Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

All The World's A Stage: Reaching English Language Learners Through Drama, Laura M. S. Fortney

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

The use of drama with language instruction has long been considered a legitimate practice. A recent survey of the literature shows that English Language Learners (ELLs) may have even more to benefit from the use of drama in the classroom. Studies showed an increase in language and problem-solving ability, as well as student self-efficacy that was transferrable across activities. Following an analysis of the literature is a proposed curriculum based on the findings of the researchers cited. This unit is centered on dramatic activities that make use of all four language domains and includes the examination of plays in writing, …

Home And School Literacy Practices In Africa: Listening To Inner Voices, Jacob Marriote Ngwaru, Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The voices of the main stakeholders in literacy and schooling – pupils and parents – have seldom been given adequate space in studies of school and classroom discourse in sub-Saharan Africa. The present paper attempts to redress this imbalance by presenting the voices of pupils from a multilingual urban primary school in Ghana and of parents from a rural bilingual school in Zimbabwe. The Ghanaian study highlights challenges associated with using an unfamiliar language, English, as the medium of instruction, selective teacher treatment in the classroom that leaves some children lacking confidence to participate and the strong influence of the …

Multicultural Education: What Is It And Does It Have Benefits?, Celestial J. Zaldana

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper was to examine multicultural education, and clarify misconceptions about it. Particularly, those misconceptions that have resulted in House Bill 2281 ( i.e. multicultural education “promotes the overthrow of the United States government”), and the misconception that multicultural education solely involves content integration. In addition, this paper examines the possible benefits of having a multicultural education. These benefits include combating the negative effects of acculturation and assimilation, reducing prejudice and the effects of stereotypes, enhancing other-group orientation, and promoting critical analysis and empowerment.

What Do Graduates Say About Multicultural Teacher Education?, Anaida Colon-Muñiz, John Brady, Suzanne Soohoo

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"We wanted to assess the impact that our teacher preparation course on multicultural education has had on teachers’ self-perceptions and practices as multicultural educators. Lowenstein (2009) stated that not enough work has been done to determine the impact of multicultural education courses on teacher candidates once they are in the field. Although California assessments for teachers assess content background and instruction, there is a dearth of assessments on teachers’ capacity to work with culturally diverse learners."

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 …

Towards Evidence-Based Practices In Mathematics Instruction: Investigating The Impact Of Writing On Student Ability To Solve Mathematics Problems, Shaalein Carroll Lopez

Dissertations

Achievement in mathematics education for students in elementary school through college has lagged behind that of other students internationally. As a result, enhancing mathematics achievement for students in the United States of America has long been a priority. Best practices in teaching across all grades emphasize using instructional methods that have been validated through research, though a review of the literature demonstrates a lack of such substantiated practices in mathematics education. This dissertation attempts to contribute to the field of research-based practices in mathematics education by measuring the effects of an instructional practice long used in mathematics classrooms in grades …

A Wink Or A Nod, Mr. President? A Call For The President’S Consideration Of Race, Lilia D. Monzó, Suzanne Soohoo

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Dear Mr. President... We ask now that you pour some attention to race and racism in America, and we submit that your leadership in this area is critically important for people of all colors."

Education In The New Latino Diaspora, Edmund T. Hamann, Linda Harklau

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

In 2002 Hamann, Wortham, and Murillo noted that many U.S. states were hosting significant and often rapidly growing Latino populations for the first time and that these changes had multiple implications for formal schooling as well as out-of-school learning processes. They speculated about whether Latinos were encountering the same, often disappointing, educational fates in communities where their presence was unprecedented as in areas with a longstanding Latino presence. Only tentative conclusions could be provided at that time since the dynamics referenced were frequently novel and in flux.

In this chapter we revisit their inquiry in light of six subsequent years …

Redirecting The Teacher's Gaze: Teacher Education, Youth Surveillance And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, John Raible, Jason G. Irizarry

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

This article addresses an apparent contradiction in American teacher education that results in conflicting goals for educators. It asks: How do we prepare teachers to interrogate their inherited professional roles in the surveillance and disciplining of youth? How might teacher education inspire pre-service teachers to care more about youth who belong to populations that have been deemed "undesirable" and expendable? We critically examine the role of teacher education in contributing to the criminalization of certain youth in urban communities and the resulting school-to-prison pipeline crisis that leads too many students from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse.

