4955 research outputs found
Sort by
How Student Name Choice Affects Identity
Get PDFOver the years, research on language and identity has been abundant in the field of sociolinguistics. This capstone reviewed some of the background literature on language and identity as well as more recent literature on how multilingual learners’ identities are affected by what name they choose to be called at school and what teachers actually call them. A few themes emerged: multilingual learners have difficulty with non-English names in school, multilingual learners and their families consider many factors as they choose a name to use at school, and teachers can profoundly impact students’ identities by the way they treat student names. Based upon this research, the project included the creation of a professional development training for teachers in order to positively impact multilingual learners’ school experiences by educating staff about how name choice and what teachers call students affects their identities. This three-session professional development module seeks to help educators understand why names matter, how teachers impact student names, and how student names can be honored in the classroom
The Importance of Black Authorship in Curriculum as a Way to Develop Literacy Skills in Black Students
Get PDFBlack students continue to lag behind in literacy scores across the United States. Amidst sweeping book bans and new legislation that seeks to rewrite America’s bloody history, the United States may see a swift return to canonical literature. However, studies demonstrate the need to incorporate multicultural literature in classrooms to increase engagement and develop critical literacy skills. Therefore, the presence of Black authoriship is essential for developing Black literacy–the pursuit of mastery in certain skills, especially reading and writing, amongst Black people. This project seeks to answer the central question: What does it mean to pursue Black Literacy, and how can educators provide a curriculum that incorporates language and experiences of Black voices to validate and motivate literacy development in Black students? Through this capstone, readers will explore the history of Black education in the United States, the aforementioned legislation and the polorizes conversations that accompany it, instructional practices that support Black literacy development, and reflection questions that challenge the reader to think intentionally about incorporating Black texts into classroom curriculum. This project culminates in a year-long, American Literature curriculum incorporating diverse texts that center Black voices, experiences, and expressions. This project includes numerous resources for educators with the intention of making the curriculum accessible to all. Ultimately, my deep hope is that this project further conversations and research surrounding Black literacy development whilst validating, recognizing, and empowering Black voices, experiences, and jo
Netiquette for Upper Elementary Multilingual Learners: A Curriculum Resource
Get PDFThis capstone paper explores the research question: When teaching computer-mediated communication (CMC) skills to upper elementary students, how can teachers include politeness (netiquette) instruction tailored to meet the needs of multilingual learners (MLs)? After reflecting on her own previous difficulties trying to learn the netiquette rules of another language, the author conducted a literature review that revealed an important gap: despite the increasing prevalence of CMC at the elementary level, little research currently exists on how best to teach netiquette skills to this age group. In the accompanying project, the author wove together ideas from traditional linguistic theories about polite communication, research on teaching face-to-face politeness to MLs, and research on teaching netiquette to older MLs, to create a seventeen-day netiquette curriculum resource for fourth and fifth grade MLs. The curriculum covers emailing teachers, emailing students, co-creating a slide deck, and participating in a message board discussion. Students learn about the following netiquette topics levels of directness, modality to express degrees of obligation, and examples of positive and negative politeness. Students are actively involved in creating their own classroom definition of netiquette. Though the curriculum resource was created for the author’s particular teaching context, she encourages other teachers to adapt it for use with their own learners. Due to the current lack of research in teaching netiquette to elementary students, this project may be of interest not just to ML teachers but to classroom teachers as well
Transferable Skills from Faculty to Students through a Community of Practice
Get PDFChase, L. (2024). Transferable Skills from Faculty to Students through a Community of Practice
This dissertation investigates the impact of a community of practice summer faculty on the transfer of nursing caring science principles to the student-faculty relationship. It contributes to the literature by examining how faculty members leverage their knowledge to foster better understanding within the student-faculty dynamic. Employing a convergent parallel design, the research utilizes student surveys and interviews to explore the experiences students have in the courses taught by participating faculty members. The central research question focuses on how an in-person community of practice influences faculty-student classroom interactions. The study\u27s findings highlight that the selected faculty members were already aligned with students\u27 perceptions of good instructors. Most students described their relationships with these faculty members as positive and constructive. Survey results indicate that students ranked the participating faculty members as above average or among the best for most questions. Moreover, the interviews allowed students to express more nuanced insights through their tone, body language, and examples, providing a richer understanding of the faculty-student relationships. However, the findings were limited by the small sample size and the constrained data collection period. A key observation was that the faculty members were able to implement incremental improvements between semesters for their students. Notably, the study revealed that the faculty members were already engaging in effective pedagogical practices before participating in the community of practice program. The findings underscore the importance of conducting a longitudinal study and expanding the scope to include more than just two faculty members. The author identifies avenues for future research, including follow-up with the already surveyed students, incorporating additional faculty members who participated in the community of practice workshops, and observing the courses taught by these instructors
From Charlottesville to Minneapolis: An Introduction to the Lift Every Voice and Teach Workgroup
No full text
The Quest for the Political Incorporation of Hmong and Somali American Candidates
Get PDFThis qualitative study explores the experiences of Hmong and Somali American candidates with the overarching goal of identifying strategies to enhance their opportunities for securing elected offices, especially in anticipation of demographic shifts in Minnesota. The state\u27s rapid growth in its minority population and persistent racial disparities underscore the need for focused initiatives across social, economic, and political domains. However, a comprehensive understanding of political incorporation strategies for refugee groups, including Hmong and Somali Americans, remains lacking in current literature. Expanding access to leadership circles, this research aims to empower individuals from underrepresented communities to pursue public service, thereby incorporating their distinct perspectives and addressing their needs in policymaking processes.
