Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Implementing Content Literacy And Disciplinary Literacy: A Mixed Methods Study Of Middle School Teachers' Pedagogical Dispositions, Madison Weary

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Researchers uphold that teachers' beliefs toward reading influence their planning and implementation, and that content area teachers are often reluctant to implement literacy strategies and skills within their instruction (Ness, 2009; Nourie & Lenski, 1998; Richardson et al., 1991). Much of this reluctance stems from teachers’ lack of familiarity with content area and disciplinary literacy or misconceptions surrounding instruction that supports literacy implementation (O’Byrne et al., 2020). However, within the field of literacy, there are tensions between the implementation of content area versus disciplinary literacy (Graham et al., 2017).

The purpose of this study was to examine middle school content …

Development Of Teaching Activities Based On Online Easa Instructional Model To Enhance Speaking Ability Of Thai Efl Students, Yosakorn Sayasonti

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aimed to 1) explore the effects of the online EASA instructional model on the speaking ability of Thai EFL students and 2) investigate the students’ perceptions toward learning through the online EASA instructional model. Thirty eleventh grade students in the first semester of the academic year 2021 at a public school in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand, were selected as participants for this study by using the convenience sampling method. This study employed a single group pretest and posttest design. The research instruments included 1) English speaking pretest and posttest 2) close-ended questionnaire and 3) interview questions about participants’ …

The Effect Of Teaching And Learning Vocabulary In Lexical Chunks On The Listening Comprehension Of Adult Learners Of Arabic, Bassam Al-Maqtari

Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate how teaching and learning Arabic vocabulary items in multiword form (i.e., chunks and phrases), rather than in single form (i.e., one word at a time), affects learners’ ability to comprehend Arabic listening passages and to examine the relationship between students’ auditory knowledge of words, and that of phrases and listening comprehension. Data sources included three types of tests: the Arabic listening comprehension test, the single-word auditory knowledge test, and the multiword auditory knowledge test. The sample consists of 39 students (experimental group=20, control group=19). The study was separated into a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest portion (Phase 1) …

Equity In Language Programs: Revitalizing Indigenous Languages In Secondary School In Anchorage, Alaska, Betsy Watson (Paskvan)

Doctoral Dissertations

"Wherever there is a situation of domination and subordination between any two groups, whatever their color or religion, this will be reflected in the language relationship: one language dominating the other." —wa Thiong’o (2011, p. 244) Indigenous language and culture education efforts in Anchorage, Alaska are limited by omissions in the public school curriculum. One of the many reasons for this is that policy makers believe there is not sufficient demand for Alaska Native languages in public schools. Further there is a perceived lack of language teacher-leaders and experts to build programs for Alaska Native language instruction. This study used …

Cultivating Multimodality From The Multilingual Epicenter: Queens, “The Next America”, Eunjeong Lee, Sara P. Alvarez, Amy J. Wan

Publications and Research

Understanding that multimodality is a critical part of language work, this article
examines the conditions for uptaking multimodality. With a focus on the material
conditions and/of the labor crucial in building a culture of multimodality, we discuss how our context of Queens College (QC), a senior college in the public-serving CUNY system, where the majority of the students represents what Hall (2009) has described as the “Next America,” shapes the implementation and the impact of multimodal work for our students and educators. Particularly for multilingual students, whose multimodal meaning-making potential is often disregarded as irrelevant to their “language needs” (Sánchez-Martín …

Creating A Culturally Competent Children’S Library, Rachel Burger, Donia Timby, Jacquelyn D. Wiersma-Mosley, Laura Herold, Shelley Mcnally

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

There is an ever-growing need for cultural competence and a well-rounded education, especially for children. In order to promote cultural competence, this creative project focused on enhancing a library space at the University of Arkansas Bumpers College Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas with resources that address diversity and cultural competence. The goal was to transform the library into an enticing, relaxing, and judgment-free area where children feel comfortable to explore their culture and the cultures of others. New books added to the library were thoroughly reviewed and chosen for the purpose of promoting cultural competence and inclusion, …

Improving Reading Comprehension In Arabic English Language Learners, Amanda Watson

Masters Projects

While working at a charter school where students first language is Arabic, there has been a concern that Arabic English Language Learners (ELLs) often struggle with reading comprehension and teachers strive to find ways to fit additional instruction in with their rigorous reading curriculum. Therefore, the topic of this project thesis is how to increase reading comprehension for Arabic English Language Learners. It will look at the causes of why some Arabic ELLs struggle with reading comprehension and will briefly explore the differences between the English and Arabic orthographies. An increase and focus on phonological processing skills (specifically phonological awareness) …

