Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Connecting To Place In The Literacy Classroom, Rachelle Kuehl

Virginia English Journal

Motivation research indicates that students need to be interested in the subject matter about which they are learning, and this article describes how connecting to place can pique students’ interest in writing and reading tasks. Place-based literacy practices, or those that allow opportunities for students to explore their out-of-school interests in authentic ways, have been shown to engage rural students in literacy learning. This article presents examples of writing projects found in the literature that incorporate an emphasis on place (e.g., photo essays, project-based learning assignments, community interviews). Resources for helping students find books connected to their sense of place …

Creating Authentic Literacy Tasks Influences Children's Engagement And Motivation, Carly Rothfusz

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

The academic task assigned to students often dictates what the student will learn, and it plays a vital role of student’s motivation and engagement of learning (Turner & Paris, 1995). Thus, the creation and usage of authentic literacy tasks is critical for students’ learning (Parsons, Malloy, Parsons, & Burrowbridge, 2015). There are three types of motivation to consider: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and autonomous motivation. The use of authenticity, student choice, collaboration, and challenge are all components within a task that can promote student engagement and motivation. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is another way to bring in authenticity. Project-based instruction allows …

Authentic Language Use In The L2 Classroom: Building Learners' Motivation And Confidence, Emma Duncan

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of work completed by the author while in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. The portfolio contains samples of the author’s writings on various aspects of language learning and perspectives that the author developed through study of language acquisition topics and classroom teaching experience.

Included in the portfolio is a statement of the author’s desired professional environment, her teaching philosophy, and a description of her experiences observing teachers of various languages. Also included is an annotated bibliography and two research papers which detail some of the author’s specific interests within …

The Role Of Student Engagement In The Relationship Between Classroom Motivation And Academic Achievement, Damodaran Shailaja

Student Works (2020-2029)

The aim of this study was to investigate undergraduate students’ perceived classroom motivation and perceived engagement in learning English course. It also examined the extent to which student engagement plays a mediating role in the relationship between classroom motivation and academic achievement. Using the Basic Needs Satisfaction at College Scale (Jenkins-Guarnieri et al., 2015) and Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (Handelsman et al., 2005), cross sectional surveys were conducted to collect data on classroom motivation and student engagement, respectively. Academic achievement was measured based on students’ course examination results. The sample comprised 137 undergraduate students from a public university in Malaysia. …

Effectiveness Of English Drama Activity To Enhance Speaking Skills And Motivation Among Private College Diploma Students, Zulkifli Zulaikha

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study reports on the effectiveness of using drama activity in ESL classroom to improve students’ speaking skills and motivation. This study addresses two major questions. The first evaluates the impact of drama activity on students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The second question analyses the impact of drama activity on the development of students’ speaking skills. A quasi-experiment was carried out on a total number of ten private college diploma students. They were put into pairs and different topics were given to the learners to be discussed in pairs. A descriptive statistical analysis was used which takes into account both …

The Use Of Songs To Develop Indigenous Form Three Students’ Motivation To Learn English Language, Muniandy Saraswathy

Student Works (2020-2029)

Low motivation to learn English is common among second language learners who have limited exposure to the language. Hence, this study explored the intentional use of popular English songs in a rural secondary school of the indigenous people in Peninsula Malaysia and its influence on the Form 3 students’ learning motivation. The focus was on 34 indigenous Form 3 students who have been identified as students with limited English proficiency. These students were selected using a homogenous sampling and convenience sampling methods. Data were collected using multiple methods of classroom observation and semi-structured interview with the students. The teaching and …

Reading Conferences And Impact On Literacy Learning, Ashley Butenewicz Danter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how student discussions during reading conferences impact literacy learning in the areas of student comprehension and motivation. Surveys, interviews, audio recorded discussions, and notes in a teacher research journal were all analyzed for emerging themes. The findings show that reading conferences have a positive impact on student literacy learning, specifically that there was an increase in reading comprehension and motivation. The data also revealed the major role that critical, multicultural texts have on reading comprehension and motivation for reading when coupled with reading conferences. Implications for future research are discussed.

