Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Ethnic Studies Pedagogy: Professional Development And Its Relevance To Student Achievement, Gabriel A. Orosco Dr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As Ethnic Studies becomes a graduation requirement across all public schools in California, the importance of Ethnic Studies professional development cannot be understated. This is a tumultuous time in our world today. Multiple world conflicts are happening today, and many governments are facing challenges to their very existence. Ethnic Studies programs and classes challenge dominant narratives and close the opportunity gaps for historically marginalized communities.

This study examines the impact of Ethnic Studies (ES) professional development on student achievement within California’s public high schools, where ES has been mandated as a graduation requirement through Assembly Bill 101. The research emphasizes …

Am I Woke Enough To Serve In Healthcare: A Secondary Analysis Of Pre-Health Students’ Personal And Professional Growth By Engaging In Cultural Competency Assessments, Harolynn Williams

All Dissertations

Healthcare providers must be equipped to serve an increasingly diverse population, yet cultural competence remains underemphasized in undergraduate pre-health education. This study explored how embedded cultural competency training influences undergraduate pre-health students’ perceptions of personal and professional growth. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the research incorporated intercultural assessments, the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and the Global Competence Certificate (GCC), along with qualitative reflections from students enrolled in three versions of a cultural competence course: a year-long course, a semester-long course, and a short-term study abroad immersion six-week course. Findings revealed that students demonstrated measurable growth in cultural awareness, knowledge, communication, …

"I Never Really Saw Anybody That Looked Like Me In A Book": A Positioning Theory Analysis Of Preservice Teachers' Critical Reflections., Melissa Lee Zipper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand how preservice teachers develop their criticality within a semester long undergraduate course focused on children’s literature. This study addresses a well-documented practical knowledge gap in education research: although preservice teachers claim to understand the importance of a culturally relevant and sustaining curriculum, they do not know how to effectuate that curriculum when it comes to their future classrooms. Using Positioning Theory as a theoretical lens and an analytical tool, the study explores how preservice teachers position themselves in relation to developing their criticality through participation in a course curriculum purposefully …

Impact Of Classroom Environment On Bilingual Elementary School Students’ Learning, Denisse Mosqueda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are many students who may not have a stable environment at home; therefore, it is important that schools provide an environment where students feel safe space at school to encourage learning. A safe learning environment fosters students' social, physical, and emotional development. When students feel safe, they are more engaged and take more intellectual risks in a healthy and supportive climate. This senior capstone research project examines the impact of classroom environment on the learning of bilingual elementary students. Through the use of literature review, anonymous surveys of students, and teacher interviews, the results indicated that, while a positive …

Impact Of Bilingual Education On The Academics Of Elementary School Students, Angelica M. Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research investigates the impact of bilingual education on the academic performance of elementary school students, with a particular focus on Hispanic students in the Soledad area. As bilingual education continues to grow in importance across the United States, understanding its influence on students' academic outcomes is crucial. This study explores the definition, types, and historical evolution of bilingual education, with emphasis on how bilingual programs affect elementary school students' cognitive development, academic performance, and overall school experience. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research includes surveys administered to teachers and parents, assessing their perspectives on the availability and …

Linguistic (In) Security And Persistence In Doctoral Studies: A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Impact Of Metapragmatic Discourses On The Persistence Of Multilingual Doctoral Students, Germaine Tondji

Theses and Dissertations

Linguistic beliefs and practices in doctoral studies have often been overlooked, partly due to the assumption that advanced students face fewer language-related challenges. However, research on multilingualism in hypernormative academic contexts suggests that linguistic concerns persist even among the most educated. Multilingual doctoral students (MDSs) operate at the intersection of multiple linguistic and epistemic systems. In English-dominant, monoglossic environments, they must not only navigate the complexities of doctoral study but also reconcile competing linguistic and epistemic identities. This study explores the role of linguistic insecurity (LI) in MDSs' doctoral persistence through a mixed-methods design. The quantitative phase draws on survey …

The Global Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of International Student Experiences In A Reimagined Intercultural Communication Course, Crystal Bock Thiessen

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the experiences of multilingual international student participants who took part in a semester-long intercultural communication course that was purposefully designed and implemented with half enrollment each of domestic and international students at a Midwestern American university. Despite university efforts towards internationalization, they often fall short of the meaningful engagement needed truly promote intercultural and mutual understanding. International and domestic students share classroom and other spaces on campus, yet they remain overwhelmingly disconnected from one another. Using phenomenology and Baker’s (2011) model of Intercultural Awareness, this study analyzed the international students’ experience in this course to learn more …

