Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

A Formative Experiment To Increase English Language Learners' Awareness And Use Of Metacognitive Strategies Through Reciprocal Teaching: Pushing Toward An End To Silence In The Classroom, Jane Casey

All Dissertations

During the course of 13 weeks, a reciprocal teaching (Palincsar & Brown, 1984) intervention was introduced into two fifth grade inclusive, social studies classrooms to increase English language learners' (ELLs) awareness and use of metacognitive strategies. A formative experiment (Reinking & Bradley, 2008) was selected as the methodology, and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to determine student-participants' progress toward the goal. Results of the data analysis guided the study, and the intervention was adapted to ensure students' moved steadily toward attainment of the established, pedagogical goal. The researcher and teacher-participants worked in a collaborative fashion to make adaptations …

Representations Of Chinese Culture And History In Picture Books Of The Westerville Public Library: Educational Quality And Accuracy Of Children Literature About China And Chinese Culture, Han Zhang

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

In order to learn about the educational quality and accuracy of most children's picture literature accessible to readers of Westerville area, which aim to illustrate and introduce the content of Chinese culture and history, the author of this paper examines whether children's picture books in the Westerville Public Library serve American readers as authentic and accurate representations of Chinese culture and its history. Based on the ardent debates of former researcher, the author discusses frequent mistakes existing in most picture books. Later, the author collects data and uses estimation and hypothesis testing to prove the error rate of the whole …

A Case Study On Perspectives, Whitney Tallarico

Senior Honors Projects

The Rhode Island Training School becomes a home to juvenile offenders of the law.  Home, in so far as it is a place that they sleep, eat, and spend a lot of time in, as well as the atmosphere in which learning and growth occur during the adolescent phase of their lives.  There is a very high rate of released inmates who return to the facility for things like running away from group homes, not checking in with their parole officers, or other misdemeanors.  It is my belief that this is, at least in part, due to the fact that …

Factors Influencing International Students' Academic And Sociocultural Transition In An Increasingly Globalized Society, Chung-Hsien Hsu

Dissertations

This study is a mixed-method study. It consists of a quantitative study and a qualitative study. The quantitative study focused on international adult learners’ experiences of adaptation to American academic and social cultures. The qualitative study then investigated their experiences of cultural transition.

Based on the definition of globalized influences (Finger, 2005) and existing studies discussing the effects on globalized educational environments (Merriam & Young), factors related to globalized influences were selected and used to examine the extent to which these factors have affected international students’ adaptation to learning and life in the American university. Additionally, the other two variables, …

Teaching Communication In The Chinese As A Foreign Language Classroom, Xia Wu

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a collection of the author’s teaching beliefs and approaches regarding Chinese as foreign language teaching, which she developed during her time in the Master of Second Language Teaching program. The centerpiece of the portfolio is the author’s personal teaching philosophy. It is followed by three artifacts. The language artifact analyzes one of the complexities encountered by learners in the Chinese as a foreign language classroom: the three particles 的 (de), 地 (de), 得 (de). The culture artifact illustrates the difference between American and Chinese language teachers. The literacy artifact talks about using literature circles in the CFL …

An Imperative For Change: Bridging Special And Language Learning Education To Ensure A Free And Appropriate Education In The Least Restrictive Environment For Ells With Disabilities In Massachusetts, Maria De Lourdes B. Serpa

Gastón Institute Publications

English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest-growing group of school-age students in public schools across the nation, and in Massachusetts. In this state, even as the total student enrollment declines slightly, the number of ELLs grows steeply. They number 68,820 in the 2010-2011 school year, an increase of 9,662 from the year before.