Relationship Between Self-Regulated Learning, Social Media Usage And Motivation Among Arabic Learners In Malaysian Public Universities, Xuan Di

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies, social media usage, and motivation, as well as the influences of three variables to Arabic learners' Academic achievement (GPA) in Malaysian public universities. To collect the data, a number of 317 male and female undergraduate Malaysian Arabic learners were randomly selected from six public universities in Malaysia as participants of this study. The instruments were developed from Jansen et al., (2017), Monachesi et al., (2008), and Pintrich et al., (1991). Then, IBM SPSS was used for data screening and descriptive analysis whereas Smart-PLS were applied to analysis most of …

Using Inquiry In Teacher Professional Learning To Build Efficacy For Writing Instruction, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Melissa Brooks-Yip, Kathleen Gibson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Whitacre (2019) and Curtis (2017) found that participants’ efficacy impacted their writing instruction and ability to engage students. We share our experiences with a professional development program aimed to improve teacher efficacy and literacy of elementary teachers. In this professional learning network, the Study of Early Literacy (SOEL), a higher percentage of teachers reported to a Hanover Research survey that they felt less confident in teaching writing than other areas of literacy. To address this need, one of the authors developed a subgroup to specifically address the teaching of writing with an inquiry-based action research component. Most of the teachers …

The Motivation To Write Profile-College: A Tool To Assess The Writing Motivation Of Teacher Candidates, Ernest Solar, Angela Marie Mucci-Guido Ph.D., Carolyn Cook, Barbara Marinak

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Writing is an important aspect of literacy regardless of the grade or discipline. State standards have defined the writing genres, crafts, and skills that are to be taught by teachers in PK-12 classrooms. However, in addition to standards, research indicates that a teacher’s own conception of writing is crucial to establishing classroom conditions necessary for young writers to grow, explore and take risks. If this is the job of PK-12 educators, then it is essential for higher education instructors to understand and explore the writing conceptions of teacher candidates. One of these critical conceptions is the motivation to write. The …

Enhancing Self-Monitoring With Differential Negative Reinforcement Of Alternative Behavior For Increasing Students’ Writing Production, Meghann Torchia

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Writing is a difficult task for many students who find it aversive, and who attempt to escape the task. Self-monitoring and differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior (DNRA) are two approaches that have been shown to improve quantity of performance, but no studies were found that combined the two methods to determine whether they are more effective in combination than in isolation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using DNRA to enhance self-monitoring for increasing writing productivity using a multiple probe, across participants, design. Number of words and number of sentences were measured. For …

A Reason To Read: Discovering A Purpose For Books Through Play, Sara Russell Dewey

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Children need desire and motivation to learn. This study examines the responsive, child- centered teaching practices of a reading and literacy specialist as she helps a student, with low motivation for reading, find a reason to want to read. Although her student is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and aspects of autism come up in this study, the focus here is not on teaching children with autism. Since no two children with a diagnosis present similarly, teaching to a diagnosis is not individualized or sensitive enough to meet the educational and emotional needs of a student. Instead, teachers must …

Effects Of University Pen Pals On The Literacy Development Of Elementary School Students, Tami Chanthorn

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A study done in a local school to research college student pen pals with first graders and found that students want to learn more about their pen pals, to write, and to strive to produce coherent communication with their university pen pals. Given this study, this senior capstone examines the effects of university pen pals on literacy development of elementary school students through use of literature review and a university pen pals project conducted with a class of elementary school students in the Monterey Bay area. The findings reveal that elementary school students are motivated to learn about higher education, …

The Effects Of Student-Centered Coaching On The Reading Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Instructional Practice, Merlette Frederick-Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

With student achievement as the focus of educational reform, teachers in today’s classrooms are faced with meeting the needs of a diverse population. These teachers need to have the skill set to meet their students’ varied learning needs. This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the impact of student-centered coaching on student learning and attitude toward reading using a comparative group (archival data, 2016–2017 school year, of students whose teachers did not receive coaching) and an experimental group (2017–2018 school year, students whose teachers received student-centered coaching). Three teachers and 276 students were taken from a Title I school in a suburban …

Understanding The Language Experiences And Motivations Of Deaf Adolescent Latino Struggling Readers, Melissa Herzig

JADARA

Current American methods for educating Deaf adolescent Latino struggling readers need to change in order to maximize learning opportunities. This begins with identifying student strengths and building on them to help students gain new and productive skills. It is imperative to understand Deaf students’ socio-cultural backgrounds, interests, needs, and values through ethnographic research in order to identify what motivates these Latino Deaf adolescents to read. This information could guide teachers and specialists in redesigning and tailoring instruction for these students.

