Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Narratives Of Latina Teacher Candidates On Subtractive Schooling Experiences And Their Language Identity, Joao Goebel

Dissertations

The subtractive nature of bilingual education in the United States has long impacted the language identities of Latinx students. Despite being raised in multilingual environments, many are schooled in systems that devalue their home languages and prioritize English-only instruction. This study explored how these dynamics influenced Latina teacher candidates’ perceptions of their own bilingualism and professional identities. The purpose of the study was to examine how Latina teacher candidates understood and constructed their language identities in the context of their K–12 and higher education experiences. The study used narrative research centered on four Latina teacher candidates enrolled in an undergraduate …

Brief Insights, June 2025: Learning And Leading Together: Highlights From A Multilingual And Mathematics Focused Research, Practice, Policy Partnership, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Linda R. G. Kaminski Ed.D., Kaivan Yuen Ed.D., Miguel Valencia, Teacher Researchers, Montebello Unified School District

Education and Policy Briefs

The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University collaborated with Montebello Unified School District (MUSD) leaders and teachers in a Research, Practice, Policy Partnership (RPP) to investigate Spanish oral language production in TK to 2^nd grade students enrolled in three Dual Language Immersion Academies providing Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) in mathematics. Teacher researchers collected pre- and post-video samples of students explaining their CGI Counting Collections strategy. After establishing inter-rater reliability, MUSD teachers and the CEEL Research Team individually and independently analyzed characteristics of students’ academic Spanish oral language production using two focal California Spanish Language …

Uncovering Best Practices For Professional Learning: A Focus On Dialogic Discourse, Belinda Jaquez

Dissertations

The education system rests in a paradox with an ever-changing world and classrooms frozen in time. Though technological advancements, societal changes, and policy reforms are continuously reshaping the world, classrooms have remained anchored in traditional teaching and learning practices. This study examined the relationship between professional learning programs and the quality of classroom instruction with a focus on implementing more collaborative and dialogic approaches to both student and professional learning. This research involved a multifaceted program evaluation of the learning environment centered on the learning experiences of both students and teachers. A utilization-focused evaluation approach was implemented to ensure the …

Understanding And Engaging In Equity Work: A Phenomenological Action Research Study Of Community College Esol Instructors, Emily E. Packer

Dissertations

Community colleges (CCs) are regarded as accessible and affordable pathways to higher education and financial mobility, offering significant potential to promote educational equity (Fink et al., 2023). These institutions enroll the largest number of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in adult education; however, CC ESOL students face lower rates of degree completion and transfer compared to their non-ESOL peers (David & Kanno, 2021; Fink et al., 2023; Raufman et al., 2019). While research has examined factors contributing to low CC ESOL student persistence and interventions to improve overall CC student outcomes, research on specific efforts to support …

Administrators’ And Teachers’ Perceived Importance Of The Holistic Framework For Professional Development Elements: Survey Research, Adrianna Cate

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study researched the six elements of the Holistic Framework for Professional Development (HFPD) to understand administrators’ and teachers’ perceived importance and how demographic variables impacted those perceptions. This was done to contribute to the current gap in the literature regarding how to design and carry out effective professional development. The quantitative survey research utilized exponential, non-discriminative snowball sampling to recruit participants. Fifteen administrators, 64 teachers, and six participants working in ‘other’ roles in their school participated. These participants were citizens of fifteen different countries and worked across eleven countries worldwide. Even given this diverse sample, the results of this …

Realizing And Practicing Teaching As A Calling: Narratives From Black Women Teachers In Urban K-12 Public Schools, De'ana Renee Mauldin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research and scholarship frequently ignore and dismiss the unique experiences and perspectives of Black women teachers. They bring with them a unique angle of vision through various race, gender, cultural, and historical intersections that inform their spirituality-based pedagogy and outlook while providing instruction in urban public schools.The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study is to examine the narratives and amplify the voices of Black women K-12 teachers in urban public schools to address how they realized teaching as a calling. Teaching as a calling is more than simply a job and source of income for these teachers. Understanding of this …

