Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Wrap-Around Support Services For The Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Student And School Belonging, Genesi Miles

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Wrap-Around Support Services for the Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Student and School Belonging

Genesi Miles, Ed. M

Immigrant students and families continue to navigate systemic barriers that limit equitable access to educational opportunities and meaningful school engagement. Language differences, racism, transportation challenges, childcare constraints, intimidation, and concerns related to legal status frequently hinder immigrant families’ participation in schools (Sibley & Brabek, 2017). In New Jersey, approximately one-third of immigrant parents live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line (Hofstetter & McHugh, 2021), further compounding these challenges. Despite these realities, many U.S. schools lack intentional planning to support immigrant populations, a gap …

Transitioning To The American School System: Insights From Immigrant English Language Learners And Factors Influencing Their Success, Yolanda Gomez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative study examined the factors influencing the post–high school experiences of immigrant English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Fourteen recent high school graduates from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ecuador, and Peru participated in semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using grounded thematic coding within a social-ecological framework. Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) Language Acquisition, including challenges and empowerment through developing English proficiency; (2) Support Systems, such as family, teachers, peers, and community mentors; (3) Social and Cultural Integration, facilitated by extracurricular involvement and adaptation to new norms; and (4) Resilience and Personal Growth, reflected in persistence, self-efficacy, and …

Exploring Non-Native English Learners’ Attitudes Towards Ai And Online Multimedia Persuasive Opinions And The Role Of Sentiment, Zvetomira N. Svetleff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study and various other studies use quantitative models to identify which persuasive features predict persuasiveness. Most studies in the field do not explain why participants responded as they did nor do they focus on studying adult non-native English learners also referred to as second language (L2) English learners. Despite seemingly remarkable progress on research related to how to convey persuasive messages, there has been little work related to persuasive messaging targeted at second language learners or non-native speakers. In addition, despite the increasing reliance on AI technologies and tools in language learning within educational and work settings, there has …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.

The Impact Of Trump Administration Immigration Policies On Connecticut Educators And Families, Elena C. Bielesz

Honors Scholar Theses

Anti-immigrant rhetoric, policies, and practices, which have grown increasingly prevalent due to the current national political climate, have adverse effects on the mental health of immigrant families and the teachers that support them in Connecticut. This study seeks to represent the opinions of Connecticut K-12 MLL (Multilingual Learners) Education Teachers and Administrators whose daily lives are impacted by the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies and procedures. The study employed a human subjects-based approach supported by a review of related literature. MLL Educators from around the state of Connecticut were interviewed. These interviews found that while immigration-based trauma and stressors are common …

They Don’T Care About Us Here! The Intersectionality Of Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat, And The Need For Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Louis D. Blair

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how teachers engage in critical self-reflection of implicit bias and how that process influences their pedagogical awareness and classroom practices. Grounded in the Implicit Bias Theory, Adult Learning Theory, Transformative Learning Theory, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, the study utilized the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT), reflective journaling, and engagement with the book Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools, to explore shifts in three participants’ beliefs and instructional approaches. Data sources included pre- and post-survey responses, IAT reflections, and ongoing journal entries, and semi-structured post-study interviews which were analyzed thematically. Findings …

Resilience In Place Names: German-Hehe War Memories And Cultural Identity In Iringa Toponyms, Claudio G. Kisake, Sophilini M. Yisega, Spemba E. Spemba

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Toponyms, or place names, act as vital markers of historical memory, cultural identity and resilience. In Iringa, Tanzania, toponymy offers valuable insights into the enduring impacts associated with the German-Hehe War (1890–1898), and colonial encounters on indigenous communities. This study explores how place names—such as Kitanzini (‘a place with a noose for hanging people’), Ilundamatwe or Lundamatwe (‘a collection of slaughtered heads’), and Gangilonga (‘the speaking stone’)—convey narratives of Hehe war superiority, resistance, and survival. Using a qualitative approach, the research incorporates archival sources, oral histories, and linguistic analysis to investigate the stories behind naming and renaming, the role of …

