Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Comparing Fastbridge Reading Assessment Scores: Reading Interventionist Vs. Lexia Powerup For Sixth-Grade Students, Amanda K. Boss

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study investigates the differences in FastBridge reading assessment scores among sixth-grade students at a middle school in Southeast Minnesota. A sample of 266 sixth graders participated in the technology-based intervention program, Lexia PowerUp, while 35 students received additional support from a reading interventionist using the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) Foundations curriculum. Employing a quantitative, non-experimental post hoc analysis, the research revealed that both Lexia PowerUp and UFLI: Foundations enhanced FastBridge AUTOreading scores; however, FastBridge aReading scores showed no significant changes for either program. Notably, students utilizing Lexia PowerUp consistently improved throughout the year, whereas those in the …

Using Social Emotional Learning To Connect Social Awareness And Classic Literature, Erin Anderson

Honors Projects

The following case study explores how social-emotional learning (SEL) teaching strategies enhance seventh-grade students’ engagement with classic literature during English Language Arts (ELA) class. Using S.E. Hinton’s classic novella The Outsiders as a foundation for this research, this study examines whether SEL-based lesson plans help adolescents make deeper connections between literature and their own lives. Two groups of students were compared in the study: one group received traditional, comprehension-based instruction, while the other participated in SEL-based assessments, encouraging perspective-taking and personal reflection. This study utilizes qualitative assessments like character analysis, reflection, and surveys to affirm that students who are exposed …

Writing Skills: The Essentials, Gina Braun

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Writing Skills are an essential component of communicating and develop over time. It does not matter the intention of writing, it is a skill used daily, and we must prepare our students to have the adequate skills they will need to function as writers. Writing skills taught in school are focused on academic writing, which should transfer and generalize across settings. Writing skills take on different forms with a variety of levels of importance. The necessary writing skills needed include; the writing process, which is supported by, mechanics, writing for a variety of purposes, and finally, building technological skills.

Critical Language Awareness For Spanish-English Bilingual 5th Graders, Mary Hudgens Henderson

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Critical Language Awareness (CLA) instruction can and should be a part of K-12 education. This study reports on a CLA unit taught to Spanish-English bilingual 5^th graders enrolled in a dual language bilingual classroom in the southwest U.S. Scores from a pretest and three posttests administered throughout the school year were compared to peer bilingual and monolingual 5^th graders in an English-only classroom who did not participate in CLA instruction. A Mixed ANOVA repeated measures analysis found that bilingual students in the dual language bilingual classroom had high levels of CLA knowledge both before and after participating in …

The Role Of Capital On Literacy And Second Language Acquisition: A Cross-National Comparative Study, Brenda Koumondji

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Key Context:

• Globalization has increased the demand for multilingual skills.
• Yet, language learning opportunities vary based on national education policies and socioeconomic factors.
• Language learning opportunities are shaped by social structures and vary based on economic,social, and cultural capital (ESC) (Bourdieu, 1986).

Second Language Benefits

• Economic (Brown & Lauder, 1991; Foreman-Peck & Wang, 2014)
• Cognitive and Psychological (Bialystok, 2011; Dewaele & Wei, 2012; Graham, 2017)
• Social and Cultural (Marboua et al., 2024)

Research Focus:

• Cross-national comparison of South Korea, Norway, Chile, and the U.S.

Designing Effective Library Treasure Hunts: Theory, Practice, And Framework Alignment, Ellwood Colahan

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Treasure hunts have long been employed in academic library instruction as an interactive method for fostering information literacy skills through active learning, exploration, and adventure. This essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the theory and practice of library treasure hunts. It begins by distinguishing treasure hunts from scavenger hunts and emphasizing the importance of accurate terminology. The pedagogical principles underlying their effectiveness are then examined, followed by a review of the relevant literature. The essay also addresses the challenges associated with the labor-intensive process of designing and implementing these activities. A separate analysis course alignment, learning outcomes, and how the …

An International Framework And A Local Standardised Test: A Former Item Writer’S Autoethnography, Xuan Minh Ngo

