Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Border Thinking Through Diverse Modalities: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Multimodal, Multiliteracy, And Translanguaging Practices Of Latinx Emergent Bilingual Youth, Romelia Rodri­Guez Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This three-article dissertation explores how translanguaging, multimodality, and multiliteracies intersect to support the learning, identity formation, and meaning-making practices of Latinx emergent bilingual middle school students in El Paso, Texas, a border city shaped by transfronterizx realities. Guided by the frameworks of Border Thinking (Mignolo, 2000) and Pedagogy of Border Thinking (Cervantes-Soon and Carrillo, 2016), this study foregrounds the cultural, linguistic, and epistemic fluidity that characterizes borderland communities. I approach this work as a bricoleur (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994); the three-article format allowed me to center distinct but interconnected theoretical and methodological orientations, reflecting my commitment to situated, decolonial knowledge …

Beyond The Interruption: Understanding The Lived Realities Of Students With Limited Or Interrupted Formal Education (Slife), Rachel Hapennny-Rogers

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Terms such as English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), and Limited English Proficient (LEP) are widely used by educators and policymakers. However, these broad classifications often reflect deficit-based language and obscure the individuality of the students they describe—students who have diverse educational needs, represent a range of cultural backgrounds, and bring valuable assets and funds of knowledge to their school communities. The dominance of English in the United States has reinforced a normative standard of English proficiency, positioning those who meet this standard as typical while marginalizing and segregating those who do not. Students with Limited …

Enhancing Interprofessional Staff Competence In Culturally Sensitive Patient Education: A Web-Based Health Literacy Toolkit For Brazilian Immigrants In Florida, Faila Reis Pereira Dos Santos

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Brazilian immigrants in Florida face cultural and language barriers that hinder their ability to understand and engage with healthcare services. Additionally, healthcare providers often lack the cultural competency needed to deliver effective patient education, contributing to poor health literacy within this population.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: For healthcare interprofessional staff supporting Brazilian immigrants in Florida (P), how does the development of a web-based health literacy toolkit (I), compared to standard educational methods (C), influence their competency in delivering culturally sensitive patient education (O)?

Evidence: Research demonstrates that culturally tailored health literacy interventions improve …

Bridging The Gap Between Muslim Students And School Leadership In The United States, Sahar Khawaja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entering the third decade of the 21st century, the political landscape in the United States presents a challenging environment for Muslims, mirroring the global trend of oppression and discrimination faced by this community (Neptune, 2021). Despite being the fastest-growing demographic in the nation (Lipka, 2017), Muslim Americans increasingly encounter discrimination. By actively addressing and dismantling these stereotypes, educators can cultivate an inclusive environment where the needs of Muslim students are understood and respected. Understanding the stories and experiences of these students is vital for school leaders, as it enables the creation of an environment where every student feels a genuine …

Maintaining Well-Being: Coping Strategies For Prolonged Traumatic Experiences From The Stories Of Ukrainian Educators During The Wartime, Natalya Rakevich

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study aimed to better understand how and whether educators can maintain well-being during prolonged trauma. This study examines the experiences of Ukrainian educators living in non-occupied territories during wartime. The following research questions guided the study: What coping strategies do educators use to take care of themselves? What coping strategies do educators use with their students? How do educators perceive mindfulness and storytelling? A conceptual framework was created to better understand the topics of stress, trauma, being, well-being, surviving, suffering, and coping mechanisms through a literature review. Data collection occurred in February and March 2024, two years …

Persistence, Mentorship, And Educational Achievement: Exploring The Daca Student Experience, Patricia F. Mejabi

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The study aimed to understand demographic, cultural, and ecological factors, as well as supportive assets like mentorship on the academic persistence and educational achievement of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students. DACA protects qualified individuals who arrived in the United States as children from deportation and grants them lawful permission to seek employment and educational opportunities.

Interviews of DACA students, and mentors and advocates of DACA students, were conducted to identify similarities, differences, and common themes. Despite DACA protection positively impacting the students' financial and academic success, limited socioeconomic conditions created a need for guidance or mentorship to help …

Digital Stratification: Comparing Digital Literacy Practices Among Aboriginal And Mainstream Children In Australian Homes, Huan Gao, Gui Ying Annie Yang-Heim

