Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Principals’ Transformational Leadership Practices In Increasing Reading Achievement For Ells, Michelle Jeffrey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals in public schools are being challenged to improve English language learning (ELL) student achievement through transformational leadership practices. This qualitative study aimed to explore the aspects of transformational leadership that principals use to reduce the disproportionate level in state summative reading assessments between ELL students and their non-ELL peers. The conceptual framework that supported this study was Burns’ theory of transformational leadership. The research question focused on how principals in public school settings employed transformational leadership practices to support a reduction in ELL students’ disproportionate achievement in reading. Semi structured interviews were used to collect data from 10 principals …

Perspectives Of Adult Esl Teachers On The Use Of Direct Vocabulary Instruction With Adult Ells, Erica N. Pettis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWith the growing number of non-native English speakers, improving communication through direct vocabulary instruction (DVI) is important. The problem investigated in this study was that English as a second language (ESL) teachers were not using the strategy DVI, in the ESL classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perspectives about DVI for adult English language learners (ELLs) in a Midwestern state. The conceptual framework was drawn from Vygotsky’s constructivist theory because ESL teachers construct meaning from their experiences and what they have learned about vocabulary to improve reading comprehension for adult ELLs. The research …

Elementary Educators’ Perceptions Of Common Core Mathematics Standards For English Language Learners, Katricia Purnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A problem exists at the local site that classroom practices are not adequately preparing English language learners (ELLs) for academic success in the area of mathematics, and since the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M), there has been a lack of progress in mathematics proficiency for ELLs. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary educators’ perceptions of CCSS-M implementation and its impact on math proficiency for ELLs at a Title I elementary school bordering a large urban area. Perceptions may influence beliefs and attitudes regarding CCSS-M implementation with ELLs, but little research …

Considering The Needs, Challenges, And Assets Of School Systems In Rural Meatpacking Communities During Covid-19: The Roles Of Schools As Vehicles Of Community, Edmund T. Hamann, Amanda R. Morales, Ricardo Martinez

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

For more than 40 years, the relocation of meatpacking from urban to rural communities and the related change of who works in these high-risk, modestly compensated positions has brought Spanish-speaking and African and Asian refugee populations to communities like the seven focal Nebraska communities we consider here. These seven, five rural and two part of multi-county metropolitan areas, all have majority Latinx school enrollments and they all have been particularly hard hit by both the first and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were each also foci of a special new course we co-taught in December 2020 called: “Pandemics, …

Diez Cosas Que Maestros Mexicanos Deben Saber De Las Escuelas Estadounidenses, Edmund T. Hamann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

La escuela es un universo institucional que la niñez y la adolescencia migrante tienen que negociar en sus contextos de llegada. A menudo, las niñas, niños y adolescentes (NNyA) migrantes han tenido una experiencia escolar anterior, en un país en el que el sistema educativo opera sobre la base de una serie de normas diferentes. Por eso es importante que las personas que guían la escolarización en el nuevo escenario educativo –en este caso los maestros mexicanos– sepan cómo funciona el sistema educativo estadounidense en el que estaban escolarizados anteriormente sus estudiantes. Con este conocimiento pueden ayudar a sus alumnos …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion At Faith-Based Institutions: A Quantitative Study At Two Seventh-Day Adventist Institutions Of Higher Learning In North America, Erin Doggette

Dissertations

Problem

The need to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at university campuses is critical. The campus climate impacts college students' overall collegial relationships and academic abilities. Since 1976, there has been an increase of 19.1% marginalized students enrolled in college. For these students, a sense of belonging is believed to aid in improved collegial relationships and better academic performance. According to the research, students who have positive perceptions of the campus climate tend to be more satisfied with their overall college experience and become more academically successful. Private, faith-based institutions must consider conducting campus climate surveys to assess potential diversity, …

Systemic Challenges During Assessment Of Emerging Bilingual Students: Perspectives Of Speech Language Pathologists And School Psychologists, Courtney Smith

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of speech language pathologists and school psychologists, to identify the systemic challenges they identified that negatively impact how emerging bilingual students are referred, assessed, and identified for special education. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 6 speech language pathologists and 6 school psychologists (n=12) to explore these challenges and barriers, as well as to look at the systems of belief present on campuses, that impact this process. Using a systems thinking framework and detailed inductive analysis of the data many themes emerged related to barriers such as difficulty finding an interpreter and ensuring that …

Rethinking The Hispanic Teacher Shortage: Dual Language Schools As Identity-Affirming Organizations, Elena Sada, Katie Ward