Barriers And Supports For Latinx Students Pursuing Higher Education, Ashanti Salazar

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Latinx students make up a growing portion of the student body in Northwest Arkansas, yet they continue to face unique barriers in their pursuit of higher education. This study explored senior Latinx students’ perceptions of barriers and supports they encounter as they begin the college enrollment and admissions process. This research takes place at Valley High School, a majority-Latinx public school in Northwest Arkansas. My intention was to better understand how financial concerns, access to college knowledge, staff support, and school-based resources shape their school experiences, future aspirations, and decision to pursue college after high school. A quantitative approach was …

Non-Esl High School Teachers’ Instructional Training And Professional Development Needs And Their Emergent Bilingual Student Classrooms, Brynn Erin Caddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. emergent bilingual student population continues to grow and is projected to increase nationwide. The growing population of students has specific academic and social needs that need to be addressed and provided for emergent bilingual students to be successful. This qualitative case study examined the instructional needs of high school non-English as a second language (ESL) teachers who serve emergent bilingual students and how the district can support the instructional practices of high school teachers in an urban school district in Texas. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of instructional training and professional development for secondary …

Reducing Barriers To Entry: Enhancing Inclusivity And Engagement In Elementary School Extracurricular Programs, Katie A. Monahan

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study explores the barriers and strategies related to developing inclusive extracurricular programs in an urban elementary school. Through stakeholder surveys, interviews, and archival data, the study investigates how extracurricular activities support student engagement, social-emotional learning (SEL), and a sense of belonging, particularly for students from marginalized backgrounds.

Findings highlight persistent barriers, including funding limitations, staffing shortages, logistical challenges, and the absence of a centralized system for tracking participation. These issues disproportionately impact students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), and those from low-income households. The study also identifies key supports, such as community partnerships and culturally …

Exploring The “4-Trans” In Bi/Multilingual Teacher Education: Introduction To The Special Issue, Sandra I. Musanti, David Martinez-Prieto, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

In this introductory essay, the editors of the special issue on the 4-trans in bi/multilingual teacher education, highlight the contributions of one or more of the “4-trans” lenses—transnationalism, transculturalism, translanguaging, and transdisciplinarity—to explain, question, challenge, or propose new ways of understanding bi/multilingual teacher education. Eight articles that challenge monolithic perspectives of teacher education are presented.

Dialogic Foundations Of The “4-Trans” Framework: Towards A Comprehensive And Dynamic Understanding Of Multilingual Teacher Education, David Martinez-Prieto, Sandra I. Musanti, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

In this article, we develop the “4-trans” framework by reflecting on the way current multilingual teacher preparation scholarship has addressed translanguaging, transnationalism, transculturality, and transdisciplinarity either in compartmentalized or integrative manners. While current literature has addressed some “trans” intersections, we propose the enunciation of the “4-trans” as permeable and complementary principles in multilingual education that can serve to better examine the experiences and challenges of multilingual pre-service teachers. To amalgamate the “4-trans” to examine the development of multilingual pre-service teachers, this article describes the construction of a multidimensional framework based on a dialogic conception of social …

"Integrating The Seven Stages Of Conocimiento With Nahuatl And Ralámuri Wisdom In Kosmic Feminism: My Creative Writer Identity.", Hilda Yaneth Sotelo Dr

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This paper explores the intersection of Kosmic Feminism and the seven stages of conocimiento as outlined by Gloria Anzaldúa, integrating Indigenous wisdom from Nahuatl and Ralámuri traditions. It examines how decolonial thought, feminist theory, and creative writing can be transformative tools for personal and communal healing. Drawing on personal experiences rooted in the borderlands of Ciudad Juárez-El Paso and Rarámuri heritage, the author blends Anzaldúa’s framework of conocimiento with Indigenous perspectives to offer a critique of patriarchal systems and a vision of holistic, cosmic resistance. The seven stages of conocimiento—awakening (El Arrebato), liminality (La Nepantla), commitment (El Compromiso), healing (La …

Academic Freedom In Interpreter Education: Teaching Communication Access In A Culture Of Censorship, Dawn M. Wessling, Mark A. Halley, Brendan Stern