The number of ELLs identified as also having a disability doubled in Massachusetts (a striking increase of 115.4%) from 2001-2002 to 2010-2011. The proportion of ELLs placed in Special Education has increased by 5 percentage points, from 9.8% to 14.8%. This time period coincides almost exactly with …

Attitudes Of Parents And Teachers Toward Bilingual Education, Gilda Rios

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The importance of bilingual education has caught the attention of public school administrators. The current study used a quantitative approach to investigate the perceptions of bilingual education of teachers and parents from a selected elementary school in South Texas. Bilingual education is used in this study to describe the study of two languages among students. The term “bilingual education” can have multiple meanings to many people so we wanted to understand what people believed of educating students among two languages being that the area in which this study was conducted has traditionally rejected bilingual education. There were a total of …

Bilingualism And Math Cognition, Michelle M. Guillaume

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Within cognitive psychology, the fields of bilingualism and math cognition have been investigated relatively separately from one another. Although there has been a substantial amount of research conducted in both areas, few studies have examined mathematical processes as they relate to bilinguals. A couple of the traditional effects found in the math cognition literature, the problem size and associative confusion effects, have been studied with bilinguals; however, bilingual categorization was not carefully controlled for in those studies. There have also been mathematical models applied to bilingual samples; one such model is the encoding-complex model, which has been extended to Chinese-English …

Teacher Gesture In A Post-Secondary English As A Second Language Classroom: A Sociocultural Approach, Natalie Hudson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Vygotsky (1978) uses the example of gesture in a child, stating that finger pointing represents an interpersonal relationship, and only after this cultural form is internalized can an intrapersonal relationship develop. Language learning must be viewed in the context of social interaction, and the gesture of others, specifically language instructors toward their students, is a form of social interaction worthy of attention. Newman and Holzman (1993) discuss the idea of performance as a mode of semiotic mediation related to meaning making. Daniels, Cole, and Wertsch (2007) also discuss the concept of performance, stating that gestures are tools which assist performance. …

The Role Of Pragmatic Competence In Second Language Acquisition, Leah J. Reigle

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is the culmination of the author’s years spent observing and studying language in the pursuit of a Master’s degree in Second Language Teaching at Utah State University. Included here is the author’s personal teaching philosophy on effective language instruction, written with a college-level EFL classroom in mind. In addition, and relating to this teaching philosophy, are three additional artifacts addressing the significance of pragmatics in second language acquisition. These artifacts demonstrate the author’s understanding of the roles of culture, language, and literacy in a second language classroom. An annotated bibliography supporting the author’s perspective and philosophy on language …

A Sociocultural Approach To Esl For Adult Learners, Whitney Putnam

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The following portfolio is a collection of work submitted for the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University. Within this portfolio is the author's personal philosophy on effective language teaching written with a college-level ESL classroom in mind. Following the teaching philosophy are different artifacts and reflections, all related to the philosophy on teaching, but separate in topic. The three artifacts demonstrate the author's understanding of the role of language, culture, and literacy in a second language classroom. Also included in this portfolio is an annotated bibliography containing the scholarly works which support the writings here.

Inglés Con Barreras, Monica D. Pestana

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

El propósito principal de esta tesis es demostrar, por medio del análisis detallado, factores tanto internos como externos, que impiden el aprendizaje de inglés en inmigrantes en Estados Unidos. Se descubrirán situaciones que la sociedad no toma en consideración por el hecho de ser poco notorias al momento de actuar en un grupo opresor. Por otro lado, se darán soluciones a dichos factores que afectan el aprendizaje de una nueva cultura. Se presentarán métodos de enseñanza para inmigrantes de diferentes edades y con diferentes circunstancias, y se intentará entrar en el subconsciente de las personas que crean el problema sin …

Multicultural Education In The Music Classroom: Definitions, Methods, And Motives, Candace Rhnea Stafford-Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the multicultural teaching experiences of music teachers in the Fayetteville and Springdale public school districts through the lens of James Banks' four approaches to curriculum reform. The research was intended to add to the limited literature presently found on the definition of multicultural music education and how this type of education is implemented. The study also increased knowledge of teacher motives for implementing multicultural education in the music classroom and highlight challenges that lie within implementation. Purposive sampling was used and in an attempt to get an information rich sample, two schools were chosen from …

The Courage To Critique Policies And Practices From Within: Youth Participatory Action Research As Critical Policy Analysis. A Response To “Buscando La Libertad: Latino Youths In Search Of Freedom In School”, Anjale Welton