Effectively Preparing Preservice Mainstream Teachers For Teaching Multilingual Learners, Gail R. Olson

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper investigated research-based curricular components for increasing the preparedness of preservice mainstream teachers (PSMTs) to teach multilingual learners (MLs). An increase in MLs in classrooms across the United States and changes in models for delivering English language development services have resulted in the growing need for general education teachers to be proficient in meeting the unique language needs of MLs while also delivering content-area instruction. PSMTs have been historically unprepared to adequately teach MLs within general education or content-area classes (Christison, 2023; Deng & Hayden, 2021; Lavery et al., 2019; Mahalingappa et al., 2018; Prasad & Heidt, 2023). To …

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 …

An Invitation To Language: Fostering Critical Language Awareness Through Assignment Design, Amrutha Smith

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

First-year composition (FYC) instructors are often required to teach institution-issued course outcomes alongside their personal values. The author proposes a pedagogy to identify how teachers can invite rhetorical and linguistic agency in student writers and teach toward institutional objectives. To do so, the author shares her approach for revising existing and creating new FYC assignments that invite students to use their multiple codes and languagings (ways of communicating) in their writing. The assignments are driven by translanguaging approaches in writing instruction, specifically code-meshing and Critical Language Awareness (CLA), a theoretical framework coined by Shapiro, and integrate three settings in which …

Reflections On Teaching Language And Culture In The French Dual Language Immersion Classroom, Aminata Sylla

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio is representative of the author’s work in the Masters in Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program and classroom experience. The reflection paper explores teaching French in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and Bridge secondary education context and evaluates specific examples of innovative teaching. The aims of this reflection are twofold: first, to reflect on how the author improved her teaching effectiveness through this experience and through the USU MSLT program; second, to suggest best practices in the French DLI classroom. Both practical and theoretical, the reflection focuses on the author’s own experiences teaching Bridge program intermediate and advanced-proficiency level …

Supporting Multilingualism In Early Childhood Education: The Vital Role Of Teacher Development, Ebeny Salazar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The expansion of multilingualism, the ability to speak and understand more than one language, has added to a culturally diverse world today. With these abilities, those who are multilingual from diverse backgrounds are often met with resistance against the dominant Westernized culture. Currently, there is not adequate training in the United States for teachers to be able to implement a multilingual curriculum in early childhood settings and classrooms. There are many benefits to providing a diverse classroom environment, which can have a positive impact on the young learners present. The importance of supporting multilingual children, specifically in early childhood, is …

Mi Testimonio: The Beginning Of My Healing Journey, Maria A. Vega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My testimonio, presented as my dissertation, is a deep and personal reflection on my experiences as an immigrant and multilingual student. I share my story by trenzando—braiding—lived experiences, critical analysis, and relevant research on immigration and trauma, language and identity, and the links between multilingualism and academic success. Through deep reflection and analysis, I draw on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1943), Giles and Johnson’s Ethnolinguistic Identity Theory (1981), and García’s (2009) translanguaging framework to explore the following questions:

1. How does the oppression of one’s linguistic and cultural practices affect identity development?
2. How does my story—my testimonio—empower the mother, …

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

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 …

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 …

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.

The Influence Of Field Experiences On English Language Teachers' Preparedness: An Analysis Of Teacher Education In Nigeria, Bushroh O. Animashaun

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Brief Context:

• Definition of key terms: teacher education, field experiences.
• Importance of teacher education in language education
• Challenges in the Nigerian education system
• Why focus on teacher education?