Up Close And Personal: Hosting Diverse Authors, Sue C. Kimmel, Danielle E. Hartsfield (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Preparing diverse students to become lifetime readers and writers is best facilitated through experiences with high quality, diverse literature and through the models of the authors and illustrators who create those works. Nothing quite brings an author or illustrator to life like hearing from them in person by hosting an author visit. This chapter explores the value of planning an author visit as an authentic means to learn about diverse authors and their work. Information is provided about identifying and choosing a diverse author or illustrator, planning the logistics of the visit, and preparing to build background and interest within …

Stance And Engagement In Scientific Research Articles, Caoyuan Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Stance and engagement are important rhetorical resources for writers to construct interaction with readers and ideas by marking epistemic evaluation and bringing readers into the texts. Building on previous research that suggests notable differences in the use of stance and engagement in academic discourse, this comparative study investigates the use of stance and engagement in scientific research articles. By comparing two corpora that contain 144 research articles in total across 16 scientific disciplines, this study examines if the numbers of stance and engagement differ between manuscripts (unpublished research papers) that are produced by nonnative writers and those that are published …

Conceptual Factors In Black And Hispanic Proficient Students' In English Language Arts (Ela), Christina Aldrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study investigated the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) English Language Arts (ELA) scores of proficient third-grade students and explored trends in achievement or decline on the FSA in fourth grade. Further, this study explored the relationship of school environment to academic outcomes of Black and Hispanic fourth-grade public school students in terms of FSA ELA scores from third to fourth grade. This study used multiple statistical analyses on pre-existing de-identified data to explore learning gains by race/ethnicity. By focusing on and studying only one school district, this study provides conclusive results connecting learning gains and ethnicity in specific instances, but …

Engaging Elementary Preservice Teachers In Reflection For, In, And On Practice During An Approximation Of Practice In Teachlivetm Using Sentence Frames For English Language Learners, Courtney Lopas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to explore how a teacher educator (myself) and preservice teachers engaged in joint reflection-for-action, reflection-in-action, and reflection-on-action during an approximation of practice in a TeachLivETM setting using sentence frames to support English Language Learners' (ELLs') writing. Four elementary education preservice teachers participated in this study based on set inclusion criteria. This action research study included video-recorded approximations of practice, the sentence frames preservice teachers submitted in the skill seven module, reflective journaling, and analytic memoing. Instructional sequence analysis through transcription, holistic coding, message units, action units, interaction units, instructional sequences, and phase units were …

An Examination Of Secondary English Language Arts And Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions And Implementation Of Effective Literacy Instruction Practices In Their Content Area Classrooms: A Correlation Study, Melissa Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

According to national assessments of student performance, struggling readers in secondary grades continue to struggle, specifically in the areas of vocabulary development and reading comprehension. As a result, the identified students struggle with content area learning. It is important to examine content area teachers' perspectives and instructional needs about the role of reading/literacy in their content area. This study uses a correlational research design, consisting primarily of collection and analysis of inventory data, collected from 74 secondary English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies teachers in grades 6-12. The use of correlational design was selected to examine possible relationships between …

A Causal Comparative Examination Of The Effects Of Tiered Interventions Within The Mtss Framework In One Intermediate Grade, Hope Strange

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This post hoc quantitative research used a causal-comparative design to explore the relationship between tiered interventions as part of an MTSS intervention and student achievement. Data from the Florida Standards Assessment for English Language Arts (FSA ELA) and mathematics (FSA Mathematics) from 2018 and 2019 formed the basis of the study; student demographic data also identified each student's highest level of reading, mathematics, and behavior interventions during the 2018-2019 school year. Students who received interventions were coded into a separate higher tier. Percentile change was calculated and analyzed using an ANOVA to determine how percentile change differed by intervention tier. …

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Using Visuals And Leveled Texts With English Learners At Various Levels Of Language Acquisition, Jasmine Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological Dissertation in Practice was to understand teachers' experience with the creation and use of visuals and leveled texts, written at various English proficiency levels, with English learners (ELs) in English II classrooms at a large high school in Central Florida. The need to examine teachers' experience with these scaffolds arose from the disparity between academic achievement rates of ELs and non-ELs as measured by the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). This complex problem can be addressed from a multitude of perspectives, and this Dissertation in Practice sought to examine specific practical scaffolds that mainstream English …

Towards A Participatory Epistemology: Latinx Poetry In Us High School English Classrooms, Sarah Ceja

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis combines academic interests in Latinx literature (specifically poetry) and education. Focusing specifically on inner-city U.S. high schools with high Latinx student populations, I research how we can incorporate poetry written by Latinx authors in our curriculum to help foster student engagement and a sense of belonging in the classroom. The second half of this thesis explores the works of several Latinx poets. It provides a detailed analysis of their work, how it relates to various aspects of Latinx identities, and gives recommendations for educators on how to use these poems in class.