Journal of Catholic Education

Research has established the connection between the academic success of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and their schools’ ability to recruit and retain teachers that reflect such diversity (Shirrell et al., 2019). Studies have also highlighted the criticality of the students’ home language use as a way to enhance academic growth and develop their sociocultural competence and well-being (Feinauer & Howard, 2014). There is no research, however, addressing the differences between the experiences of Hispanic teachers in bilingual Catholic education compared to those in monolingual English Catholic education. This article highlights the differences captured by a recent study, and discusses …

Ece 302 Children, Families, Communities, And Schools In Sociocultural Contexts—Birth To Grade 6, Lisa Cavallero

Open Educational Resources

Topics covered in this course include: home, school, and community influences, family diversity, roles and experiences of families, early learning, special needs, protecting children, influences of the home and community, working with families.

This course outline includes:

• all assignments for the course (link to assignments packet).
• links to lecture slides
• instructor notes
• additional resources

Note: users will be prompted to make their own copy of documents when clicking on links to Google Docs and Google Slides.

Do Spanish Immersion Programs Increase Student Proficiency On Reading End-Of-Grade Tests For Students Of Color?, Lavette Alston-Braswell

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This quantitative, longitudinal matched pairs study determined whether elementary Spanish immersion students performed better on reading end-of-grade exams in Grades 3-5 than their non-immersion traditional peers in the same grades. African American and Hispanic students from two Spanish immersion schools in a suburban North Carolina district were studied. Results found that there was no statistical significance between student ethnicity and choice of immersion or non-immersion program. Time over years was found to be statistically significant. Although there was no statistical significance between program type and ethnicity, immersion students outperformed their non-immersion peers in Grades 3-5. African American students scored higher …

Latinx Families’ And School Personnel's Perceptions Of Family Engagement In Virtual Learning In Five Nc Elementary Schools During The Covid-19 Global Pandemic, Elizabeth Schrecengost

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020 created many difficulties for both families and schools. Drastic lifestyle changes had to be made, and many schools across the United States were closed indefinitely, with a rapid transition to “remote/virtual/distance learning.” Latinx families, many from diverse backgrounds, were one of many special populations to struggle with the transition to virtual learning, for various reasons. This struggle with transition affected families’ levels of engagement with their children’s schools, which is a limited area of research. A myriad of research shows when there are strong partnerships among families, students, and schools and they work cohesively, …

A Journey To Finding Space In The Tension: Experience Of Instructors' Relationship With Religion And Spirituality In Doctoral Psychology Programs, Samantha Mcgee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Religion and spirituality, when viewed through a holistic lens, can reflect important aspects of a person’s identity. It can be a source of well-being and also struggle. The fields of religion, spirituality and psychology have had a history of being polarized, with some efforts to integrate the two fields. Tensions exist at multiple ecological levels around the topic of religion and spirituality, which can make it easier to avoid discussing it in classrooms and therapy rooms. It is important to address and create room for discussion of experiences around religion and spirituality in classrooms that are training psychologists so they …

Supporting The Oral Language Development Of Young Dual Language Learners: Perspectives Of El Teachers In Nh, Maria C. Chouinard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Demographic shifts in the US over the last two decades have increased the diversity gap between teachers and their students. The majority of multilingual children entering US public schools face the challenge of learning academic content in not just one, but two languages. Despite many of the positive effects of being bilingual, Dual Language Learners (DLLs) often face more challenges in education achievement and opportunities than their monolingual English-speaking peers. A key factor of this challenge is the fact that DLLs tend to have monolingual English-speaking peers, and teachers have been shown to play a critical role in student learning. …

Creating An Integration Framework For The European Union? Comparing The Role Of Language In Integration Policy Regarding Education And Labor Participation Rates In Germany And Sweden, Kate Elizabeth Persson

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Cultural And Gender Shifts: Trends And Factors Hmong Male Students Face In Pursuit Of Higher Education, Sai Yang Xiong

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The educational trends in the attainment of Hmong American students in higher education have grown significantly over the past 40+ years. However, modern academia is still somewhat new to most United States Hmong refugees since their resettlement in 1975 after the Vietnam War. Hmong students are children of refugee immigrants who came to the United States with no formal schooling, limited English proficiency, and a low-socioeconomic background. Hmong parents believe that having an education will enable their children to seek employment, perform well in society, and gain financial stability. The purpose of this study was to analyze challenges that contribute …

Disappearing Acts: The Declining Numbers Of African American Teachers In Public School Settings, Catherine F. Lewis-Brownfield