China Through The Lens: Teaching Chinese Language And Culture Through Film, Haning Z. Hughes

Dimensions

Foreign language (FL) acquisition requires not only the development of target language skills, but also a cultural understanding of the region and its people. While this article addresses the development of an advanced Chinese language and culture course using film, the principles illustrated can be adapted for use in other advanced-level FL courses. Teaching language and culture using authentic film materials provides students with a variety of pedagogical learning opportunities. It not only encourages students to immerse themselves in the authentic language and culture of the area, but also motivates them to research the historical, political, and societal aspects of …

From Assertion To Conversion: Classroom Management For 21st Century Teachers, Benjamin Halbkat

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position paper provides a new teacher's perspective on modern classroom management. Where is there room for improvement? What might the future hold?

A Validation Program For The Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, And Attitude Survey: A Measure Of Adolescents' Motivation Toward Writing, Katherine Landau Wright, Tracey S. Hodges, Erin M. Mctigue

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent findings reveal clear evidence that students’ low performance on writing tasks is often related to problems with motivation. Writing curriculum and interventions produce varying effects on adolescents’ writing outcomes, and such variations may be mediated by motivation. However, without a valid tool for measuring students’ motivation towards writing, these effects cannot be quantified. In this study we present the results of our multi-study validation program for the Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, and Attitude Survey (SWAS). This measure is designed for monitoring students' motivation towards writing, as well as identifying variables that mediate student achievement. We first addressed substantive validation through a …

Engaging The Disengaged: Using Every Trick In The Book, Brooke Prusaczyk

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Literacy

Researchers have affirmed a connection between students’ engagement in reading to their academic achievement. Struggling readers in particular are generally not engaged or motivated to read. While the construct of reading engagement is difficult to measure, a student’s motivation seems to be the driving force behind reading development. Additionally, today’s students are involved in and more motivated by the many different activities outside of school, which poses challenges for both teachers and parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of instructional techniques on student engagement in reading. To measure the academic progress of 21 fifth grade …

A Qualitative Study On The Effects Of Second Grade Students Forming Partnerships With Their Teacher And Peers To Set Reading Goals, Sandra L. Shevlin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is for second grade students to form a partnership with their teacher and peers to set reading goals. One goal of the study is to examine how forming partnerships with peers and the teacher helps students better understand themselves as readers. Another goal is to investigate how the created partnerships motivate students to set reading goals independently. A variety of data was collected and analyzed, including notes, observations, student conversations, and charts reported in a teacher research journal, along with the pre and post assessment data, such as the Reading Attitude Survey, student written …

A Conceptual Study On Effective Independent Reading Practices To Foster An Enjoyment Of Reading, Diana Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this conceptual study was to analyze what factors impact students' engagement and motivation to read independently. Further, the study sought to determine effective modifications to independent reading for today's students. Because this study is conceptual in nature, an extensive review of the current qualitative and empirical literature on independent reading was conducted. From there, the data was coded inductively to generate new ideas about what independent reading should entail for students today. Some clear patterns emerged. First, student choice and autonomy were cited as important factors for fostering students' motivation and engagement with reading. Second, simply providing …

Learning French In Western Australia: A Hedonistic Journey, Celine Doucet, Sabine Kuuse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

When learning a language, motivation and emotions are central to the learning process and have considerable importance in learning. In Australia, despite the growing economic impact of its Asian neighbours and the great physical distance to France, French remains one of the most taught languages in various educational settings at different levels, and it appeals to many Australians. This review focuses on the motivations of West Australian adult learners of French. The aim of this paper is to explore students’ motivation and emotions towards their learning of French in Western Australia, teachers’ perceptions of these feelings, and how they are …

Motivation, Learning Strategies, And Language Competency In A Technology Facilitated Chinese As A Second Language Classroom, Xiongyi Liu, Lih-Ching Chen Wang