Mediating The German Case System Through Concept-Based Instruction In An Online Learning Environment, Lea Pienkoss

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The English language clarifies the role of nouns through sentence structures, something German does through a case system consisting of four cases that are dependent on gender, form, and quantity (Stocker & Young, 2012). This complexity of the concept of cases often results in difficulties German language learners encounter when identifying and producing the correct forms in the new language. Thus, Ritterbusch et al. (2006) suggested teaching the case system concept-based, allowing a holistic understanding of the cases and their meaning. This case study reacts to the call to action by developing and analyzing the teaching of the meaning of …

Preservice Teachers’ Use Of The Technology Integration Planning Cycle: Lessons Learned, Kristi Tamte Bergeson, Beth Beschorner

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Preservice teachers (PSTs) often feel unprepared to utilize digital tools in meaningful ways that support learning in the elementary classroom. It is imperative that teacher preparation programs provide support in this area so that children can learn to use digital tools to communicate in the 21st century. Previous research suggests that the Technology Integration Planning Cycle (TIPC) can support teachers in making wise decisions related to the use of digital tools to support a literacy goal. In the present study, the authors examined how the TIPC can be used with PSTs as they develop technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge and …

Public Perceptions Of Language Education In Taiwan: English In A Multilingual Context, Isabel Eliassen

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Language policy in Taiwan has been a focus of the government since the days of the Kuomintang (KMT) dictatorship, when languages other than Mandarin were ruthlessly suppressed. After democratization, local languages were allowed again, but soon English became Taiwan’s top language education priority. However, not all Taiwanese agree with the decision to prioritize English. Despite claims that English is important for economic and diplomatic reasons, my survey found that most Taiwanese did not support English education when it threatened local Taiwanese languages. The survey also found that despite a significant amount of debate in academic literature about the role of …

Corrective Feedback In L2 Pronunciation: The Learner Lens, Elif Saribas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study investigated learner perceptions of correction in L2 (second language) pronunciation. Research indicates that L2 learners have a strong preference toward corrective feedback provided by the teacher and also favor peer feedback (Kaivanpanah et al., 2012). In addition, external feedback is shown to contribute to the development of internal feedback, or self-correction (Huang & Jia, 2016). Learners were also found to carry positive opinions towards explicit error correction, with culture and proficiency level influencing those opinions (Yang, 2016). The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate learner perceptions toward correction in L2 pronunciation and examine real-life correction instances …

Making It Work For Everyone: Developing Flexible Digital Clinical Communication Modules For Health Disciplines In An Australian Context, Nayia Cominos, Kerry Thoirs, Rowena Harper, Giordana Cross, Megan Cooper

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This paper discusses an innovative multi-disciplinary approach to the development and evaluation of flexible, digital clinical communication learning resources to support students in twelve health disciplines to develop clinical communication skills in preparation for their clinical placements. Methods: A modified Delphi survey was sent to all stakeholders in the Division of Health Sciences to identify the most important communication skills from the list of 61 communication skills identified by Bachmann et al in 2013. Lecturers, clinical educators, clinicians, and students were invited to rate the importance of each skill. Results: A set of digital resources was created for teaching …

Advancing Literacy: Using A Project Based Learning Academy To Increase Literacy Performance, Corrie A. Tuttle, Megan Adams

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

A teacher researcher and faculty member at a local university conducted a year-long study of the impacts of a new Project Based Learning (PBL) based 9^th grade academy. The academy was a new option for 9^th graders entering school in a marginalized, Title I school in a large, urban county. The case study was conducted using formal research methods, but the article is written with a focus on the needs of practitioners. The voices of students are highlighted, but there is also ample data illustrating the literacy gains measured in the students participating in the study. This approach …

21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities Member Spotlight, 21cleo Research Team

21CLEO Presentations and Publications

Background & Our Study

Understanding a changing and dynamic learning ecosystem

● 45 interviews with worker learners and individuals who provide support to them

● Focus on the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

● Multiple Advisory Group Convenings of diverse group of stakeholders: working learners, educators, researchers, employers, workforce development practitioners

● Ongoing dissemination of our work in over 20 blog posts reporting on our research as its unfolded

Adolescents' Production Of Clausal Structures In Written Narrative, Expository, And Persuasive Genres, Lauren Elizabeth Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study was to analyze written language samples across different genres and age groups to provide information about the production of complex syntax emergence as time progresses across tasks. Complex syntax is both a socially and academically relevant language skill that is observed to advance well into later life. In order to analyze language samples as a way to identify language abilities, we must first understand syntactic emergence across genres with adolescents who are identified as having typical language development. In this study, written narrative, expository, and persuasive language samples were elicited from sixty typical adolescents in …

Voice As A Tool For Learning: Using Personal Narratives To Eliminate Boundaries, Alexandra Reyes

Middle Grades & Secondary Education: Faculty Presentations (1999-2023)