Democracy & Education

This response to “Buscando la Libertad: Latino Youths in Search of Freedom in School” by Jason G. Irizarry demonstrates how youth participatory action research (YPAR) as an instrument of subverting oppressive school policies and structures is a form of critical policy analysis (CPA). As an evolving method, CPA acknowledges the absent voices in policy, questions policy inequities, fosters empowerment, and influences policy. Youths who engage in YPAR, as demonstrated by Project FUERTE, have the courage to critique school policies that have the power to alter their educational trajectories, which offers more hope for change than scholarly elites who critique policies …

Buscando La Libertad: Latino Youths In Search Of Freedom In School, Jason Irizarry

Democracy & Education

Drawing from a two-year ethnographic study of Latino high school students engaged in youth participatory action research (YPAR), this article describes students’ quest for freedom in schools, locating their struggle within a larger effort to realize the democratic ideals of public schooling. Using Latino/a Critical Race Theory as a theoretical lens, the author demonstrates how popular discourse around the “achievement gap” often obscures the oppressive policies and practices implemented by educators that limit freedoms necessary for educational and personal development and profoundly influence the identities and life trajectories of Latino youth. The article concludes with an exploration of YPAR as …

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In A Mathematics Methods Course Affect Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics?,, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

This study is related to a previous study (Ribeiro, 2009) that examined teachers’ perceptions of teaching self-efficacy. In the first study the sample consisted of two groups of teachers that took the same professional development course in mathematics. The comparison group took the course in their school district with other teachers and the experimental group took the course with pre-service teachers in a university classroom. After completing the course, both groups were measured in three dimensions of teaching self-efficacy: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom climate. Findings indicated that although both groups had significant gains in self-efficacy toward teaching mathematics …

Learning Style Differentiation Between Hispanic And Non-Hispanic College Students In Selected Institutions In The North Carolina Public University System, Robert C. Tripp

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As the Hispanic population increases in North Carolina the number of college graduates of Hispanic descent should follow.  Although a gradual increase in Hispanic students attending state universities has been seen, the increase has not kept pace with the increases seen in the general population.  Additionally, the numbers of those achieving the baccalaureate degree have not increased.  There have been a number of research projects in recent years that have documented qualitative reasons why Hispanic students have been reluctant to go to college and the factors that contribute to their success and failure at institutions of high education.  Cultural influences …

Bridging Professional Development And Context: Integrating Mathematics And Academic Language In A District Facing Takeover, Patricia Swanson, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

This quasi-experimental, multi-phase study uses mixed methods to evaluate a professional development initiative focused on integrating mathematics and academic language. The context is a highly diverse urban district facing state takeover. The professional development focused on the understanding of key mathematics concepts and developing content-specific academic language. It linked explicitly to district-adopted texts and prescribed lesson formats. Teachers perceived the strategies to be feasible and beneficial to student learning, and had high rates of implementation. Nonetheless, pacing guides pressuring teachers to quickly cover content pose challenges for continued implementation. Implications for (1) professional development focusing on integrating subject-matter content and …

Change In Cultural Competency Among Students During An Intentional Human Relations Experience (Eec 222w), Samantha Tupy, Camille Mcnabb

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This study measured changes in the intercultural competency of undergraduate students in a course, Human Relations in a Multicultural Society. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is encouraging teacher preparation programs to foster and measure culturally responsive teaching. The hypothesis for this study was that the intentional, cross-cultural experiences of students will have an impact on the cultural competency of each student. This course is taught each semester at a Midwestern public university. The study included 70 undergraduate students between 18 and 35 years old who voluntarily enrolled in the course and represented students in academic majors …

A Review Of "Pragmatics: Teaching Speech Acts", W. Jason Stegemoller

Faculty Publications

Book review of Pragmatics: Teaching Speech Acts.

Volume 2: Unpacking Writing And Channeling Change, New York State Association For Bilingual Education

Journal of Multilingual Education Research - Archives

No abstract provided.

National College Entrance Examination, Praying To Confucius, And Good-Fortune In China, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between the National College Entrance Examination, Confucius, and Belief in Good Fortune in China. These strands are discussed using the “analysis of narrative method” (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2009.) Some parents solicit the supernatural power of Confucius to help their children pass this examination. Prison authorities in a part of China have attempted to rehabilitate prisoners by having them study and take a test on the Analects of Confucius (Ames, 1999).