Environmental Education Professionals And K-12 School Counselors: Collaboration For Engaging The Conservation And Natural Resources Workforce Of The Next Generation, Brent M. Erb

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) professionals often fail to reflect the diverse, intersectional identities of the students and communities they serve. As frontline professionals among the conservation and natural resources (CNR) professions, addressing this requisite and urgent disparity is vital for fostering equitable teaching and learning environments that are safe, welcoming, accessible, and inclusive. EE professionals play a pivotal role in filling knowledge gaps, fostering ecological literacy, and introducing students to CNR careers, just as K-12 school counselors play a meaningful role in helping students expand upon their interests and acquire experience and skills to cultivate self-efficacy to support the belief in …

Deconstructing Ideological Habits: An Analysis Of An Antiracist Place-Based Education Course, Terry John Stockton

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

White teachers enter culturally and racially diverse urban classrooms ill-prepared to teach. The resulting cultural mismatch contributes to educational disparities, including academic gaps and punitive imparities. Teacher education programs' attempts to address the gaps intend to immunize young teachers to the effects of implicit bias. However, the efforts do little to help teachers recognize how their implicit bias, in the form of ideological habits, created the need for a culturally responsive curriculum in the first place.

As part of a larger project, this study deconstructed three reflective essays assigned during an introductory place-based education course. The post-structural analysis used a …

Border Thinking Through Diverse Modalities: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Multimodal, Multiliteracy, And Translanguaging Practices Of Latinx Emergent Bilingual Youth, Romelia Rodri­Guez Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This three-article dissertation explores how translanguaging, multimodality, and multiliteracies intersect to support the learning, identity formation, and meaning-making practices of Latinx emergent bilingual middle school students in El Paso, Texas, a border city shaped by transfronterizx realities. Guided by the frameworks of Border Thinking (Mignolo, 2000) and Pedagogy of Border Thinking (Cervantes-Soon and Carrillo, 2016), this study foregrounds the cultural, linguistic, and epistemic fluidity that characterizes borderland communities. I approach this work as a bricoleur (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994); the three-article format allowed me to center distinct but interconnected theoretical and methodological orientations, reflecting my commitment to situated, decolonial knowledge …

Roses And Concrete: Black Teachers' Roles And Challenges In Marginalized Communities, Alyse N. Barry

Dissertations

Black educators play a vital role in schools that serve marginalized communities, yet their stories are often overlooked in academic research. This phenomenological study explores how Black teachers interpret their roles and navigate challenges within these spaces. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), I centered the voices of ten Black educators to better understand the emotional, cultural, and professional layers of their experience.

Through in-depth interviews, participants described themselves as more than just instructors. They saw themselves as cultural connectors, advocates, and protectors for their students. Their presence helps affirm student identities and bridge cultural divides, but they also carry significant …

Maintaining Well-Being: Coping Strategies For Prolonged Traumatic Experiences From The Stories Of Ukrainian Educators During The Wartime, Natalya Rakevich

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study aimed to better understand how and whether educators can maintain well-being during prolonged trauma. This study examines the experiences of Ukrainian educators living in non-occupied territories during wartime. The following research questions guided the study: What coping strategies do educators use to take care of themselves? What coping strategies do educators use with their students? How do educators perceive mindfulness and storytelling? A conceptual framework was created to better understand the topics of stress, trauma, being, well-being, surviving, suffering, and coping mechanisms through a literature review. Data collection occurred in February and March 2024, two years …

Persistence, Mentorship, And Educational Achievement: Exploring The Daca Student Experience, Patricia F. Mejabi

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The study aimed to understand demographic, cultural, and ecological factors, as well as supportive assets like mentorship on the academic persistence and educational achievement of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students. DACA protects qualified individuals who arrived in the United States as children from deportation and grants them lawful permission to seek employment and educational opportunities.

Interviews of DACA students, and mentors and advocates of DACA students, were conducted to identify similarities, differences, and common themes. Despite DACA protection positively impacting the students' financial and academic success, limited socioeconomic conditions created a need for guidance or mentorship to help …

Bridging The Knowledge Gap: Professional Development Connecting Educators And Caregivers Of Multilingual Learners, Mihaela Gazioglu, Emily Howell, Rebecca Kaminski, Victoria Pennington, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the professional growth of a cohort of teachers working with multilingual learners (MLs) during an MEd program and their recommendations for the development of a literacy course for ML caregivers. In addition, this study explores whether the school district capacity supports teacher growth, as reflected through district representatives’ feedback.