The Qualitative Report

A recent trend dominating education worldwide is the enactment of external accountability frameworks and standards-based assessment. Likewise, in language education, international standards like the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) have been increasingly used for local standardised test development and alignment. However, there has been little research into the application of the CEFR in item writing, the activity of creating new items and associated materials, in local standardised testing contexts. To bridge this gap, this autoethnography shares my firsthand experience of writing items for a locally-developed, CEFR-aligned standardised English test in Vietnam. By combining evocative and analytic autoethnography, I aim …

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 …

Teaching Information Literacy In A Genai World: A 5cs Framework For Fostering Critical Engagement, Paul Cook, Adam Maksl

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Teaching Information Literacy in a GenAI World:
A 5Cs Framework for Fostering Critical Engagement

This interactive workshop will equip participants with a robust framework for teaching students the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the modern, multifaceted information ecosystems upon which GenAI is built and operates. The 5Cs of news literacy (context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption), as outlined in Tully, Maksl, Ashley, Vraga, and Craft (2021), will be adapted to information literacy more broadly and we will explain how that framework presents an excellent foundation upon which broader information literacy knowledge and skills can be built. As GenAI becomes …

Weeding Out Dishonesty: Rhetoric And Information Literacy For The Age Of Disinformation, Victoria M. Tischio

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

We live in what some call a post-fact world where what is presented as true becomes true and circulates widely. Politicians lie because they have calculated that they gain more than they lose, and media outlets repeat those lies because they profit from them (Adair 2024). Fear and suspicion make individuals vulnerable to these lies (Young 2017). Like an invasive species, it is nearly impossible to eradicate these lies once released into the media ecosystem. While fake news is not new (think P.T. Barnum and 17th-century canards), its virulence has reached epidemic proportions, infiltrating all aspects of society. This constitutes …

Restoring School Librarians: Challenges And Strategies, Debrah E. Kachel

Learning Hub

The article examines efforts to restore school librarian positions across eleven urban U.S. school districts, despite significant financial and administrative obstacles. It documents strategies used by district library leaders to advocate for staffing, funding, and policy changes, emphasizing equity in access to certified school librarians. Through structured interviews and analysis, the report highlights key barriers, advocacy methods, and funding mechanisms that have influenced school library staffing. The study's findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational equity and policy reform in K-12 library services.

Secondary Stage Students' Perceptions Regarding (Myschool) Learning Management System's Role In Learning English, Huda Ali Sallam

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study set out to explore students' opinions and self-efficacy level in relation to the use of MySchool learning management system. The study has added focus on its usefulness in facilitating English language learning. The study sample involved 420 female secondary stage students within one educational district in Riyadh. The study instrument is a 24-item closed-ended questionnaire which was distributed using a Microsoft Forms link. The items of the questionnaire were divided into four main elements: perceived practicality, perceived usefulness, general satisfaction, and sense of self-efficacy. The obtained data was subsequently analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) 24 …

Chatgpt Didn’T Write This: Evaluating The Impact Of Llms With A Case Study In Grading Cuny Language Immersion Program Student Essays, Benjamin Inbar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study evaluates the capabilities and limitations of large language models (LLMs), specifically OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, in grading essays from students in the City University of New York’s Language Immersion Program. The program serves English language learners with diverse linguistic and demographic backgrounds, offering intensive language instruction to prepare students for academic success in college. Using a dataset of 30 pre- and post-program essays scored by program instructors and ChatGPT-4o under three paradigms, this research explores the alignment between human and AI-generated scores across five rubric-based competency areas. Findings reveal that ChatGPT-4o aligns moderately with human grading, with the strongest agreement …

Exploring Teachers' Initial Perceptions Of Corpus Linguistics And Their Readiness To Incorporate Corpora In Classroom Instruction: A Qualitative Analysis, Misnawati Misnawati, Yusriadi Yusriadi, Zul Astri, Aswin Abbas, Asbar Asbar

The Qualitative Report

The integration of corpora into language teaching appears to be lacking, raising the question of whether this omission is due to teachers intentionally choosing not to use corpora in their classes or a lack of awareness and knowledge about these tools. This study of teachers in Indonesia aimed to explore two research questions: (a) what are the teachers' initial perceptions regarding corpus linguistics, and (b) do the teachers intend to integrate corpora into classroom instruction? Fifteen secondary and tertiary-level teachers participated in this qualitative study. Researchers gave the teachers a brief presentation on corpora to develop their Corpus Literacy (CL) …