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

African American teachers are slowly leaving the classroom, causing an imbalance in the student/teacher ratio (NCES, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African American teachers make up 3% in California and 7% nationally. This study sought to understand the reasons for the decline in the number of African American teachers in public school settings. Due to the decline in their numbers, African American students have suffered high dropout rates, low standardized test scores, and low college attendance (Gershenson, Hart, Hyman, Lindsey, & Papageorge, 2017). This qualitative study examined the obstacles current African American teachers face and the …

Using Color With Care: An Exploration Of The Application Of Psychological Color Theory Within Language Classrooms, Mackenzie Wisneski

Honors Program Theses

This study is a qualitative analysis of the current use(s) of affective-based color theory for social-emotional and academic-related assistance within language classrooms. Current and past literature support the important and effective nature of a learner’s environment in relation to information acquisition and retention (Krashen, 1982; Maslow, 1970b; Perry, 2006). This research is significant within the language teaching field as it stands to summarize the external challenges that emergent bilingual students are facing as well as contextualize their learning environment with respect to the use of visual cues to promote both the students’ social-emotional wellbeing and academic success. Data was collected …

Preservice Teachers, Antiracism, And Racial Literacy: Exploring Current Preservice Teachers' Definitions And Perceptions Of Racism And Antiracism Within Teacher Education, Olivia Gabrielle Terrones

Honors Program Theses

In teacher preparation programs across the country, racial discourse has grown in relevance and become an increasingly common aspect of teacher preparation programs. This study will explore the perceptions of preservice teachers on topics of race. Through a research survey of 120 current University of Northern Iowa preservice teachers, this study will explore and analyze how current UNI preservice teachers view and define racism and antiracism, where the participants place themselves on a racial literacy continuum, and how they value antiracist racial literacy in their future careers as teachers. Antiracist education is necessary for teacher education programs because the grade …

English Language Learner Teachers’ Perspectives Of Professional Development And Their Implementation Of Instructional Practices, Cara Nicole Scales-Judkowitz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of U.S. teachers of English Language Learners (ELL) across the nation are not receiving adequate in-service training to provide instruction within students’ zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky’s ZPD is the difference between what a person can achieve when acting alone and what the same person can achieve when acting with support from someone else. ELL instructional practices should be implemented in ELL students’ ZPD to ensure adequate academic performance. A lack of training is a local problem for a school district in the state of Florida. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore …

First-Year Mainstream Teachers' Perspectives On Preservice Preparation In English Language Learner Instruction, Sally Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms has significantly increased over the past decade, first-year teachers continue to begin their careers without adequate training in ELL instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore first-year mainstream teachers’ perspectives of their preservice course training and field experiences in ELL instruction. The study site was a small west Tennessee school district where 32 students are currently receiving English as a second language (ESL) services. Supported by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study was framed by the concept of hands-on experience for learning, which is used by …

Elementary Principal Leadership Practices To Enhance Academic Achievement Of English Language Learners, Toi Okema Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English Language Learners (ELLs) struggle in many schools in the United States. Instructional leaders and their communities need greater understanding of the leadership practices of principals that can enhance the achievement of ELLs. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine the leadership practices that elementary principals used to increase the achievement of ELLs in their schools. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was culturally responsive school leadership. The two research questions were designed to explore the leadership practices employed by principals to increase the achievement of the ELL population at their schools. Eight elementary principals …

Supplemental Education Services And Cultural-Linguistic Instruction For Hispanic Students To Improve English Language Proficiency, Joshua William Cochran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to low English language arts (ELA) state test scores among Hispanic students, district administrators in a Title I identified school district implemented a new literacy policy that included both supplemental education services for Hispanic students (SES-HS) and professional development in cultural and linguistic instructional practices (CLIP) for ELA teachers. But the ELA state test scores for Hispanic students who received the SES-HS and CLIP services had not been studied to see if there was any improvement related to the CLIP-HS training. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in Hispanic students’ ELA scores before and after …

Esl Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Sensitivity Training In K-12 U.S. Classrooms, Cherise Rosemarie Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have suggested that intercultural sensitivity can improve intercultural relationships and that training increases English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. However, research investigating teachers’ perceptions of their training in intercultural sensitivity is limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with training and professional development (PD) toward becoming more interculturally sensitive in K-12 U.S. classrooms. The conceptual framework was Chen and Starosta’s concept of intercultural sensitivity, as a concept from their theory of intercultural communication competence. The research questions addressed the teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with …