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This qualitative study examines the home digital literacy practices of Aboriginal and Mainstream elementary-age children in Australia, highlighting how socio-economic and cultural factors influence these practices. This study integrates conceptural framework such as capital, digital capital, and social reproduction theory to analyze conversational interviews conducted with six children. Our findings reveal significant disparities in digital capital accumulation, primarily driven by socio-economic differences and varied access to digital resources. Mainstream students typically possess more digital capital, which allows them to navigate the digital landscape more effectively and perpetuate systemic inequalities. The enduring digital divide reinforces existing economic and social hierarchies, exacerbating …

Instructional Decisions Of Elementary Principals For Implementing Dual Language Programs For Emergent Bilinguals, Susana M. Arredondo, Michelle H. Abrego, Velma D. Menchaca

School Leadership Review

This study explores the instructional decisions made by elementary principals in implementing dual language programs, with a focus on the choice of language for state reading assessments. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research examines the lived experiences of eight principals in a South Texas school district, offering insights into the challenges of maintaining program fidelity while meeting state accountability demands. Key findings highlight the tensions principals face in balancing the integrity of the dual language model with the pressures of standardized testing. The study underscores the need for flexible district policies and enhanced leadership training, advocating for a leadership …

Churches Becoming Models Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Iris Jasmin Phd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The historical and ongoing trauma from the marginalization of various identities within churches has resulted in a rift that can be seen within and outside of the congregational walls. Some churches are attempting to bridge this divide with diversity, equity, and inclusion values to cultivate meaningful connections that address past marginalization and establish practices that embrace an intersectional theology. Transitioning church communities into diverse, equitable and inclusive spaces where all feel a sense of belonging can be challenging. Most of the prior research has focused on diversification from a racial and/or ethnic standpoint. This multi-case study examined integrative efforts by …

Digital Vs. Non-Digital Interventions: A Study Of Intervention Types To Reach Fluency In Operations With Integers In Seventh-Grade Mathematics, Kathleen Brad

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Students in junior high school are struggling with mathematics (U.S. Department of Education, 2023). Mathematical fluency—the automatic and accurate recall of facts—is critical to mathematics learning. There is limited research on junior high school general education students and how we can help them master the foundational concepts. Without fluency, students rely heavily on their working memory to learn new mathematics skills. Fluency in operations with integers is one of those foundational topics of junior high school. With many new digital tools available, are digital interventions more effective than the methods teachers have been using? The researcher compared three intervention styles: …

“Because That’S What Scientists Do…. They Like To Make Their Own Stuff”: Exploring Perceptions Of Self As Science-Doers Using The Black Love Framework, Rasheda Likely, Ti’Era Worsley

Faculty Articles

This paper critiques traditional science assessments and advocates for reform-based learning that supports culturally diverse students, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). While NGSS promotes collaborative, inquiry-driven practices, these are often difficult to assess through traditional high-stakes tests, which tend to reinforce systemic biases and marginalize students from non-dominant backgrounds. We examine the Lotions and Potions: Science through Black Hair Care curriculum, which uses a culturally sustaining approach, allowing students to respond flexibly in assessments. This approach enables students to participate fully in science practices without needing to conform to dominant cultural norms. Our findings highlight the benefits …

Bridging The Knowledge Gap: Professional Development Connecting Educators And Caregivers Of Multilingual Learners, Mihaela Gazioglu, Emily Howell, Rebecca Kaminski, Victoria Pennington, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the professional growth of a cohort of teachers working with multilingual learners (MLs) during an MEd program and their recommendations for the development of a literacy course for ML caregivers. In addition, this study explores whether the school district capacity supports teacher growth, as reflected through district representatives’ feedback.

Design/methodology/approach – This design-based research study, informed by the culturally relevant pedagogy and dual capacity building frameworks, explores 30 in-service K-12 teachers and 11 district representatives. Data were collected through semestrial surveys and research logs over two years using mixed methods. …

Multilingual Learners' Digital Book Composing: Examining Circulation Of Translingual, Multimodal Resources In An Elementary Classroom, Lindsey W. Rowe, Victoria Pennington

Publications

Multilingual learners (MLs) often attend English-medium schools in the U.S. An important area of research is understanding how teachers can support MLs’ literacy practices, such as translingual composing, in these contexts. This paper draws on theories of translanguaging and multimodality to explore the semiotic choices of second graders as they engaged in digital book composing following instruction that invited translanguaging. Specifically, we ask: 1) What multimodal, translingual resources did students initially deploy when invited to use their full semiotic (including linguistic) resources to compose texts? And 2) How were these semiotic resources used across time, resulting in students’ creation of …

No. 15, March 2025: California’S Treasures: Supporting Superdiverse Youth Through Research, Policy And Practice, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Linda R. G. Kaminski Ed.D, Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Dayna Mitchell Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