Journal of Interpretation

Abstract

The primary function of signed language interpreters and translators is to foster inclusion and equity by ensuring effective communication access for deaf individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds in public spaces. The effectiveness of interpreter education depends on the freedom of expression, thought, and behavior. This paper explores the impacts of illiberal legislation on American Sign Language/English interpreter education in Florida. Specifically, we describe how the illiberal attacks on academic freedom that preclude Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and curricula, such as Florida’s SB266/HB999 (2023) and SB2525/HB7 (2022), present unprecedented challenges for interpreter and translator educators. In conclusion, we …

Constructing A Teaching Identity That Centers A Multilingual Stance Using Digital Literacies, Melissa Garcia, Nancy Dubetz, Jayra Sanchez

Publications and Research

Throughout their preparation programs, bilingual education teacher candidates (TCs) are asked to develop a “multilingual stance” (Garcia et al, 2017) which emphasizes valuing their own and their students’ multilingualism and linguistic diversity (Morea & Fisher, 2023; Duek & Nilsberth, 2022), as well as planning and implementing culturally and linguistically responsive lessons. Our study sought to understand whether and how taking part in computing and digital literacies (CDL) integrated teacher education activities could support TCs to develop this multilingual stance. Objectives and significance Authors of this poster teach three courses that span the course sequence of study in a Pre-K to …

Pedagogy Of The Taboo As Feminist Pedagogy: Embracing An Invitational Rhetoric Orientation, Mark P. Orbe

Feminist Pedagogy

Within this essay, I highlight a pedagogy of the taboo (Orbe, 2018) as a productive framework to counter anti-DEIA attempts to silence diverse voices in our class rooms and across campus. As an extension of Paulo Freire’s (1990) pioneering work, this orientation to critical pedagogy promotes teaching←→learning that questions authoritative meaning-making as a means to empowerment, liberation, and social justice. Central to this framework is a belief that labeling particular topics (e.g., race and racism; sex, gender, sexuality, sexism) as off-limits constitutes a rhetorical device used by those in power to maintain the status quo which benefits them (Orbe, 2018).

Language Program Models For Recently Arrived English Learners, Sarah E. Schulz

Graduate Teacher Education

Many schools in the United States have been responding to the growing number of Recently Arrived English Learners (RAELs) and the academic needs when adjusting to mainstream classrooms. These students can have long periods of interrupted schooling, traumatic immigration experiences, and unique acculturation processes that require specific needs apart from other English Language Learners (Sugarman, 2023). This literature review examined the ways K-12 schools can support RAELs academically and socially-emotionally during the transition to becoming accustomed to the educational models used in the United States of America by analyzing current research on the effectiveness of various English Language Program Models. …

Factors Of Social And Emotional Development Which Positively Impact Language Acquisition In Early Childhood To Support Well-Being And Academic Development, Amanda L. Sauer

Graduate Teacher Education

Students who speak a first language other than English often enter classrooms with educators who may not know how to support second language (L2) development. Even more so, there is little research about L2 development and the social and emotional factors that foster language growth for English language learners (ELL) as it pertains to early childhood. Through quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies, research was synthesized to give early childhood educators the necessary insight into factors that foster positive social and emotional growth for these dual language learners’ (DLL) L2 acquisition. Studies suggested that young students benefited from play-based learning environments …

The Causes And Effects Of Procuring A Culturally Relevant And Sustaining Educational Pedagogy, Lauren Mcneil

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study investigates the causes and effects of educators adopting a Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) pedagogy within our educational system. Three qualitative data collection and analysis pathways are used: thirteen participants are surveyed and interviewed, a policy analysis occurs, and an autoethnographic journal is analyzed. This research explores how cultural conflicts, deficit mindsets, and at-risk labeling contribute to systemic inequities, leading to social suffering for both students and educators. The research examines how educators who develop a critical consciousness navigate these challenges, often experiencing moral injury as they advocate for equitable educational practices. Through qualitative inquiry, this study …

Bridging The Gap: How Esl Programs Support Language And Academic Growth, Emma K. Sampson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

English as a Second Language (ESL) services play a crucial role in ensuring equitable education for multilingual learners. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of ESL programs, this study advocates for more inclusive and effective educational practices that empower multilingual students for lifelong success.