Hyphenated Identity And Negotiated Intersectionality: A Memoir Of A First-Generation Nigerian-American Male Teacher In An Inner City Title 1 Elementary School In Georgia, Gerald Chidiebere Nwachukwu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a memoir where I tell my stories of negotiating cultures, races, ethnicities, and identities in Nigeria, and in the United States as a first-generation Nigeria American teacher in an inner-city elementary school in Georgia. As a labeled African American upon entry into the United States, I did not understand the meaning of being Black because everybody in Nigeria is Black. In becoming Black, I became racialized, marginalized, and lumped into the African American ethnicity. I was rejected for not being Black enough in the United States nor Nigerian enough in Nigeria. Theoretically, I draw upon a wide …

Fifth Graders’ Use Of Gesture And Models When Translanguaging During A Content And Language Integrated Science Class In Hong Kong, Melanie Williams

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Translanguaging in science includes the use of semiotic repertoires complete with non-linguistic modes of meaning (e.g. gesture, tactile) that until recently have gone unnoticed in research into content language integrated learning (CLIL). Currently, there are calls for classroom research in CLIL settings that examines the semiotic processes in the spontaneous translanguaging of emergent bilinguals. In response, this study aims to expand bilingualism research by investigating the ways in which fifth-grade emergent bilinguals’ draw from their semiotic repertoires when translanguaging in content-based science lessons. Multimodal transcriptions made from video recordings of the lessons allow a cross-case analysis of the emergent bilinguals’ …

Diversifying And Transforming A Public University’S Children’S Book Collection: Librarian And Teacher Education Faculty Collaboration On Grants, Research, And Collection Development, Alison Lehner-Quam

Publications and Research

An education librarian and faculty member collaborated on research grants to study teacher education student’s experiences with diverse books and to develop library collections. This study explores the development of internally grant-funded linguistically and culturally sustaining children’s book collections and assesses the impact of the grants with a model that analyzes research guide use, library instruction sessions, and reflection on grant-funded research, among other components. Intentional collection practices, including grant-funded collection development; faculty partnership; nontraditional bibliographic tools; and alternative forms of access, discovery, and shelving led to a vital and linguistically and culturally sustaining collection which reflects education student’s diverse …

A Phenomenological Study On Increasing The Number Of Student Veterans In Graduate And Postgraduate Degree Programs At A Comprehensive Mid-Sized Regional University, Scott R. Allen

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined how a comprehensive mid-sized regional university can attract, retain and graduate more graduate and postgraduate student veterans. This study was framed by a grand tour question, three research questions, and several sub-tiered questions. Data collected from interviews with student veterans pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees after receiving a baccalaureate are examined. The experiences noted and documented in this study show that the motivation for student veterans to pursue graduate and doctoral degrees is based primarily on data gleaned from personal interviews and data collected from those interviews. The participants stated that the availability of veteran educational …

Expeditionary Learning: Mi Vida En Perspectiva, Emily Meyer

Honors Projects

This work outlines and supports the use of Expeditionary Learning to help 8th grade Spanish 1 students to understand mental and emotional health. Outlined is a single In-depth Investigation plan (IDI) that walks through the activities, experts, and service the students will be participating in, in order to learn about mental and emotional health.

Are High Levels Of Educator Bias Associated With The Disproportionate Discipline Of Black Students?, Melissa Ann Ramos

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data on school discipline inequities have shown disproportionate numbers of Black students suspended and expelled compared to their non-Black counterparts. Despite the implementation of evidence-based solutions such as positive behavior supports and intervention, educator professional development, and restorative practices aimed at closing the racial discipline gap, little to no change has occurred. Critical Race Theory is used as a lens for viewing racial hierarchies as a socially constructed tool to oppress people of color. This oppression can be seen in various aspects of society and in education, especially in school discipline. It is fueled by biases, both implicit and explicit. …

"Navigating Diversity And Inclusion In Education In Asia" [Review Of The Book Diversity And Inclusion In Global Higher Education: Lessons From Across Asia Edited By Catherine Shea Sanger And Nancy W. Gleason], Seongryeong Yu

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

[Introduction] While much has been written on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, less has been published on nuances that exist outside of western contexts in other parts of the world including Asia-a region with distinct sociocultural systems marked by varying social hierarchies; gender, ethnic, and racial dynamics; and educational systems and forms of instruction. Echoing this need, Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education: Lessons from Across Asia (2020), coedited by Catherine Shea Sanger and Nancy W. Gleason, offers practical approaches for promoting diversity and inclusion curricula in higher education throughout Asia. Comprised of eleven chapters and …