Communication Strategies Used By Chinese Students From China In Spoken English., Liu Qing Hua

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study evaluates the use of Communication Strategies which are employed by Second Language Acquisition (SLA) learners. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature from the last decade is done with focus on the particular consideration given to the different ways in which Communication Strategies have been defined under the corresponding influences in regard to the organization of strategy taxonomies. This study also seeks to examine how learners of second language perform in communicative tasks especially where they are confronted with linguistic problems and communication barriers. It also aims at identifying the communication strategies used by the students from China …

Comparison Of Quality Of Life Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In The United States And The Czech Republic, Sharon A. Raver, Anne M. Michalek, Jan Michalik, Milan Valenta

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the United States have been reported to experience additional hardships than families with typical children as they attempt to balance family and work (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman, & Andrews, 2008). In this study, 31 caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities from the United States and 225 from the Czech Republic completed a qualitative quality of life survey. Similarities in the two groups were found in reported gains and losses from caregiving responsibilities. Differences in perceived spirituality, personal sense of peace and serenity, life optimism, ability to rejoice in life, personal life perspective, health, financial …

Esl Teacher Motivation In Sri Lankan Public Schools, Sujeewa Hettiarachchi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Drawing on in-depth qualitative data from fifty-four surveys and five interviews, this study investigated the elements of motivation and demotivation reflected in Sri Lankan ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers. The participants were a convenience sample of English teachers currently employed in Sri Lankan public schools. The results of the study revealed that students themselves, the act of teaching students, and the prestigious social position for English teachers in Sri Lanka are main motivators for teachers. The main demotivators for the participants included limited facilities for teaching and learning in schools, inefficiency of school administration and zonal education offices, …

Bilingual Education - A Historic And Programmatic Overview, Jens Tillmanns

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study is an archival research for historical understanding documenting historical trends in bilingual education in the United States. Relevant documents and literature were reviewed, analyzed, and coded to form the themes that examine the historical and programmatic development of bilingual education in the United States since its formation. It is particularly important to examine these roots of bilingual education in light of the ongoing political tensions around immigration issues. What historical events have impacted the emergence and shaping of and the resistance to bilingual education in the United States? What political and social forces have impacted the emergence and …

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 …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Diversity Educational Program, Sonya Annette Berkley

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A DIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

by

SONYA A. BERKLEY

May 2010

Advisor: Mary Cay Sengstock

Major: Sociology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Administrators and educators have been given the responsibility of working towards improving racial and social interactions in their school settings. It is important to note that most of the literature on diversity programming suggests that the perception held by a school's administration of what constitutes an all encompassing racially and culturally diverse program plays an important role in its implementation and success.

With the continual growth of minority populations in the United States, …

Pursuing Regional Opportunities For Mentoring, Innovation, And Success For English Learners (Promise) Initiative: A Three-Year Pilot Study Research Monograph, Laurie Olsen Ph.D., Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, Ph.D. Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Franca Dell'olio Ed.D.

Reports

The Pursuing Regional Opportunities for Mentoring, Innovation, and Success for English Learners (PROMISE) Initiative Research Monograph is comprised of four sub-studies that took place between 2006 and 2009 to examine the effectiveness of the PROMISE Initiative across six implementing counties.

Beginning in 2002, the superintendents of the six Southern California County Offices of Education collaborated to examine the pattern of the alarmingly low academic performance of English learners (EL) across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, and Ventura. Together, these six counties serve over one million EL students, more than 66% of the total EL population in the …

Collaboration And Teacher Development: Unpacking Resistance, Constructing Knowledge, And Navigating Identities, Sandra I. Musanti, Lucretia Pence

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This article presents a study of the Collaboration Centers Project (CCP), which is a pseudonym for a three-year, federally-funded program that focused on helping in-service teachers better address the needs of English language learners (ELLs) in their classrooms. The CCP is important to study because of its clear intention to integrate real teachers--their understandings, voices, selves, and practices--into professional development by providing an experiential, collaborative and school-centered context for ongoing reflection on teachers' practice. It is important to understand the complexities of teacher development in the context of a project that sought to break with the short-term transmission model that …

Teacher Education And Professional Development In The Context Of Argentinean Educational Policies: Current Trends And Challenges, Monica Pini, Sandra I. Musanti, Jorge Gorostiaga, Myriam Feldfeber, Dalila Andrade Oliveira

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the trends and challenges in teacher education and teacher professional development in the context of recent Argentinean educational reforms. This chapter synthesizes several of our studies on the matter. First we analyze the implications of teacher education as a political project, discuss the central components of the educational policies that characterize this century and the present features of the teaching force. Secondly, we discuss the process of educational reform in the 90´s and the impact of international agencies in the main policy decisions in Argentina. In addition, we discuss the new scenario …