We Speak Life Into Their Language: Black Educators’ Approaches To Linguistic Justice In Urban Secondary Ela Classrooms, Lakeisha A. Davis

Dissertations

This study explores how Black educators navigate linguistic justice, deficit thinking, and stereotypes in urban secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, it examines how teachers affirm Black Language (BL) while balancing the demands of White Mainstream English (WME) in academic spaces. Findings reveal that although educators employ culturally affirming strategies, they face challenges from restrictive language policies and standardized assessments. To counteract these barriers, they adopt negotiation practices that support students’ linguistic and cultural identities. From these findings, the study proposes Dynamic Linguistic Uplift (DLU)—a new theoretical framework that illustrates how Black educators sustain BL …

Jmer Volume 13 Full Issue, Senior Editor

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

An Autoethnographic Account Of The Dimensions Of Learning To Teach, Angela Reyes-Carrasquillo, Diane Rodríguez

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This is a review of the book Navigating Teacher Education in Complex and Uncertain Times by Carmen I. Mercado. The volume offers an autoethnographic narrative of an innovative learning and teaching process in teacher training including her role as a professor responding to the needs of the urban diverse students and their families served. It is an ethnographic contribution where Mercado’s life and work are intertwined. Through a rich autobiographical account, spanning 40 years, Mercado theorizes from her experiences as a teacher and teacher educator, offering powerful lessons to teachers and teachers’ educators alike.

Career Long Scholarly Contributions To Educating Teachers For Multilingual Classrooms And Exploring Multilingualism, Yidan Shao, Patricia M. Velasco

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

¿Y Ahora Qué? Interest Convergence And Hope Through Provision, Promotion, And Partnerships In Two-Way Dual Language Programs, Mitch Ingram, Charise Pimentel

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

As Two-Way Dual Language Programs continue in their nascent stages in the United States, some teachers, administrators, and researchers have reported issues of interest convergence. In this article, two researchers work alongside a bilingual pre-service teacher to highlight three such examples: the business of learning a language, Latin@ Spanish-speaking students used as resources, and the gentrification of bilingual education. Beyond the diagnosis of such dilemmas, we offer a preliminary framework and some promising tenets of hope to overcome any such asymmetries that can exist when interested families from different social locations agree to collaborate in the journey of dual language …

Sociocultural Predictors Of Children’S Papiamento And Dutch Reading Literacy In The Dutch Caribbean, Melissa Van Der Elst-Koeiman, Eliane Segers, Ronald Severing, Ludo Verhoeven

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This study examined how Papiamento and Dutch attitude and home literacy environment of 168 children in fourth grade of the post-colonial Dutch Caribbean, predicted L1 and L2 reading literacy in sixth grade. Overall, children had higher scores for reading literacy in L1 Papiamento as compared with L2 Dutch. They showed more positive attitudes towards their mother tongue, regarding language use, reading, and media use. Furthermore, literacy activities at home were more frequent in L1 than in L2, although they reported having more books at home in L2 than in L1. Finally, L1 home literacy activities were negatively related to L1 …

Description And Publishing Guidelines

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Life Long Perspectives On The Multilingual Experience, Annie Shaba

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Multilingualism Across the Life Span is a text that explores the subject of language diversity and multilingualism across an individual’s lifespan and their community. Edited by Unn Røyneland and Robert Blackwood, the book features co-authored chapters that look into the complexities of linguistic diversity, multilingualism as a lived reality, and the non-linear trajectories of language development. The book is divided into three parts: methodological and theoretical developments in bilingual acquisition, language practices and policies in the family, and bilingual aging, communication, and cognitive impairments. It offers insights from research conducted in various parts of the world and is relevant for …

Navigating Taiwan's Bilingual 2030 Policy: Unveiling Teachers' Glocalization Efforts And Agency, Ching-Ching Lin, Ming-Hsuan Wu

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

As a strategic initiative aimed to enhance English communication skills and bolster the global competitiveness of the general population, Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 Policy takes place at the intersection of neoliberalism, globalization, and the global spread of the English language. The neoliberal framing of Taiwan’s language education policy has exerted powerful influences on teacher education, teacher hiring practices, curricular design, assessment, and other school practices. While the neoliberalist influences are prevalent among countries in the Global South, responses and resistance may take many forms embedded in specific sociocultural contexts. The reflection discussed here examines the challenges faced by teachers in Taiwan …

Jmer Volume 13

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.