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

The present study examines the effectiveness of a game-based mobile technology application Kahoot on the motivation and language competency of high school student learning Chinese as a second language, and the relationship among student motivation, learning strategy use, and language competency in such a technology-facilitated classroom. Data was collected using pre and post surveys from a class of 18 students taught by a teacher candidate in a Chinese teaching licensure program at a state university. The results indicate significant student improvements in two areas of Chinese language learning: reading and speaking, though no significant difference was found in the areas …

Choice And Its Effects On Motivation To Read, Kayla Cantu

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine if there is a connection between the implementation of choice in the classroom and students' motivation to read. Research-based literacy framework and a choice model were used over an eight week period of time. Qualitative data was collected at the beginning and the end of the study in the form of surveys. Analysis of the data concluded that kindergarten students when given opportunities for choice in the classroom their motivation to read increased.

Improving The Reading Level Of Middle School English Learners In English Language Development Classes., Anastasiia V. Mixcoatl-Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Presently, there are about 2,664,921 English Language Learners (ELLs) and Fluent English Proficient (FEP) speakers in California public schools who speak a language other than English at home (CalEdFacts, 2016). Some of these students have immigrated to the United States from other countries, while others were born and have been raised in the United States. According to the California Department of Education, the vast majority of ELLs (83.5%) in California come from low-income families and speak a language other than English at home. 73% of ELLs attend English Language Development (ELD) classes kindergarten through grade six, and 27% are in …

Integrating Technology Into Kindergarten Writing Program, Colleen K. Hahn

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if incorporating technology into a kindergarten-writing program could increase their motivation and attitudes, and hence improve their writing abilities. Two types of technology were introduced to the writing program; one being an electronic portfolio to share their work and the second was a digital story writing software. Data was collected by use of attitude surveys, observational notes, and student writing samples. Analysis of the data suggests that students were more engaged during the writing time and were very motivated to write if they could publish it to their online portfolio.

The Power Of Performance: Using Songs And Poetry To Motivate English Language Learners To Read In A Third Grade Classroom, Dana Nelson Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out more about what motivates students to read, and how they can experience success in reading. This study aimed to learn more about this topic by investigating how using poetry and songs during reading instruction in a third grade classroom would impact English Language Learners' attitude and motivation for reading. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, reading assessments, and observations, and I was able to determine how both the students' reading fluency and over reading achievement was effected by singing and reciting poetry. All students showed different levels of growth in the …

Independent Reading: The Power Of Self-Selection And Cafe Discussions In A Seventh Grade Classroom, Ashley Lauren Merkler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine middle school students' motivation to read. The goal was to see what happens to seventh grade students' motivation to read independently when given the opportunity to self-select and discuss books in a classroom setting that mimics a real-world cafe. Motivation profiles, interest surveys, reflections, and student work were all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how students viewed themselves as readers and their desire to read independently for leisure. The implications for teaching in a seventh grade classroom are discussed. A complete data analysis provided the major assertions and …

Teaching In A Mixed Secondary Spanish Classroom: A Case Study Of Strategies And Successes Of Minnesota Teachers, Meredith Gunderson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The population of Spanish heritage language learners is increasing throughout the state of Minnesota. This change in demographics impacts schools in a variety of ways; one such consequence is the creation of classes for Spanish for Native Speakers in locations with high Latino populations. However, in most locations, such programs currently do not exist, resulting in Spanish heritage language learners enrolling in Spanish foreign language classes. These classrooms, called mixed classes due to the combination of second language learners and Spanish heritage language learners in the same classroom, pose a unique challenge to the foreign language instructors. This qualitative multiple …

Engaging Readers, Engaging Families : How Can Current Research And Thinking About Reading Engagement And Motivation Translate To The Family Context?, Erin Gordon

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper will provide a review of the research that pertains to reading engagement and motivation in general and offer some ways of considering the research through the lens of the family as a part of the larger educational community. The author also introduces readers to a website for families called "Engaging Readers." This website aims to empower families with resources, information, and opportunities for conversation and collaboration so that they can support their young readers with enthusiasm, confidence, and heart.