This research and policy brief provides an overview of the Center for Equity for English Learner’s Superdiverse Adolescent Multilingual Learners Resource Guide. The publication follows the Global California 2030 call to recognize and promote the home languages and cultures of English Learners as valuable resources to increase multilingualism within the state. The term “Superdiverse” is used to acknowledge the many facets of diversity that make up the identities of English/Multilingual Learners in addition to the breadth of linguistic diversity encompassed within their language journeys. Twenty-six English/Multilingual Learners between grades seven and twelve were interviewed about their school experiences as culturally …

Brief Insights, March 2025: Expanding Educational Opportunity: Highlights From A Multilingual/English Learner-Focused Research, Practice, Policy Partnership, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Linda R. G. Kaminski Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University collaborated with Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (CNCA) in a Research, Practice, Policy Partnership to investigate problems of practice and enhance literacy leaders’ focus on supporting classroom teachers to meet the needs of multilingual/English learners (ML/EL). The research question for this study focused on literacy leaders’ perceptions about how the revised Planning-Observation-Debrief (POD) cycle tools support teachers’ focus on scaffolding ML/ELs’ access to reading and writing complex text. Emerging findings emphasize the valued partnership between literacy leaders and the teachers they coach, as well as the importance of building …

Linguistic Differences Between Spanish And English: Challenges For Native Spanish Speakers And Instructional Strategies For Effective Language Learning, Allison Kassing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This research article presents a contrastive analysis of Spanish and English, highlighting key linguistic differences that contribute to common grammatical errors among Spanish-speaking English learners. The study examines these differences across four linguistic layers: phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Through error analysis, patterns of language transfer were identified and used to develop four 50-minute lesson plans tailored for English Language Learning (ELL) classes with native Spanish speakers. By recognizing students’ prior linguistic knowledge, ELL teachers can anticipate and address common errors more effectively. Special emphasis is placed on phonemes, morphemes, cognates, and sentence orders that do not exist in both …

2025 Diversity Climate Survey Report, Illinois Math And Science Academy

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Resources

No abstract provided.

Heritage Language Learners In The Foreign Language Classroom, Annabel Noar

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Heritage language learners are a heterogenous group themselves, and prevalent contrasts exist between them and foreign language learners. This presents challenges for the amalgamation of heritage language learners and foreign language learners within a single language classroom. Reviewing relevant literature, this paper discusses the differences between heritage language learners and foreign language learners, and how these can be accounted for by educators. It argues that, without specific, individualised differentiation, the foreign language classroom is inappropriate for the heritage language learner due to its inability to sufficiently account for their heterogeneity, diverse backgrounds and unique motivations for language learning. The difficulty …

Cultural Inclusion: Experiences Of Somali Parents In The Pbis System, Destiny R. Stampley

Doctorate in Education

In an effort to support student achievement and decrease disruptive behaviors, many schools have implemented the Positive Behavior and Supports and Intervention (PBIS) framework. Two critical aspects of this framework are cultural inclusion and family engagement, which are used to promote equitable and responsive practices and policies. However, research on the effectiveness of PBIS in diverse schools focuses primarily on what schools do and fails to examine the perspective and experiences of parents. This is especially true for the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, the state with the largest Somali population in the United States. This qualitative study examined the experiences …

Design And Validation Of A Cross-Cultural Virtual Exchange Experience Among Bilingual Medical Students, John R. Vaile, Cierrah Doran, Arlene R. Maheu, Valentina Jaramillo, Daniela A. Perez-Chadid, Tomas Fernandez, Carissa Walkosak, Dinah Roll Velez, Sara Carolina Bedoya Osorio, Courtney Seebadri-White, Susan Truong, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Andres Fernandez, Rosemary Frasso

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Exposure to cross-cultural medical education is essential for professionals aiming to work in global health or serve diverse communities. However, traditional in-person exchange programs can be complex, costly, and restricted, particularly during times when travel is limited, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges prompted us to explore novel approaches to support cross-cultural exchange programs. We designed, piloted, and evaluated a cross-cultural virtual exchange experience using case-based learning (CBL). Our study involved 14 bilingual medical students from the United States and Colombia who participated in four virtual CBL sessions. Following each session, participants engaged in guided discussions to reflect …

Assessing The Improvement Of Intercultural Competence And The Development Of Civic-Minded Graduates At The University Of Minnesota Morris, Catherine Van Wey

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

In a world where cultures intersect constantly, intercultural competence, the ability to connect and communicate effectively across cultural boundaries, is crucial for driving meaningful change. Fostering global citizenship, the awareness of one’s role in a shared global community, and the commitment to a fairer, more equitable planet are vital for cultivating culturally attuned, civic-minded graduates. This perspective aligns with institutions like the University of Minnesota Morris, a four-year public liberal arts university and COPLAC member, in their shared mission to prepare students as collaborative change-makers within the communities they engage with now and in the future. However, evaluating these skills …

A Lao Chinese American Perspective On Law School, Tommy Souravong

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This creative work provides a Lao Chinese American perspective on law school.