Design/methodology/approach – This design-based research study, informed by the culturally relevant pedagogy and dual capacity building frameworks, explores 30 in-service K-12 teachers and 11 district representatives. Data were collected through semestrial surveys and research logs over two years using mixed methods. …

Brief Insights, March 2025: Expanding Educational Opportunity: Highlights From A Multilingual/English Learner-Focused Research, Practice, Policy Partnership, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Linda R. G. Kaminski Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University collaborated with Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (CNCA) in a Research, Practice, Policy Partnership to investigate problems of practice and enhance literacy leaders’ focus on supporting classroom teachers to meet the needs of multilingual/English learners (ML/EL). The research question for this study focused on literacy leaders’ perceptions about how the revised Planning-Observation-Debrief (POD) cycle tools support teachers’ focus on scaffolding ML/ELs’ access to reading and writing complex text. Emerging findings emphasize the valued partnership between literacy leaders and the teachers they coach, as well as the importance of building …

Evolution Of Teachers’ Perspectives On Family Engagement: Building Dual Capacity For Multilingual Learners, Lindsey W. Rowe, Hazel Vega, Emily Howell, Katie M. Crook, C C. Bates, Kavita Mittapelli, Amlam Banerjee

Publications

Family engagement in multilingual learner education offers benefits associated with improved academic performance, stronger parent-teacher communication, and more inclusivity of cultural and linguistic diversity. Responding to calls for professional development that enables teachers to meaningfully involve families, this paper draws from surveys and course assignments to examine how teachers expanded their perceptions about the incorporation of multilingual learner families in a graduate program. We conclude by discussing implications for teacher professional development with specific attention to how teachers can integrate multilingual learner families.

Teacher Retention And The Future Of Learning: Alarming Concerns About Preparing The Next Generation Of Citizens, Dejuanna M. Parker, Barbara D. Holmes

Journal of Research Initiatives

Research is robust in detailing the various reasons teachers leave the profession. There is scant literature on why teachers stay and what should be done to improve teacher retention. Teacher retention is a primary concern nationally and internationally. The inability to retain teachers has resulted in a teacher shortage and significantly affects student learning. Sorenson and Ladd (2020) This study yielded three emergent themes related to integral factors of teacher retention: changing attitudes on administrative support, workplace collegiality, and persistence of passion and purpose. Recommendations offered include encouraging administrators to leverage the passion and commitment of the educators to create …

Student-Conscious Practice And Pathways For Student Success, Anthony Walker, Sara Mata

Journal of Research Initiatives

This paper shares evidence of how four programs enhanced students' pathways from high school through bachelor's degrees. Each program expanded students' networks, fostered a sense of belonging, and developed critical thinking skills. Ten years after participation, we looked back to gain insights into key elements that impacted students' learning experience. Data from student voices highlighted the importance of inclusiveness in action, institutional responsibility, and culturally relevant pedagogy in student success and program impact.

Toward A Critical Pedagogy Of Assessment Integrating Social Studies Education: The Proposed Socio-Critical Assessment Integration Framework (Scaif), Caroline O. Alordiah, Regina Arisi

Journal of Research Initiatives

The Socio-Critical Assessment Integration Framework (SCAIF) and its consequences for social studies education are examined in this study. The results emphasize the advantages of developing inclusive learning environments, encouraging comprehensive evaluation procedures, encouraging applicability to the real world, and giving students agency by allowing participation in the evaluation process actively. Teachers can promote social justice, question prevailing narratives, and foster critical discourse in the classroom using a critical pedagogy lens. Student learning outcomes are improved by authentic assessment activities that reflect real-world problems and demand that students use their knowledge in meaningful ways. Inclusive learning settings respect student diversity, encourage …