Gendered Politics Of Pictures: How Images In A Pakistani English Textbook Homogenize Female Identities, Liaquat Ali Channa

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative multimodal analytical study draws upon Kress and van Leeuwen’s ideas about pictures and problematizes textbooks of English that supposedly teach only English in Pakistan. It aims to understand the identities of an adult female as shown in the images of an English textbook. It uses Foucault’s theories of discourse and discursive formation, and a Vygotskian sociocultural view of the development of consciousness. By following Braun and Clarke (2006, 2019), all the pictures of the My English Book 4 are first analyzed thematically. Later, O’Toole’s (1994) method of analyzing pictures is employed for a detailed examination of a representative …

The Effects Of Extracurricular Activities On Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Discipline On Hispanic Students In One Northwest Arkansas Junior High School, Michael Jennings

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Academic achievement and school engagement of Hispanic students are persistent concerns in the United States education system. Research has indicated that extracurricular activities can mitigate some of these concerns; however, limited research has examined their effects specifically among Hispanic students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of extracurricular activities on academic achievement, attendance, and discipline among junior high school Hispanic students. In this study, archival data from two consecutive academic years were obtained for Hispanic students in a public school district in Arkansas, United States.

Academic achievement was measured using state-standardized test scores; attendance was measured …

Developing Spanish-Language Campus Tours To Enhance Accessibility And Competitive Recruitment At The University Of Mississippi, Caitlyn E. Culpepper

Honors Theses

This thesis proposes and outlines an initiative that would bring Spanish-language campus tours and visit resources to the University of Mississippi, increasing accessibility to the campus visit experience while also providing institutional benefits within a competitive recruitment landscape. Through a review of current literature on Hispanic/Latino students in higher education, institutional enrollment and recruitment data, comparative research on peer institutions, and conversations with university professionals, this project explores the role that language accessibility, family engagement, and campus visits play in the college decision-making process.

Findings suggest that Hispanic/Latino students remain an underrepresented yet rapidly growing population in higher education and …

Task-Based Language Teaching For Afghans Resettled In The United States Since 2021: Meeting Integration And Employment Needs, Madison E. Wilhelm

Senior Honors Theses

In the aftermath of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the United States military evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom were resettled in the United States. This population has faced many challenges in their resettlement, including barriers to language learning and difficulty finding skilled employment. There is great diversity within this population, including individuals with limited schooling and those with valuable employment skills.

This integrative literature review explores how Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be used as a strategy for Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) with the post-2021 Afghan population in the United States. It …

A Study On Community And Technical College Students' Identification Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Cynthia J. Carow Schiebe

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students could identify culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and, to what extent, in a community or technical college classroom where a set of goals and strategies had been established to guide methodology. Previous research on CRP traditionally focused on the educators’ or administrators’ interpretation of what students had learned when CRP was used as a methodology to reduce the opportunity gap. Students in classrooms where CRP was used were able to identify content that was aligned with their needs and wants, bring their own lives into the class without fear, balance their …

Teaching And Technology: Diagnostic Abilities Of Chatgpt For English Article Usage Errors In Turkish Esl University Students’ Academic Writing, Daniela Hong

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines how the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT can support teachers of Turkish learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) in addressing one of the most persistent cross-linguistic challenges in academic writing: the misuse of the definite article “the.” Because Turkish lacks a grammatical article system entirely, Turkish learners frequently omit or misapply the definite article in ways that reflect deeper structural differences between English and Turkish rather than simple errors. Writing samples were elicited from two proficiency levels of English in Turkish university English courses and analyzed through ChatGPT to determine whether AI could accurately diagnose …

Speaking Of Language: The Relationship Between Language As Capital And Minority Language Education, Alex J. Zelaya

Politics Honors Papers

The future of minority languages not only depends on intergenerational transmission but also on support for immersive instruction in minority languages within the educational system. This paper examines the factors that influence support for minority language education, arguing that language policy is shaped by societal attitudes, which in turn reflect dynamics of power. The paper draws upon Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptualization of different types of capital, including his theory on the relationship between economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital. Within this framework, language functions as a form of capital, reflecting and reinforcing social and economic stratification by conveying status or stigma. …

