El Paso, Texas, Jennifer Lyn Mansour

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how adult English language learners living along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas experience language learning, identity formation, and social positioning within a bilingual community. Drawing on Norton's (1995, 2013) theoretical frameworks of identity, investment, and imagined communities, the research investigates three central questions: (1) How does the relationship between English learners and the social world of a bilingual community on the U.S.-Mexico border impact their ideas about their possibilities for the future? (2) How does the use of English construct worlds that are different from those constructed in their first languages, and do learners …

A Collaborative Teaching Approach: Teaching Emergent Bilinguals In Higher Education, Erika Oliveros

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation examines the collaboration between two college instructors, one in writing and one in psychology, to enhance support for emergent bilinguals at a private university in the northeastern United States. While collaboration among educators is widely encouraged in K–12 settings, it is far less common and studied in higher education, particularly in relation to language-minoritized students. Through an action research model, this study examines how our informal exchanges evolved into a more intentional and reflective collaboration over time. Grounded in the frameworks of translanguaging (García, 2009) and community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), the study traces the evolution of our …

Stories Of California Mini-Corps Tutors: Exploring The Experiences Of Bilingual Latinx Early Preservice Teachers, Norma Rueda Santillanez

Dissertations

Restrictive language policies and practices in schools have racialized the experiences of bilingual Latinx early preservice teachers (EPSTs), leading many to internalize the belief that their language and culture are not valued. These deficit-based messages often influence their personal development and emerging professional identities. Despite the volume of scholarship about this pattern, little research has explored how this internalization shapes EPSTs’ perspectives as they move from being multilingual students educated in English-only environments to future credential program students and bilingual teachers. This critical qualitative case study examined this process as students engaged in school-based fieldwork through the California Mini-Corps program …

Benefits And Impact Of Global And Bilingual Education: Dual Master’S Degree In Spanish Language And Culture For Educators, Diana Meza, Felix Wang, Yenisei Montes De Oca

International Journal on Responsibility

The dual master’s degree program in Spanish Language and Culture (SLC) for educators represents a pioneering initiative, emphasizing internationalization and global education through collaboration between James Madison University (JMU) and the University of Salamanca (USAL). This program addresses the escalating demand for bilingual education and the growing population of Spanish speakers in the educational landscape of the United States. The SLC program highlights educators’ responsibility to engage with and promote cultural and linguistic diversity by supporting bilingualism and cultural literacy in diverse communities where Spanish is widely used, particularly in regions where Spanish-speaking populations are marginalized. The program offers the …