Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Implementing Neurophysiological Research Into The Lives Of Linguistically And Culturally Diverse High School Students, Sabrina Paiz

Education | Master's Theses

Implementing neurophysiological research-based strategies into the lives of culturally-linguistically diverse high school students can better help them strengthen essential neural learning and memory connection in their brain (Griffin, 2017; Choudhury et al., 2008). However, a research-to-practice gap, results in the lack of implementation of university-level research among high school students and families that may aid in their academic success and emotional wellbeing (King et al., 2018; Moir 2018). This study aimed to explore the strategies and challenges of implementing neurophysiological strategies by analyzing a group of twenty-one students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and three parents in Northern California. …

Addressing The Needs Of High School English Learners Through Inclusion In General Education Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study Of A Midwestern Metropolitan Public School District, Amanda Levos

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

English Learners (EL) and those students’ redesignated language proficient, or more accurately described as emergent bilingual or multilingual learners; make up a significant subset of the student population of high schools throughout the country. ELs may be vulnerable to academic failure in core academic subject areas due to limited language proficiency and potential gaps in formal education. Every school district creates a continuum of services to educate students at various levels of English language acquisition, which more than likely will include inclusion in the general education classroom. The challenge for districts is ensuring that general education teachers have the knowledge, …

Journey To Refuge: Understanding Refugees, Exploring Trauma, And Best Practices For Newcomers And Schools, Trina D. Harlow

NPP eBooks

Pre-K through 12th grade schools within the United States have become much more diverse in recent years. Schools are now commonly not only diverse because of diverse students born in the United States, but also have many immigrant students. A growing number of these immigrant students are resettled children who have refugee status. In schools, these recent immigrants are called newcomers. This book is a culmination of research and anecdotal experiences regarding the refugee issue as it pertains to these students in American schools and schools elsewhere in the world. Scholars, policy makers, educators, those who work in the refugee …

Finding Their Place: An Ethnographic Study Of The Culture Of Students Attending A Rural, Self-Paced, Alternative Evening High School, Teena Atkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide a cultural portrait as well as identify methods of success of nontraditional students attending a self-paced, alternative evening high school in the southeast region of the United States in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. An ethnographic research design was utilized employing data triangulation through observations, interviews, focus group, and journals as methods of data collection. Participants included nontraditional students who were currently attending or recently graduated from an alternative evening high school in the southeast region of the United States. This study sought to better understand what factors contributed to …

Vietnamese Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Task-Based Approach To Vocabulary Instruction In Secondary School English As A Foreign Language Classrooms, Dung Thi Thuy Nguyen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is considered innovative in foreign language teaching. However, the body of research on TBLT employment in vocabulary instruction is still modest. This study explored teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding vocabulary instruction using TBLT. This study examined such application among Vietnamese high-school EFL teachers (N = 60) using a mixed methods research design. Data were collected using online questionnaires.

Data analysis showed that 53.6% of the participating teachers associated vocabulary instruction with TBLT. However, regardless of their years as instructors, they still found it challenging to implement TBLT vocabulary instruction due to numerous factors. In fact, 66.2% …

Language, Literacy And Project Based Learning: An Ethnographic Case Study Of A New Tech Classroom In A High School On The Us/Mexico Border, Nora Lee Paugh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic case study sought to understand how English Language Learners used their language and literacy practices within a project based learning (PBL) classroom to complete their PBL tasks. Studies revealed the impact of how English language learners within a PBL learning environment were able to use their language and literacy as a social practices that led to successful student engagement (Call & Sotillo, 1995; Campbell, 2012). This study was conducted at Wilson High School, located along the US/Mexico border. The focus of the case study was a 9th grade combination English/World Geography class of the school's inaugural New Tech …

School Connectedness, Language Acquisition And Academic Success: A Study Of English Language Learners' Experiences At A Comprehensive High School, Philip M. Alfano

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore differences in perceptions of school connectedness among Long Term English Learner (LTEL) students and Redesignated Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) students in a comprehensive high school setting. The study also seeks to determine whether or not there is a relationship between English language acquisition and perceptions of school connectedness among these two groups.

The target population was LTEL and RFEP students enrolled in grades 6-12 in public schools in Stanislaus County. Delimiting characteristics were applied to both the target population and the population sample to reduce variability. Quantitative data including artifacts and scaled …

Increasing The High School Graduation Rate Of Native American Students In Public Schools, Sierra M. Gibson

CMC Senior Theses

Native American students obtain the lowest on-time high school graduation rate among all races and ethnicities in the United States. Through an analysis of previously published literature and seven interviews conducted by the author, this paper sets out to identify the key barriers Native students face when working toward their high school diploma. This paper will argue that, together, a history of abusive educational tactics and an institutionally racist policies and practices adopted by the U.S. Department of Education have made it challenging for Native students to complete high school on time.