How To Motivate Hispanic And Latinx Elementary Students To Bridge English Language Proficiency Gaps In A Classroom, Brianna D. Uriostegui

Masters Projects

Limited resources, culturally unresponsive teaching practices, and wide differences in language proficiency levels across classrooms and schools impact minority, diverse students. These issues also affect language classroom teachers responsible for students' language proficiency. This project delves deeper into one marginalized group, Hispanic and Latinx students, by going over the history and challenges this specific group faces. This project also discusses strategies that motivate Hispanic and Latinx students in developing English language proficiency while valuing their linguistic and cultural identities.

The Effects Of Stimulus Disparity On Acquisition Of Chinese Language Learning, Siyi Duan

Thesis Projects

This study examined the effects of stimulus disparity on Chinese characters. Participants were taught Sets of similar and dissimilar characters using a Pre-test–teaching–Post-Test format with stimulus fading supports. Acquisition was measured by sessions to mastery. Results showed that dissimilar Sets were learned more efficiently than similar Sets. Error patterns include repeated use of the same responses across stimuli, and errors within sets. These findings suggest that similarity may slow acquisition and more errors may occur during early learning.

Bridging The Literacy Achievement Gap With Diverse Children's Literature, Sammy Siemon

Masters Projects

Classrooms across the globe contain immensely diverse populations of students, many of which are not well represented in the texts that they interact with inside of the classroom. This becomes especially noticeable in the intervention setting, when students are already reading below the proficiency level for their grade and may already have doubts about their ability to fit in within the learning space. Read-alouds and repeated rereading are often heralded for their impact on literacy development, they can be utilized in the intervention setting using texts that help to foster student identity, empathy and belonging. This project is grounded heavily …

Teaching Isixhosa As A First Additional Language In Former Model C Schools: Implications For Educator Experiences In The Harry Gwala District, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Lundi Nomlala, Lwandile Ncam

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This paper explored educators' experiences of teaching isiXhosa as First Additional Language (FAL) in former Model C schools in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study aimed to understand practical teaching approaches that enhance linguistic diversity and improve IsiXhosa proficiency while addressing systemic challenges. A qualitative case study design was employed, using semi-structured interviews with five IsiXhosa FAL teachers across three schools. The findings revealed the need for partnerships between schools and communities, curriculum revision, including mentorship and professional development for teachers, collaborative learning, and the effective use of technology. However, challenges such as unequal language recognition, insufficient …

Unmasking Barriers: A Critical Examination Of Systemic Challenges Facing Bipoc Pre-Service Teachers, Nia V. Fratrik

Education Doctorate Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Defining My Country: An Appalachian Educator’S Autoethnography Of Linguistic Erasure And Ai, Kimberly B. Wright

Dissertations

When students use AI writing tools to revise their work, the algorithms often erase the cultural and linguistic markers that constitute their authentic voice. This erasure operates through the same mechanisms that linguistic justice scholars have documented for decades: a dominant language ideology that frames non-dominant expression as deficient and “corrects” it into standardized prose. As a first-generation Appalachian educator who spent years suppressing her own voice to succeed in academic spaces, I recognize this pattern from the inside. Using autoethnography as a methodology, this study examines how my journey from voice erasure to reclamation informs my pedagogy to help …

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions On The Wida Framework To Support Academic Literacy In Multilingual Learners, Laura G. Faris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine teachers’ perceptions of benefits and barriers to using the WIDA Framework to support academic literacy in multilingual learners (MLs).  Content-area teachers of MLs who continue to learn English are teaching academic literacy through complex linguistic structures for students to both comprehend and produce informative textual structures which occur in secondary textual reading and written assessments in the literature and historical content areas. Qualitative methods including reflective journal entries, semi-structured teacher interviews, and classroom observations were used to collect data on teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of using the WIDA Framework to better …

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

Learning From Practice: Autoethnographic Reflections & Practitioner Perspectives On Inclusive Engagement For Bipoc, Mml, And Special Education Students, Mikayla A. Aquino