The study focuses on existing elected officials and candidates who have run for office but were unsuccessful, aiming to gain insights into their perceived obstacles to political entry, development of party inclinations, engagement with institutions, and motivating factors for involvement in the American political system and policy-making. Understanding the motivations and barriers faced by Hmong and Somali American candidates, many of whom arrived in the United States as refugees, can help dispel misconceptions and enhance comprehension of the potential benefits of promoting more minority candidates into leadership roles.
The study sample comprised an equal distribution of Hmong and Somali Americans, with participants holding various positions such as State Representatives, State Senators, City Council members, and other elected offices. The participants had diverse professional experiences, ranging from winning multiple terms to contesting but not winning any race, with a combined experience of 49 years serving in elected offices. Most participants were second-generation immigrants, though there were also first-generation immigrants. The study employed a phenomenological approach to data analysis, resulting in the emergence of themes and sub themes aligned with the study questions.
In summary, this study offers valuable insights into the experiences of Hmong and Somali American candidates, shedding light on their motivations, challenges, and pathways to political engagement. These findings can inform strategies to enhance the representation of underrepresented communities in Minnesota\u27s public sector and contribute to broader discussions on political incorporation and diversity in leadership
The Influence of the Student-Teacher Relationship on the Mathematics Confidence of Students
Get PDFThe student-teacher relationship impacts student confidence and achievement. Many factors such as race, gender, language learning, and special education were researched as they influence this relationship. This research focused on using a correlational case study to determine how the student-teacher relationship influences the mathematics confidence of students when social-emotional supports and learning are implemented. Data collection methods involved using a Likert scale and interviews with the teacher. For the students, data collection was a Likert scale, number sense assessment, interviews, and anecdotal notes. The participants were a kindergarten teacher and 18 of her students from a diverse, midwestern suburban school in a metropolitan area. Findings suggested that other external factors influence the relationship which include power struggles and anxiety. All of these factors can also influence student confidence and achievement. Because of the different external factors, support looks different from student to student. Social-emotional learning did not necessarily impact the student-teacher relationship because of the complexities of the structure of school and the student’s school day. Areas of future research include continuing to work with the same students and teacher as the year progresses to determine the impact of social-emotional learning on the mathematics confidence of students and, as they progress through school, continuing to study the same group of students and how their relationships with their teachers influence their mathematics confidence and abilities
Inclusive Approaches to Teaching Writing to Users of Diverse Englishes in the Secondary ELA Classroom
Get PDFMany teachers expect their students to produce writing that adheres to academic language norms. However, these expectations are often rooted in socially-constructed ideologies rather than founded on established linguistic facts. Academic language forms derive from standard language varieties, which, contrary to popular belief, are not more correct, more prestigious, or more valuable than any other variation. Instead, “standard” language is an embodiment of the linguistic practices of the dominant social group, and notions of its superiority are used to reinforce societal power structures. Since academic language is derived from standardized forms, it too is used to maintain social hierarchies and, as a result, stigmatizes and marginalizes diverse variations and their users. This project, which culminates in a digital toolkit of information, strategies, and resources for secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers, introduces alternative approaches to writing instruction that are inclusive, rather than exclusive, of multilingual learners and students who are being marginalized
Perception of Motivation on Adult Student Academic Achievement
Get PDFThis study investigated how adult learners describe their educational motivation. Twenty-four adult students from two adult education programs responded to a cross-sectional survey focused on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for pursuing continued education. The survey items consisted of both Likert scale statements and short responses. The data collected led to the conclusion that no definitive description of motivation would allow for a single reactive change to adult curriculum. The research indicates a significant overlap in intrinsic and extrinsic motivational impact. The resulting answer to the research question was that motivation is interrelated and not divided cleanly between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation categories. Three scales were created to measure the latent variables: motivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation. The results indicated how learners describe their motivation to pursue education is interrelated and overlapping. The conclusion of this research data suggests the need for individualization in programming content, methodology, and support