Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

The Wage Gap In The Medical Field, Alanna Jones

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the medical industry there has always been the argument of why don’t women get paid more than their male counterparts. There currently is not any work being done to get the gap closed between female and male medical workers. The importance of this research is to see the reasons as to why there is a wage gap in the medical field and what has caused it. It goes further into depth of how society has played a factor and what can people do to help to close this gap.

Isolation And The Human Mind, Eli Flodman

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The Lord of The Flies is a novel tailored to the fundamental innocence found in man as well as the effects of mob mentality and extreme isolation. This research focuses on the effects of isolation within a small group while comparing COVID families to the Lord of The Flies.

Raising Multilingual And Bilingual Children, Emily Hernandez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Raising children in a multilingual environment is a very challenging but important part of child development. Many families can agree that having the ability to know multiple languages is a huge advantage to have for future purposes. Separating the role of schools and parents is a very important process. At home, families encounter many activities and real life scenarios. This makes a huge impact on a children's language and literacy. It is a challenge that has positive impacts for the children as well as for the community.

Child Abuse, Mathew Ramirez Lopez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the United States, child abuse is defined as the physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child. Four majortypes of child abuse exist: neglect, physical, sexual, and psychological.The atrocityofchild abuse is that the abuse leaves the children with everlasting emotionalscars, and often,withphysical,cognitive, andsocial health issues. The irreversible affects such as head trauma, lower performance inschool, and poor social skills are equally as important. As the years continue, more and more children are being,and will be, abused. Overall, the importance is stopping this crime that does not need to happen.

The Foster Care System: Domestic Abuse, Guadalupe Hernandez Rodriguez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the United States, children not only experience domestic abuse at home but can also be an issue while placed in the foster care system. In the foster care system, the abuse suffered by these individuals is increased due to home instability. Abuse can take place in many forms (physical, emotional, economical, and sexual) and can occur in many places. It can become a life-threatening crime or a crime that affects an individual’s day-to-day life. The youth and young adults who pass through this system are left with physical injuries and adverse childhood experiences (abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction). The …

Media Manipulation And Perseverance, Ivan Palma Vargas

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Media manipulation is a technique the media use to paint a false image that persuades their audience to their views on topics. In 1984, by George Orwell, the falsification of history and constant propaganda spread by the Ministries are an eerie resemblance to today’s American media spreading false information and biased viewpoints to implement irrational thoughts and emotions to their audience. The significance of media manipulation is the impact it has on American citizens as media in the digital era is at constant show and citizens are constantly taking in false information. The research conducted was on a survey after …

Acculturation, Nyanhial Wiyual Pal

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The phenomenon of acculturation occurs when groups of people from different cultures come into constant contact with shifts in the original culture, the host country's culture, or the cultures of both groups. It can affect immigrants’ health and well-being as a result of coping with stressful experiences such as prejudice, racism, and poverty, as well as changes in or loss of identity, a lack of social support, exposure to diverse views, cultural values and norms, and particular patterns of health behaviors (drinking, smoking, taking illicit drugs).

Addiction-Family Impacts, Emily Orona

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease that negatively affects a person's brain and behavior which leads to an inability to control the use of legal or illegal drugs. Addiction is sometimes used interchangeably with abuse, although they differ tremendously. Those who abuse drugs and alcohol still have control over their lives, while those with an addiction have a disease that affects many aspects of their life. Drug and alcohol addiction does not only impact the individual, but also their family. It is especially more challenging when a parent has addiction. Addiction affects not only the parent, but the child …

1984: A Reality For Soviet Citizens, German Murcia-Martinez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Many countries have fallen victim to tyrannical leaders in the past. For example, Joseph Stalin had the Soviet Union under his grip for the longest time. His rule did not end until his death. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the country of Oceania was being controlled by Big Brother with the help of the Party. While being somewhat different, both the Soviet Union under Stalin and Oceania share incredible similarities.

Why We Create Enemies, Jerry Mejia

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Our enemies are not always distinguishable by features such as a black trench coat or twirly mustache. However, humans still attempt to characterize their enemies into a stereotype. This is to create a sense of calm-you know who your enemy is. This research topic explored why society requires a scapegoat to feel better about its own shortcomings. Even if the worst happens, at least we will know who to blame. This has been human nature for thousands of years and will continue to do so.

Homelessness: Doomed From The Cycle, Belle Tran

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The homeless are most often those caught up in the cycle of the judicial system, which needs to be challenged in order to be fixed. These persons are often plagued with costly health issues.