Program in Community Action (PICA)

This study examines how educators conceptualize, enact, and experience inclusive engagement for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, multilingual learners (MLLs), and students with disabilities, and how structural conditions shape their capacity to implement equity-oriented practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with ten educators from Lakewood, Illinois, and Harborview, Connecticut, alongside autoethnographic reflection, this qualitative study centers practitioner voices to investigate the gap between educational policy and classroom practice. Grounded in Bettina Love's abolitionist teaching framework and Alison Kafer's political-relational model of disability, the analysis situates educator experiences within systems shaped by racism, linguistic hierarchy, and ableist normativity. Thematic …

My Journey As A Migrant Bilingual Learner From Student To Teacher: Lessons Learned, Sylvia Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

These reflections in this thesis are an analysis of narratives based on my lived experiences as an immigrant, migrant student who is now a certified Bilingual & Special Education teacher servicing students, many of whom are bilingual, in public school classrooms. My goal is to connect my life experiences to teaching practices and thus embrace and celebrate my linguistic identity. Bilingual educators have a language learning journey that drives their classroom practices. When bilingual teachers reflect on their bilingual trajectory and connect their life experiences to research, they may provide spaces for stronger positive impacts on bilingual students, and their …

Host Families’ Perspectives Of The Impact Of The Commodification Of Education On The Student-Host Family Relationship In Study Abroad, Guadalupe Bustamante

Dissertations

The growing commodification of education has reshaped study abroad in ways that extend beyond marketing and program design. While homestays have traditionally been viewed as the ideal format for cultural immersion and language acquisition, research has largely overlooked how these trends affect the student-host family relationship from the family's perspective.

This study examines whether, and, if so, how Spanish host families perceive their roles and relationships with the American students they host have been impacted by these trends. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, the research focused on representatives from eight families in Madrid, who have hosted U.S. students …

A Phenomenological Study: The Cultural Identity Of Black Transfer Students In Higher Education, Briana Lashon Levi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black transfer students from the California Community College system to Southern Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Guided by two theoretical frameworks, Afrocentric Pedagogy and Black Identity Development Theory (BIDT), the study investigated how participants described and interpreted their cultural identity as they transitioned from a community college to a Southern HBCU. In this study, cultural identity was understood as a holistic construct that included students’ sense of belonging and their experiences of cultural affirmation, which functioned as core components rather than separate constructs from cultural identity. This research specifically focused …

The Parental Experience: First-Generation Students In The Transition From High School To College, Angelica Agudo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of parents and guardians of first-generation Latinx students as they navigated the transition from high school to college in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Despite increasing attention to first-generation student success, limited research has centered parental perspectives, particularly within regionally underresourced Latinx communities. This study addressed this gap by exploring how parents access and interpret institutional resources, the roles they assume in shaping college choice and family dynamics, and how educational institutions can better support families during this critical transition.

This study was guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s …

Teacher's Efficacy In Fostering A Sense Of Belonging In Newcomer Adolescent Students, Brenda Melendrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Schools are continuously serving a growing population of newcomer students that face unique social, cultural, and linguistic barriers (McCabe et al., 2024). Newcomer adolescent students experience additional challenges in high school contexts, due to the academic pressures, developmental changes, and social isolation hindering their sense of belonging (Fabris et al., 2024). Teachers play a central role in fostering belonging through teacher-student relationships, daily interactions, and academic and emotional support (Ozdemir & Ozdemir, 2020). However, teachers have reported limited teacher preparation on fostering belonging among newcomer students, impacting their confidence and ability to support their students (Motitswe, 2025). Teachers have specifically …

Emotional Intelligence Documentary - The Journey, Not The Destination: A Spain Reflection, Elise I. Palacios

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence through the Humanities in Spain

The Journey, Not the Destination follows my study abroad experience in Madrid and Toledo, Spain through a Medical Humanities course. Through art, history, culture, and personal reflection, I explore how travel broadened my understanding of the human experience and shaped my perspective as a future physician. More than a story about a place, this documentary is about growth, empathy, and the lessons we learn along the journey.