Reenvisioning Identities That Precede Us: “Body Acknowledgement” As Social Justice Practice Within A Communication Ethics Course Redesign, Wendy Kz Anderson, Ollivia Webster, Nicole Yang, Cass Bryant, Taylor Herr

Feminist Pedagogy

We infuse this conversation of “body neutrality” through social justice responsiveness (compassion, equity, and accountability of body/presence privilege) by specifically attending to intersections of race, gender, and body mindset built into our identities. In reimagining the term “body-neutrality” through identity engagement, we introduce the term “body acknowledgment” as an active interpretative state. As a co-authored pedagogical “co-conspiring” for racial justice (Houdek and Ore, 2021, p. 92), we (instructor, teaching assistants, and previous students) offered a course redesign centering social justice strategies to address the following question: How can dialogue about intersectional communication work toward redesigning learning with difference and develop …

A Manifesto To Young Activist Scientists And Science Educators: Toward Pluriversal Sciences And Science Educations Within Bioregions And Communities, James C. Jupp

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

What follows is a manifesto to substantiate four theses. First, science and science education are not what they purport to be and require recategorization as technoscience and technoscience education. Second, technoscience and technoscience education are constituted in the pernicious whiteness of coloniality and need to be understood as mechanisms of domination. Third, pluriversal sciences and science educations toward bioregion and community are emerging and require leveraging. Fourth, the notion of contextual mitigating factors provides an essential analytic for pluriversal sciences and science educations. The manifesto is a clarion call for affinity …

The Effect Of Age Of Acquisition On The Development Of Lexical Attainment And Oral Proficiency In English As L2 In Adult Native Arabic Speakers, Mona Ahmed Kamar El-Zaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of the age of acquisition (AoA) on the development of lexical attainment and oral proficiency in English as a second language (L2) among adult native Arabic speakers, focusing on classroom foreign language learners within the Egyptian context. AoA, a critical variable in second language acquisition (SLA) research, is explored in relation to two key domains: lexical knowledge and oral proficiency. The study examines the role of AoA and AoA related effects, such as the order of bilingualism and the length of exposure to rich language input (LoE) as a confounding factor. Through a mixed-methods approach, …

Trauma-Informed Bilingual Counselor Education: Factors To Guide Professional Mental Health Training With Spanish-Speaking Students, Fernando Estrada, Miguel A. Arana

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Latine immigrants confront various forms of violence that increases their risk for traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a need to advance the training of counselors who can work with Spanish-speaking clients exposed to trauma. The goal of this study was to articulate a literature-based conceptualization of trauma-informed bilingual counselor education. The results of a content analysis facilitated a synthesis of the relevant scholarship that highlighted four main facets: (i) integrative translanguage pedagogy, (ii) immigrant trauma exposure and reaction, (iii) culturally responsive socio-emotional interventions, and (iv) bilingual supervisory alliance. These factors can help guide professional graduate training. Implications …

Board Games And Pancasila Education: Teachers’ Perspectives In Supporting Global Diversity, Yulia Gesti Merkuri, Syifa Siti Aulia, Muhammad Talha Bin Nasim

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

Global diversity is an important element in the era of globalisation to form students able to adapt to intercultural situations. Teachers as facilitators help students achieve this by paying attention to learning components such as the media used. Teachers must have the instinct that the media used must have an impact on knowledge and attitudes. So, it is necessary for teachers' perceptions regarding board game learning media to help develop media. This study aims to determine Pancasila Education teachers' perceptions of board game media in interactive learning based on global diversity. The study used a mixed method with a concurrent …

A Fragment Of 50 Misrememberings: A Collection Of Poetry, Chanida Phaengdara Potter

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This literary work includes three selected poems from a larger collection of poems.

A Language Narrative, Jer Xiong

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

"A Language Narrative" is about the author's own journey with the English language, fanfiction, online spaces, and the decision to be a writer.

Literary Orphan, Jer Xiong

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

"Literary Orphan" is a flash creative nonfiction.