Worship of Confucius

The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between the National College Entrance Examination, Confucius, and …

Wmu International News Spring 2011, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue:

Nutrition and health in Bangladesh and Cambodia explored by WMU researcher

Destination spring break: Disney World and NASA

International Student Activities bulletin spring 2011

Haenicke Institute deans visit Sunway University

World traveler begins international career with INS, lands at WMU

Spanish major and global studies minor nets international job for WMU graduate

Gambian native at home on Bronco court

Laser Cutting Informatics, Charlotte Becket

Cornerstone 2 Reports : Community Outreach and Empowerment Through Service Learning and Volunteerism

No abstract provided.

Narrative Education: Bridging Technology And Story Telling To Empower Teachers And Students, Joan Walker

Cornerstone 2 Reports : Community Outreach and Empowerment Through Service Learning and Volunteerism

No abstract provided.

Transformative Learning Through Cultural Immersion, Rebecca A. Addleman, Carol J. Brazo, Tatiana Cevallos

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This qualitative study explored avenues to increase students’ intercultural competence through transformative learning. School of Education graduate students and faculty from a small, private university traveled to Ecuador to participate in a cultural immersion practicum. In addition to these primary goals, the trip was designed to facilitate transformative learning about cultural conceptions, diversity, and the dynamics of student differences with the goal of understanding one’s own cultural framework and adapting to another culture to develop empathy towards culturally and linguistically diverse students in the United States.

Representations Of L2 Motivational Self System With Beginning Chinese Language Learners At College Level In The United States: Heritage And Nonheritage Language Learners, Yan Xie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dornyei (2005) proposed the L2 motivational self system in response to the need to develop the socioeducational model. This study further tests the validation of the L2 motivational self system by investigating beginning Chinese language learners at the college level in the United States. A questionnaire combining two published questionnaires was administered to 197 subjects, including heritage language learners and nonheritage language learners, and compared the motivational representations of the two types of learners. This is the first study to test the L2 motivational self system by investigating learners of a language other than English. Through a correlation analysis, the …

Transnationalism And The Dominican Republic: The Effect On Student Identity And Achievement, April J. Phillips

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

As transnational movement between the Dominican Republic and United States continues into a new generation, it is important to understand how such movement affects the lives of transnational youth. Unlike adults who choose to move transnationally for a variety of reasons (many times in economic risk-reduction) youth rarely have the power to determine their transnational reality, rather, the adults in their lives choose it for them. Regardless of who controls the power of decision, transnational movement has a great effect on youth especially in their formation of identities and their academic experiences. The following study, which includes an overview of …

The Need To Create Culturally Responsive Teachers: Implications For Teacher Education Programs, Cass Griffin

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

Using nine reflections as a centerpiece, this thesis aims is to inform readers about the power that an international travel experience and/or practica in dual-language environments can have in becoming a more effective teacher, a culturally responsive teacher.  From personal experience in a both settings, I think I am now better able to relate to students with culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds because I have been in a similar situation. Students with diverse backgrounds (that are different from their teacher) may have extra difficulty communicating or expressing their thoughts and ideas. Teachers need to recognize these difficulties and respond appropriately …

“Illegal” Alien Or “Latina” Alien: Latina-Based Sorority Members’ Perception And Expectations Of Anti-Immigration Law, Tegra M. Straight

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions that Latina-based sorority members have on anti-immigration law.  Specifically, this study addresses what changes to experience Latina-based sorority members anticipate, their perceptions on anti-immigration law, as well as what they think the university’s response should be to such initiatives.  Interviews with five Latina-based sorority members, four undergraduate and one graduate, served as the primary form of data.  Interviews centered on Latina-based sorority members’ perception of Legislative Bill 1070 from Arizona and Ordinance No. 5165 from Fremont Nebraska.

The findings indicate that Latina-based sorority members perceived anti-immigration law to be anti-Latino …