Learned Helplessness And Domestic Violence, Nayla G. Torres Ruiz

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Domestic violence can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, social status, or sexual orientation. A phenomenon known as learned helplessness may play a role in why victims of domestic violence remain in those unsafe environments. Learned helplessness (LH) is a psychological trait, which results from repeated exposure to uncontrollable and aversive events. LH contributes to submissiveness and reluctance to leave an abusive relationship. LH can develop from childhood experiences and circumstances, such as controlling, authoritarian, and demanding parents. LH can also develop during adulthood and whilst in abusive relationships, as the victims are often led to believe by the …

Police Brutality, Kelly Solis

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Police brutality is the excessive or unnecessary force used by law enforcement officials towards civilians. It’s a public health issue that impacts both physical and mental health. Although the misconduct of law enforcement officials is highly known to be the cause of racial discrimination, there are actually other elements contributing to such a broad issue. The importance of this issue led to the formation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Alzheimer's Effects On A Family, Brianna Sanchez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Alzheimer’s is a word many families despise; a disease that weakens hearts and takes away the ones families love most. The disease is said to be deadly--but not sudden--with no cure. As awful as it sounds, the death is devastating but is not the worst part of this disease: the worst part is the stages leading up to the full-blown disease that families have to watch that hurts most and could make or break a family.

What makes Alzheimer’s hard to live with is how family members have to slowly watch their loved ones fade away, mentally and physically. In …

Death Of A Family Member, Cindy Salas

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Death is a tragic occurrence that affects the lives of family and friends in many ways.When a child in the family dies the parents and remaining children of the family now have to adapt to the new life that they have to live.This presentation is focused on the family of the deceased child, how they react to the situation and what are their outcomes of their reactions.

Effects Of Separation On The Immigrant Family, Mainor Ramirez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the United States of America, deportation has always been an issue, becoming a greater issue in today’s society. Deportation can be defined as a lawful expulsion of a person from a country. Many families have come to the U.S. in the hope of a brighter and better future, but that is not always the case. Constantly running in fear of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), they struggle to survive in a land of unknown. What many people do not know are the reasons why families come to the U.S and the effects deportation has on children when they …

"The Lady From North Carolina": The Perils And Limitations Of External Expertise, Aprille J. Phillips, Edmund T. Hamann

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

This paper examines a state department of education’s (SDE) decision to contract a consultant to “turnaround” schools, per a logic of outsourcing for external expertise. Our ethnographically informed case study explores whose knowledge had the most worth in diagnosing areas for improvement and identifies this case as part of a trend to rent competencies, under a neoliberal guise of efficiency, but at the expense of system capacity or learning.

Invited Dialogue: Mapping The Intersections Of Religion, Literacy, And Public Schooling For Displaced, Immigrant, And Refugee Children: A Conversation With Loukia K. Sarroub, Jennifer D. Turner, Loukia K. Sarroub

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

Drawing on her award-winning research, Dr. Loukia K. Sarroub explains how teachers can help displaced, immigrant, and refugee youth navigate literacy, religion, and success in public schools.

This column features Dr. Loukia K. Sarroub and her award-winning research on how Arab Muslim refugee and immigrant youth navigate religion, gender, and literacy in school. Dr. Sarroub is a professor of literacy studies, education, and linguistics, and she serves as the graduate programs chair in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was the recipient of the LRA Edward B. Fry Book Award for All …

Esperanza Rising And Identity: Exploring Literature And Self In Upper Elementary School, Emma Fuller

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Upper elementary students benefit from exposure to windows and mirrors in literature. The term “mirrors” refers to when students can relate to characters and situations, and see their own lives valued in an academic context. Mirrors are important for representation in schools because it allows students to reflect on their own learning. “Windows” allow students to see a perspective into other people’s lives. They are important because they encourage reflection on different ideas and empathy among students. One of many literary works with strong “windows” and “mirrors” is Pam Munoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising. In this Senior Project, I focused on …

Seeing Formative Assessments From A Broad Perspective, Consuelo Marisol Gallardo

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

October 2020 | 194 Seeing Formative Assessments from a Broad Perspective Consuelo M. Gallardo Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education University of Nebraska-Lincoln Abstract Despite the fact that many experts in the assessment field have advocated for the use of formative assessments, little attention has been paid to their thorough elaboration and application in Ecuadorian English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Some teachers have overlooked the validity of formative assessment as tools to inform instruction and language learning growth, so its application has generated a big debate. Therefore, this paper presents a literature review of perceptions and experiences of …

Culturally Relevant Science Teaching: A Literature Review, Uma Ganesan

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

This educational research literature review paper aims to discuss the rationale, review eight empirical research studies, and identify knowledge gaps in culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. This paper focuses on synthesis, review, and comparison of the findings of the empirical studies, and categorizes them into thematic heads such as similarities and differences between studies under the broad categories of professional development (PD) programs and case studies. Following these reviews, the author summarizes her reflections and thoughts about the literature to understand the big picture of culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. The basis of this literature review are various …

Let's Go ... ¡Juego! Club, Cecilia Ferrer, Alexis Stoffers

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool club that plays traditional Spanish games from various countries. Students explore new cultures and learn new vocabulary in an engaging manner.