How Self-Perceptions Relate To Recorded Proficiency: An Action Research Project Aimed At Implementing A Supplemental Reading Program For Balinese Students, Katherine L. Johnson

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education has had a complex history globally. This is especially true for Bali, Indonesia, where tourism is the main driver of the local economy. Learning English is highly valued, yet many students are left struggling to build the skills needed to rise above the local poverty line. In this action research study, the primary goal was to analyze students’ reading proficiencies to recommend the implementation of a reading program that could be appropriately tailored to individual students. This was done through administering a reading test, tracking both comprehension and reading speed, and a survey …

Improving Concentration -- Three Techniques, Lauren Martins

A. Listening in Class and in Professional Settings

A one-page infographic based on the work of Clifford G. Schuette and others. The three techniques for improving concentration are especially important for classrooms and professional settings. These techniques are:

Be Here Now

The Spider

Worry Time

Analysis Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Personal Metaphors About Foreign Language Teaching, Juan Luis De La Montaña Conchiña, Guadalupe De La Maya Retamar, Magdalena López-Pérez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study analyses the characterisation and evolution of the personal metaphors of a sample of 34 trainee foreign language teachers, through a questionnaire of open-ended questions that included asking the participants to make drawings representing the roles of the teacher. Four categories of metaphors were considered for the analysis: behaviourist/transmissive, cognitivist/constructivist, situated, and self-referential. The results indicate that most participants were able to conceptualise their image of the teacher in the form of metaphors. The pre-service teachers’ metaphors represented are mainly cognitivist/constructivist and behaviourist/transmissive. When comparing them before and after the internship in the primary schools, most of them did …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

The Effects Of Singing In Music Therapy Sessions On Vocabulary Acquisition With Children With Asd, Yeim Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with language acquisition and maintaining engagement during learning activities. While music therapy has shown promise in supporting communication and behavior in children with ASD, few studies have focused on its effect on vocabulary acquisition, particularly in comparing different types of music interventions like singing and non-singing approaches.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore how singing, as a method used in music therapy, affects vocabulary acquisition in a child with ASD. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do singing and non-singing programs influence receptive vocabulary acquisition in a child with …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

The Enactive Nature Of The Relationship Between Criticism And Aesthetics: From Practice To Theory To Pedagogy, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

This article delves into the intricate relationship between criticism and aesthetics, emphasizing its enactive nature. It explores how this relationship informs pedagogy and has culminated in the creation of an innovative undergraduate aesthetics course centered around the practice of writing critiques. Moreover, it illustrates the dynamic process through which practice gives rise to theory, subsequently influencing pedagogical approaches, and, intriguingly, circling back to practice. To elucidate this flow of ideas across the realms of practice, theory, and pedagogy, we introduce several key concepts. These include the paradigm of creation research, also known as practice as research, which forms the foundation …

Attack On Titan Anime Memes: Possible Meanings And Interpretations By Young Adults., Yee-Lin Teo, Sze Seau Lee, Xin Jie Lim

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Memes have unpredictable and diverse interpretations because of their tendencies to be parodies, remixes, or mashups. This study aims to examine the possible meanings which memes may express and the interpretations of memes by young adults within the affinity space of Attack on Titan anime memes. The two-phase methodology involves analysing the memes using Shifman’s analytical dimensions of content, form, and stance, before conducting in-depth interviews with ten young adults who represent insiders and outsiders of the affinity space. The findings discuss how Attack on Titan memes normalise sexualisation, violence, and struggles such as suicidal intentions in young adults. The …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Navigating Ethical Reflections Through The Evolution Of Information Profession Dreams, Rahmi Rahmi, Rusdan Kamil

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This study presents a longitudinal analysis of the ethical reflections and evolving professional aspirations of students in the Information Profession course at Universitas Indonesia. Through reflective writing exercises, 192 students explored their future career goals and addressed ethical challenges related to professional documentation, focusing on issues such as privacy, integrity, and responsibility. Using corpus analysis tools like AntConc, the research tracked changes in ethical concerns as students progressed in their studies, revealing an increasing awareness of ethical complexities, particularly in roles like archivist and data analyst. These findings offer valuable insights for developing profession-specific ethical guidelines for information professionals.