Expanding The Literary Enterprise: How We Experience The Texts Of The Advanced Placement English Literature And Composition Curriculum, Molly Ostrow

Honors Theses

How we read the texts of the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition curriculum.

Writing Across Institutions: Studying The Curricular And Extracurricular Journeys Of Latina/O Students Transitioning From High School To College, Todd Ruecker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is based on a year and a half multi-institutional study of seven Mexican American students transitioning from high school to a community college or a university. It explores the differences between high school, community college, and university literacy environments, focusing on the following: the impact of standardized testing at the high school level, the role of rhetoric and composition disciplinary expertise in shaping first-year composition (FYC) curricula, writing in the disciplines, and the digital divide between institutions. Seven case studies examine students' literacy experiences across institutions as well as both challenges and sources of support in and beyond …

Resiliency Of Latino High School Students: The Impact Of External And Internal Factors, Diana Marie Lucero

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated factors promoting academic resiliency within Latino students at an urban high school in the Los Angeles area. The criteria of “on-track” to graduate served as the operational definition of academic resilience. A total of 92 students completed the survey. Of these, 57 were on-track to graduate and 35 students were “not on-track” to graduate. The California Healthy Kids Survey: Resiliency & Youth Development Module (WestEd, 2008a) was the instrument employed to obtain quantitative data using three external protective factors (caring relationships, high expectations, and meaningful participation) and three internal protective factors (social competence, autonomy and sense of …

A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Curriculum For Secondary Biology Teachers, Raquel Georgina Martinez

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted in the following areas, which help support the need for a culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum for secondary biology teachers. The history of both bilingual education and science, the importance of bilingual education, a summarization of selected bilingual and ESL models, bilingual and science curriculum, supported bilingual research, standardized tests, science and ELL students, and in closing secondary bilingual research. Based on the conducted research, the curriculum was developed utilizing the late-exit bilingual model, preview/review, and the incorporation of the student's culture.

Second Language Acquisition Through Reading, Comprehensible Input, Limited Grammar, And Cultural Study: A Handbook For The Secondary Language Teacher, Judith A. Willis-Nicolai

All Graduate Projects

Second language practitioners share the goal that their students reach communicative competence in the target language. Recent research findings regarding learning, however, have spawned a debate that has driven teachers to rethink the efficacy of the traditional practice of direct instruction of language usage. The Standards for Foreign Language Learning, as well as research that examines second language acquisition, support content-based instructional strategies that employ sustained language use, cultural infusion, and contextual grammar instruction in a constructivist classroom. This project reviews that research, then synthesizes and applies the findings of the research through the development of units that implement strategies …

What Do We Think About Them? Stereotypes In Russia About U.S. High Schools., Svetlana Pivovar

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Secondary Multicultural Discipline Based Art Education General Art Education, Rex Randall Deloney

All Graduate Projects

With the growing number of multicultural populations in Washington State schools, there is a need to provide all students with an understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures. The goal of the Discipline Based Art Education is to enhance understanding of other cultures through the study of art. This project was developed to foster multicultural awareness among students and to help them better understand themselves, their communities, and the world in which they live. Through a multicultural discipline based art education curriculum, students will be able to see themselves and the personal connections they have with what is being taught in …

A Model Secondary-Level Spanish Introductory Curriculum In Alignment With The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Frederick William Lenard

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a curriculum to be used during the first weeks of a secondary-level beginning Spanish class. To accomplish this purpose, a review of related literature was conducted. Additionally, related information and materials from selected sources were obtained and analyzed in order to find out what professional Spanish teachers considered to be a required part of the beginning curriculum. The curriculum was written with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) in mind to show that Spanish teachers can and do support the EALRs.

Approaches In Teaching Advanced Placement Spanish, Melinda L. Brager

All Graduate Projects

The curriculum developed in this project has been designed specifically for Advanced Placement Spanish students, although lt may be used ln almost any advanced foreign language class. In addition to building on prior knowledge and increasing target language proficiency, this curriculum attempts to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Exam.

A Project For Spanish Speaking Migrant Parents For Involvement In Home Reading Activities, Nancy J. King

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop parent involvement workshops and home reading activities for Spanish speaking migrant parents of the Highland School District. Four one-hour workshops were designed and implemented. In addition, kindergarteners participated in book reading activities. This project demonstrated that Spanish speaking parents could be successfully integrated into school-related activities; and through this integration, positive changes in attitudes and behaviors of both parents and children could be achieved.