Bilingual Acculturation Assessment: An Overview Of Current Developments, Donna Chen

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Assessments are often used for decision-making in education, mental health practices, and industry. Consequently, decisions based on these assessments affect multiple aspects of a person’s life. Given the increase of ethnic minorities in the U.S., factors concerning the appropriateness and interpretation of tests based on norms must be reconsidered. The multifaceted effects of culture are just one factor to consider so as to not overlook important cultural components that may negatively impact the decision-making process. Additionally, language, with close ties to culture, must also be considered. Thus, the complexity of culture and language in tandem to assessment-based decision-making necessitates fundamental …

“It’S Like They Don’T Recognize What I Bring To The Classroom”: African Immigrant Youths’ Multilingual And Multicultural Navigation In United States Schools, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Alex Kumi-Yeboah, Anthony Mawuli Sallar

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

Discourses of African immigrant children are rare in educational research. As such, African immigrant educational experiences are often obscured (in part, owing to the model minority myth about Africans based on higher education degrees received by African immigrants), as well as the actual experiences and realities for African immigrant K-12 students. This qualitative study examines cross-cultural educational experiences of 30 Black African immigrant youth in U.S. schools. The findings reveal multiple participants’ struggles with cultural and linguistic differences, stereotypes and marginalization in the school environment, low expectations from teachers, and adjusting to new schooling practices. The African youths’ voices exhibited …

Language And Identity: Multilingual Immigrant Learners In South Africa, Saloshna Vandeyar, Theresa Catalano

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

Increased multilingualism and mobility have witnessed an increased focus on multilingual immigrant learners. This study aims to help educators understand experiences of immigrant students in South Africa that relate to language and identity by comparing such experiences across three different school settings: an urban school with a high (Black) immigrant and indigenous population, a former Indian school, and a former White school. Drawing on semi-structured interviews from a larger case study, this study makes visible the immigrant learner experience in multilingual settings in which xenophobic conditions arise. The findings reveal similarities as well as differences in individual identity construction and …

Exploration Of Lived Experiences Of Science Teachers Of English Language Learners: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Uma Maheshwari Ganesan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

English language learners (ELLs) are a talented pool of culturally and linguistically diverse students who are persistently increasing both in absolute size and percentage in the U.S. school population; however, they are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in college as well as in the workforce (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Although educational leaders, policy makers, and researchers have emphasized the importance of STEM for the country’s continued prosperity, both education and scientific communities have found it challenging to improve students’ participation in STEM fields (Martinez et al., 2011). Exploring science teachers’ experiences could …

Post-Program English Language Learners: Successful Learners Or Struggling Learners?, Tianna Bankhead

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

As an educator in the field of English Language Development, I have chosen to explore the experience of four participants that have exited their ELL program within the last 1 - 2 years in Lincoln Public Schools. I wanted to capture the first-hand experience of secondary students by exploring where they are finding successes since being formally considered proficient in English and where they are struggling. I interviewed these students and explored their academic world as well as the social world within the school setting. At the conclusion of the study, I found that students are academically achieving success in …

The Downfall: Listening To Non-Urban Communities And Their Language Ideologies, Jessica Sierk, Theresa Catalano

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

Increased mobility due to globalization and other geopolitical shifts has changed school demographics worldwide. In the Midwest, much of this new immigrant population is Spanishspeaking and in need of language support. Consequently, schools play an important role in responding to the New Latino Diaspora. In this paper, we describe how unconscious language ideologies inhibited social change that could improve conditions for new student populations in two non-urban high schools in Nebraska (Stockbridge and Springvale, pseudonyms). This critical discourse analysis draws on ethnographic data from a larger study, including participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal language ideologies that use language …

Identity And Technology In An Efl Context: A Study Of Egyptian Teachers And Adult Learners, Alia Emara

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Globalization and the advent of technology have compelled many Egyptians to master the English language to participate in an increasingly competitive knowledge-centered global economy. Therefore, the demand for English language classes has been increasing in Egypt in recent years. However, English language classes alone may not guarantee that learners become technologically competent to master 21^st century skills. Therefore, one purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how Egyptian EFL teachers and Egyptian EFL adult learners utilize technology and digital resources in teaching and learning English to promote autonomous learning and 21^st century skills. The study also …

Early Language And Literacy Skills Of Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners, Alejandro Rodriguez, Marc Goodrich, Maggie Harms, Lisa Fitton

UCARE: Research Products

The purpose of this study is to examine the early language measures that are the best predictors of English reading achievement and to determine whether assessing DLLs’ Spanish language skills contributes to the prediction of English reading achievement. Preschool and kindergarten often represent DLLs’ first significant exposure to English, and development of English language proficiency is strongly linked to English reading achievement (Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Because DLLs may not be exposed to English consistently prior to preschool or kindergarten, they often enter kindergarten with lower levels of English proficiency than their monolingual peers. This makes it difficult to identify …