Integrating Corpus Linguistics In Vietnamese English Education: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Scholarly Perspectives And Practices, Thi Thuy Tran, Trut Thuy Pham, Thanh Thao Le

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: Our qualitative study investigated the integration of corpus linguistics in English education research among Vietnamese scholars, focusing on the experiences and perceptions across different career stages.

Methods: Employing semi-structured interviews, we engaged nine linguistics scholars, including novices as well as those at mid-career and near-end career stages, from two prominent Vietnamese institutions.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: (1) challenges in incorporating corpus linguistics into teaching practices, (2) perceived benefits in enhancing language proficiency, and (3) the importance of institutional support for corpus linguistics research. The findings indicated that despite recognizing the pedagogical benefits of corpus linguistics, scholars …

Búsqueda De Babosas Marinas: Understanding Barriers Of Environmental Literacy And Climate Advocacy Within Southern California Spanish-Speakers, Cintya Felix, Ashley Lam, Lorena Muñoz, Micah Kim

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Hispanic and Latino populations are the largest ethnic minority in California, and more than 10.4 million Californians consider Spanish their first language. However, English is the primary language in most educational and public spaces. This means Spanish-speaking communities have limited access to coastal ecosystems and learning opportunities about coastal areas impacted by climate change and extreme weather, which becomes a barrier to civic engagement, climate advocacy, and local decision-making. During the 2023 summer, we partnered with local climate advocacy organizations and held educational programs at two public beaches in southern California. The presentations in English and Spanish taught foundational …

The Effects Of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback On Efl University Students’ Writing Accuracy: A Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective, Attila M. Wind

Journal of Response to Writing

The positive effects of dynamic written corrective feedback (DWCF) on linguistic accuracy are well-documented (Evans et al., 2010). However, studies on DWCF without exception have adopted a pretest-posttest research design; therefore, they were unable to explore the dynamics of development (Larsen-Freeman, 2006). In addition, all of the previous DWCF studies exclusively provided indirect feedback to students. Consequently, our knowledge is limited as to whether a modified version (providing direct feedback) of DWCF would be effective. To address this issue, in this study 24 university undergraduate students composed a total of 288 essays and received modified DWCF (direct feedback) on a …

Evaluation Of An Instructional Sequence To Promote The Emergence Of Convergent Intraverbals In Children With Autism, Jesika Woodard

Theses

Skinner (1957) defined intraverbal as a type of verbal behavior in which the

response form has no point-to-point correspondence with its verbal stimulus and is

followed by generalized conditioned reinforcement. Verbal behavior can be influenced

by multiple controlling variables, with convergent and divergent control being two

distinct types of this influence. In convergent intraverbals, multiple components of

antecedent verbal stimuli control a specific verbal response of the speaker. An example of

an intraverbal response under convergent control may be "banana" when asked, "What is

a fruit that is yellow?" De Souza et al. (2019) evaluated the effects of teaching …

Insights From Father-Toddler Communication Via Tiktok, Joy Lee Hernandez, Abha Gupta

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This qualitative study investigates the characteristics of interactions between fathers and toddlers, as well as their influence on language development. By utilizing video clips from the social media platform TikTok, this research observes and analyses fathers' responses and interactions with their toddlers. The findings indicate that fathers play a crucial role in supporting language development by engaging in conversations, expanding vocabulary, and providing emotional support. The study underscores the significance of fathers' involvement in nurturing language skills during early childhood. However, further longitudinal research is necessary to establish a definitive link between fathers' language input and toddlers' language development. Overall, …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Generating A Reflexive Ai-Assisted Workflow For Academic Writing, Corey W. Johnson, Trena M. Paulus

The Qualitative Report

Digital research workflows are study designs that intentionally consider the use of technology in meaningful and reflexive ways. While most scholars use digital tools and spaces in their research process, doing so has consequences that are infrequently considered in an intentional way. Especially in this age of generative AI, technology integration into research studies will have an even greater impact and consequences on study outcomes. This paper documents one digital research workflow, the academic writing process, to demonstrate how inviting generative AI to be a writing partner can be done in a reflexive manner. Drawing on Paulus and Lester’s (2023) …