Multiyear Student/Teacher Relationships And Language Development In Children Of Hawaiian Descent At Kamehameha Schools Community Based Early Childhood Education Program, Susan Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although numerous studies have documented the connection between early language and academic achievement, there is much less information available about the effects of teacher/student relationships on language development. Based on Vygotsky's theory that all learning takes place in the context of relationships, this quasi-experimental study examined language scores for students in an early education classroom who stayed with the same teacher for 2 years compared with those in a classroom with two different teachers for each of the 2 years. Pre- and posttest scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) and language scores on the Developmental Indicators for the …

Grades 11-12 Short Stories, Lauren Russo

English

Within a unit dedicated to reading, writing, and analyzing short stories, the lesson explores the key elements in composing engaging work. Students are given a multiplicity of activities to explore and determine what makes the short story, "Lost in the Woods" a thrilling tale. The activities serve to enhance their knowledge of the methods and techniques behind good short story writing.

Toward Intercultural Competence : Intercultural Training For Japanese Students In The United States, Tomoko Harpster

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project explored how study abroad program administrators can help Japanese students develop intercultural competence through predeparture and ongoing intercultural training so as to improve their capacity to adapt effectively to American cultural norms. The ultimate purpose of this thesis project was to help Japanese students who were studying in the U.S. balance their involvement with their peer group from Japan and build relationships with people in the U.S. in order to fully experience American culture. To provide a context for this study, a review of the literature was conducted regarding the challenges faced by Japanese students while studying …

The Paradox Of Emotionality & Competence In Multicultural Competency Training: A Grounded Theory, Jude A. Bergkamp

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The American Psychological Association mandates multicultural competency training as a requirement of accredited doctoral programs. The tripartite model of knowledge, skills, and awareness has been the most consistently cited framework in the last two decades. Although multiple pedagogical methods have been researched, there has yet to be a unified theory developed to link educational techniques to the tripartite domain competencies. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research exploring the various learning factors involved in multicultural competency training. Emotionality is an important factor in obtaining multicultural competency. No unified theory of multicultural education can be developed without incorporating the element of …

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.

Writing Chinuk Wawa: A Materials Development Case Study, Sarah A. Braun Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

This study explored the development of new texts by fluent non-native speakers of Chinuk Wawa, an endangered indigenous contact language of the Pacific Northwest United States. The texts were developed as part of the language and culture program of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon for use in university-sponsored language classes. The collaborative process of developing 12 texts was explored through detailed revision analysis and interviews with the materials developers and other stakeholders.

Fluent non-native speakers relied on collaboration, historical documentation, reference materials, grammatical models, and their own intuitions and cultural sensibilities to develop texts that …

Mid-Childhood Immigrant Perspectives On Achieving College Success, Mark John Litwicki

Dissertations

This study extends what is known about the experience of mid-childhood immigration. Fifteen participants, college students who immigrated to the U.S. from Latin America between the ages of 8 and 16 and who had completed at least a semester of transferable college-level coursework, provided their narratives by way of an open-ended interview focusing primarily on academic performance and achievement. Interviews were conducted using a life story methodology which seeks to maximize participant control over responses. Participants recounted their experiences from arrival through school completion and at college, and described which variables - circumstances, characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, events - they perceived …

Exploring The Use Of Suspension In High School Codes Of Conduct For Mild, Moderate, And Severe Behaviors, Amy Beth Horwitz

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to describe the outcomes of a multi-state study of written discipline policies in a high school setting. This study examines discipline codes of conduct and analyzes the content for behaviors ranging in severity (mild, moderate, and severe) while specifically examining the use of suspension as a punitive measure. Publicly available written discipline policies (n=120) were drawn from state board of education web-sites in six states (Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Texas, New York, Oregon). The Analysis of Discipline Codes Rating System (ADCR-R) was used as a tool to analyze the behaviors. The frequency of school responses …

School Factors That Promote Academic Resilience In Urban Latino High School Students, Christine Michelle Fallon

Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the academic optimism of schools and academic resilience in urban Latino high school students attending those schools. This study sought to address three research ideas. First, it was hypothesized that, consistent with previous research, student achievement is related to the level of academic optimism of schools. A second purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between academic achievement with academic resilience for students with multiple risk factors, specifically, Latino students from low SES backgrounds attending an urban high school. Thirdly, it was hypothesized …