In educational linguistics, educators rely on social interactions and real-world experiences to inform pedagogical practice. Such hands-on learning opportunities are not always accessible to students, due to a variety of external factors. Narratives have long been used as tools for teaching and learning in various contexts, particularly when field experiences are unavailable or unfeasible. Personal narratives can be especially powerful, as they provide insight to others’ lived experiences and transcend cultural, geographic, historical, generational, and linguistic worlds. In this presentation I explore the use of written and video personal narratives as a meaningful supplement to (and potential substitute for) field …

Using A Smart Phone To Learn Spanish: Does It Work And Will Students Use It?, Andrew J. Demil, Alysha Assaf, Ryan Cragun

The Coastal Review

Over time, mobile devices have penetrated the classroom, requiring new and beneficial ways to implement classroom instruction. Research suggests that Short Message Service (SMS) based instruction is an effective tool for acquiring second language (L2) vocabulary and idiom knowledge (Hayati, Jalilifar, & Mashhadi; Lu,). Additionally, studies have found that students believe that mobile learning (m-learning) is beneficial to acquiring a second language (Cavus & Ibrahim; Hayati, Jalilifar, & Mashhadi; Lu, 2008). This study examined whether m-learning can lead to Spanish vocabulary familiarity and if sentence comprehension outperforms reading definitions. Participants were 29 native English speakers studying Spanish as a second …

Translanguaging To Understand Language, Marcela Ossa Parra, Patrick Proctor

Publications and Research

Translanguaging pedagogy is gaining widespread recognition as an approach that recognizes and builds on multilingual students’ linguistic resources. Research on translanguaging pedagogy has predominantly focused on classroom language practices, while studies on the design and enactment of translanguaged instruction are limited. This pilot study contributes to the knowledge base on translanguaged instruction through the design, implementation, and examination of students’ engagement with the content taught in a set of translanguaged lessons. These lessons were based on a language-based English reading curriculum for Spanish-English bilingual upper elementary students. Our approach to translanguaging pedagogy was characterized by: a) use of bilingual texts; …

Book Clubs In A Pandemic: Student Choice And Flexible Pedagogies As We Learned More About Ourselves And The World, Naitnaphit Limlamai

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Abstract: In this narrative, the author relays the experience of meeting virtually with two small book clubs, one sixth grade and one eighth grade, during the 2020-2021 school year. Meeting over Zoom, choosing books to read, and creating their own community, the members of the book club explore three major themes in their time together talking about books: connecting reading and writing, learning more about themselves, and building understandings about the world. Weaving the book club members’ voices with her own pedagogical decision-making, the author illustrates new ways to think about teaching as she centers student choice and flexible pedagogies.

Marginalized Experiences Expose The Problems Of Nuance-Deprived Perspectives In The Short Stories Of Lourdes Ortiz, Sarah Margaret Cerovac

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The short stories of Spanish author Lourdes Ortíz present the experiences of marginalized individuals upon whom outside observers have imposed a narrative. In these three stories, the only way for the character to escape this oppressive imposition of a narrative is through a sacrifice of the self, either literally with suicide, as in “Fatima of the Shipwrecked” and “Marcelinda’s Skin,” or metaphorically with the loss of sanity and identity in “Sleeping Venus.” These three stories call upon readers to reflect upon their own tendency to impose a narrative onto an “other,” and condemn the necessity of a sacrifice to escape …

Assessing Language Delay In Twins: Low Gesture Use And Birth History Factors, Lori G. Foran, Kelli J. Evans, Brenda L. Beverly

Brenda L. Beverly Publications

Identification of language disorders in children younger than 3 years remains challenging despite agreement that early intervention improves outcomes. This study of twin language and gesture development substantiated the twinning effect, an unexplained lag in expressive and receptive language seen in twins, for a group of 88, 16- to 18-month-old twins who did not present with extreme perinatal risk. A valid, parent-report measure revealed word production ≤10^th percentile for 15 twins. Pregnancy complications, but not a positive family history of speech, language or learning disorders or other case history factors, significantly increased the odds of this early expressive delay. …

More Than One Story: A Bioecological Model Of Elementary Educators’ Perceptions And Representations Of Diversity, Angela Curfman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Classroom teachers have long employed children’s literature in the classroom. Exposure to children’s literature offers a plethora of gains and benefits. Through the usage of children’s literature, critical thinking skills are fostered and factual information is obtained (Hancock, 2000). Varied cultures, linguistic backgrounds, families with diverse socio-economical, and academic backgrounds constitute our public school classrooms. Children’s literature provides readers an opportunity for self-affirmation; therefore, they often seek a mirror in books, (Bishop, 1990). The thoughtful selection of children’s literature in the classroom is essential. Through the lens of Bishop’s (1993) metaphorical notion of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass …