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Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2016

Walden University

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Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education

Exploring The Transition Of First-Generation Mexican American Students From Grade 8 To High School, Mary C. Curry Jan 2016

Exploring The Transition Of First-Generation Mexican American Students From Grade 8 To High School, Mary C. Curry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dropout rate for first-generation Mexican Americans students in American schools has increased in the past decade. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore the factors that influenced the decision of first-generation Mexican American students to transition to high school or drop out after Grade 8. The research design was a phenomenological case study. The conceptual framework was based on current research surrounding first-generation Mexican American student dropout questions. In addition, how the concepts of family and community involvement and relationships between the home and school have an impact on the first …

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Counselor Educators' Multicultural Competencies: Understanding Relationships Between Race And Ethnic Identity Awareness, Ariel Winston Jan 2016

Counselor Educators' Multicultural Competencies: Understanding Relationships Between Race And Ethnic Identity Awareness, Ariel Winston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current literature explains that multiculturally incompetent behaviors demonstrated by counselor educators have negatively affected the personal and professional lives of students, clients, counselors, counselor educators, and supervisees. Using the theoretical framework of critical race theory (CRT), this study examined the relationship among race, ethnic identity awareness, and multicultural competence in counselor educators. CRT involves recognizing conscious and unconscious biases, attributed to race, that individuals might experience. Ninety self-identified counselor educators currently employed in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) counseling programs completed online surveys containing questions concerning racial classification, adapted questions from the Multicultural Counseling Knowledge …

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Perceptions Of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics Living In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Doyle Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics Living In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tornadoes are occurring with increased frequency in Oklahoma. Emergency preparedness planning is essential to decreasing individuals' risks of injury or death from a tornado. Research on immigrant Hispanics' knowledge and perceptions of emergency preparedness is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of immigrant Hispanics who had experienced a tornado or other crisis weather conditions in Oklahoma during spring of 2013. The research questions explored their perceived risk for injury and knowledge of tornado preparedness planning. The health belief model provided the theoretical underpinnings for this qualitative phenomenological study. Semi structured interviews were …

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Haitian Adult Immigrants As Learners And Parents, Dayana Octavien Philippi Jan 2016

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 …

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Cultural Relevance In An English Language Learners' Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study, Katherine L. Roe Jan 2016

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 …

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Multiculturalism In United States Higher Education Institutions: The Lived Experiences Of Enrolled International Students, Loretta Arian Ragsdell Jan 2016

Multiculturalism In United States Higher Education Institutions: The Lived Experiences Of Enrolled International Students, Loretta Arian Ragsdell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2006, international student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions has increased significantly, which has precipitated an increase in the institutions' multiculturalism. A mechanism to facilitate the integration of students of different cultures within a multicultural institution would be valuable to fostering positive educational experiences for all students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was the inclusion of multiculturalism within U.S. higher education institutions. Banks' multiculturalism theory provided the study's conceptual framework. Six international students were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed to answer 2 research questions concerning the lived experiences of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions …

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Exploring The Experiences Of Hispanic Esl Students In Esl Programs, Raynelda A. Calderon Jan 2016

Exploring The Experiences Of Hispanic Esl Students In Esl Programs, Raynelda A. Calderon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructors of English as Second Language (ESL) at a private community college had raised concerns regarding Hispanic ESL students not developing sufficient English proficiency. The purpose of this single exploratory case study was to explore the phenomenon brought forward by ESL instructors and share the results with the ESL program and the college. The conceptual framework for this qualitative study was based on the classroom learning motivation theory suggesting that the environment in which a student is learning a new language also plays a major role in second language learning. Data collection was conducted through 3 ESL classroom observations and …

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Stakeholders' Perceptions Of English Language Learners Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress In Reading, Susan Calibo Loney Jan 2016

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of English Language Learners Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress In Reading, Susan Calibo Loney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners (ELLs) in a Midwestern urban elementary school have not been meeting the local school's adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading in 3 consecutive years on statewide test scores. Meeting school standards is important because failing to meet AYP for 6 consecutive years can result in the restructuring or closing of any public school in the nation. The rationale for this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of stakeholders, 7 parents, teachers, and school administrators, all of whom have demonstrated knowledge of and proximity to the school's AYP decisions, to develop vocabulary strategies that may increase …

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English Language Learners' Perspectives Of The Communicative Language Approach, Colonda Latoya Barnes-Hawkins Jan 2016

English Language Learners' Perspectives Of The Communicative Language Approach, Colonda Latoya Barnes-Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The communicative language approach (CLA) dominates pedagogical practice in second language acquisition classrooms in the US. However, this approach does not emphasize independent pronunciation instruction, leaving learners to improve pronunciation on their own. This study explored the perspectives of English language learners (ELLs) being instructed via the CLA regarding the effectiveness of the CLA in providing intelligible pronunciation skills. The intelligibility principle of language served as the theoretical foundation underlying this study guided by research questions addressing how well the CLA met ELLs' pronunciation intelligibility needs and their perspectives on receiving independent pronunciation instruction to meet these needs. Using qualitative …

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Afterschool Program Effects On English Learners' Reading And Teachers' Reading Curriculum Perceptions, Helen Marie Mayfield Jan 2016

Afterschool Program Effects On English Learners' Reading And Teachers' Reading Curriculum Perceptions, Helen Marie Mayfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of 3rd grade English language learners (ELLs) not passing the state mandated reading test at the same rate as other students between 2009 and 2013 in Georgia. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an elementary school's afterschool program (ASP) on ELLs' reading achievements and to investigate 3rd grade afterschool teachers' perceptions of the reading curriculum using a mixed methods explanatory sequential design. Schema theory, the framework used to guide this study, indicated prior knowledge and experiences are necessary to comprehend new ideas or concepts. Prior knowledge and experiences can …

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Multimedia Technologies' Influence On Language Acquisition In English Language Learners, Larissa Karina Parrilla Jan 2016

Multimedia Technologies' Influence On Language Acquisition In English Language Learners, Larissa Karina Parrilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at the upper elementary level have struggled to demonstrate the vocabulary required to read in English at grade-level. Although multimedia technologies have demonstrated positive effects as language acquisition educational tools at the university level, it remains unclear how useful they are for language acquisition at the elementary level. This quasi-experimental study used dual coding theory as a framework to examine the relationship between the level of reading comprehension upper elementary students developed and their construction of word meanings through use of multimedia technologies. The study utilized convenience sampling of 85 students divided into …

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Exploring Leadership In A Multicultural School, Sonia Amarisse Matthew Jan 2016

Exploring Leadership In A Multicultural School, Sonia Amarisse Matthew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The educational problem addressed in this study was the lack of empirical research of the effects of how principal leadership characteristics and style influence the culture of multicultural schools. This qualitative case study identified and explored the leadership strategies used by a reputedly successful principal of a multicultural school. A successful principal was the case being studied. The conceptual framework was anchored in Burns' transformational leadership theory. Three research questions focused on the principal's leadership characteristics, the participants' perceptions of how the principal applied the leadership style, and the influence of the principal's leadership style on school culture. A principal, …

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Using Cultural Cognition For Learning English: A Mexican Immigrant Family's Perspective, Cherri Louise Brown Jan 2016

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 …

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A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Cultural Competence And Patient Satisfaction Scores, Kelley Ann Lovati Jan 2016

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Cultural Competence And Patient Satisfaction Scores, Kelley Ann Lovati

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the U.S. population continues to diversify, hospitals need to understand and care for patients of diverse backgrounds and provide quality service for positive patient satisfaction scores. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative retrospective survey design was to determine what relationship exists between cultural competence initiatives (CCI) and patient satisfaction scores as reported by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey in U.S. hospitals. The theoretical framework for this study was based upon CCI and patient satisfaction through the lens of service quality. The research questions were created to understand the relationship between CCI and …

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The Experiences Of Grade 4 Public Elementary School Teachers Regarding Multiculturalism, James Hill Hill Jan 2016

The Experiences Of Grade 4 Public Elementary School Teachers Regarding Multiculturalism, James Hill Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of multicultural students are attending U.S. public schools. At a Title I elementary school in a rural region of the southern United States, multicultural students had not met academic standards as measured by state exams, and state scores had been very low for 5 consecutive years. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the instructional strategies used by Grade 4 teachers in helping multicultural students pass state tests. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's theory of cognitive and social constructivism and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. The foci of research questions were on identifying teachers' …

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Validation Of Parsons' Structural Functionalism Theory Within A Multicultural Human, Sandra Simone Minott Jan 2016

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 …

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