Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 329-345). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M. Psych. Ed.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 245 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-171).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 110 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-98).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-137).

The purpose of this study was to explore the content of children's responses to culturally relevant literature in Hawai'i and how their individual understandings and responses evolved over time. This study utilized qualitative research methods and ethnographic techniques. A case study group of six students, three girls and three boys of differing ethnicity, was selected from a fifth grade class in Hawai'i. Children participated in four different literature discussions, a short story, novel study, text set study, and class read-aloud. Data collection included transcripts from literature discussions, interviews, observational field notes, and collections of written artifacts. Categories were constructed through inductive analysis of data. The findings showed that through literature discussions of culturally relevant literature the children defined what it means to belong to their local culture in Hawai'i, refined their beliefs about the concept of culture, used their knowledge about history to build understandings, and shared how they connected with the literature. As a result of the literature discussions, individual children were able to identify with the literature and came to new understandings about themselves and their cultural lives. Children should be encouraged to read books that show representations of their cultural lives. However, merely reading literature is not enough. Children need instructional and teacher support so that they may engage in thoughtful discussions about the literature and find issues that are meaningful to them. Providing opportunities for children to find and discuss personal and cultural issues, establishing a supportive environment to talk about literature, and using powerful selections of literature are ways teachers help children engage in discussions about culturally relevant literature.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Hispanic mothers of primary grade students with regard to the home and school relationship. The Hispanic population accounted for over half of the growth of the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 (Ennis, Rios-Vargas, &amp; Albert, 2011), and Hispanic enrollment in schools increased from 15% to 20% of total enrollment in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). With an increasing number of Hispanic students in U.S. public schools, it is important to understand how mothers of Hispanic students view education, schools, and teachers. </p><p> This study included three focus groups and seven in-depth individual interviews. Participants described their individual experiences with and perceptions of their interactions with school administrators, staff, and teachers; their relationships with their child's school, staff, and teachers; and how they work with and help their child with school related issues. Three primary themes emerged: (a) Affective Responses, (b) Relationships, and (c) Mothers' Engagement and Advocacy with the Teaching and Learning Process. Each mother's story gave a voice to the disconnect felt between their Hispanic homes and the American school. The mothers shared feelings of trust, fear, communication gaps, confusion, and frustration as they described their lived experiences. </p><p> The overall aim of this study was to contribute to the field of education by providing useful suggestions to enhance the home and school relationship. Some of the suggestions included: holding a monthly or bi-monthly forum for mothers to voice concerns, coordinating Hispanic bilingual mothers to serve as volunteers for the school year, providing homework examples and instructions in Spanish, and offering tutoring classes to specifically teach Hispanic mothers how to help their children with school at home. Literature supports a dissonance between the dominant school culture and the Hispanic home culture with neither side understanding the values and norms of the other (Wortham, Murillo, &amp; Hamann, 2002). This research may be used to provide strategies for schools to communicate effectively with Hispanic mothers and increase their engagement in both the school and their child's education.</p>

<p> There is deep concern the United States is not preparing enough students, teachers, and professional mathematicians and scientists to sustain the economic and scientific development that has made this country great. The problem is that elementary teachers are typically poorly prepared in mathematics, which is ultimately placing students at a disadvantage as they advance through the higher grades and college without a strong mathematics foundation. Educational studies have pointed to the importance of providing elementary teachers with on-going improvement of pedagogical practice in mathematics, but elementary teachers remain underprepared to teach it. The purpose of this mixed-methods research is to study the effectiveness of Lesson Study as a means of professional development for elementary teachers&rsquo; implementation of the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practices (CCSS).</p><p> The study focuses on teachers&rsquo; perceptions of Lesson Study and their ability to develop lessons incorporating the CCSS Standards for Mathematical Practices and their ability to engage students in developing mathematical thinking. Literature pertaining to Lesson Study reveals the importance of sustained professional development for teachers. In collaboration with the SSD Superintendent and the School Board of SSD, all seven of the district&rsquo;s elementary schools participated in the study focusing on elementary school teachers in grades 2-5 (<i>n</i>=64). Researchers from the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago randomly assigned these teachers into equal groups of either the treatment group (<i>n</i>=32) or the control group (<i>n</i>=32). The elementary teachers who participated in this study were part of the Lesson Study professional development treatment group (<i>n</i>=32) in grades 2-5. The findings suggest Lesson Study can be an effective means of professional development for implementing the Common Core State Standards and the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practices. Through Lesson Study teachers can begin to move away from a teacher-centered classroom to one that focuses on a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. Educational policymakers will learn from this study how teachers can benefit from Lesson Study as a type of professional development and how it can support teachers as they integrate new ideas into classroom practice. </p>

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The United States society is becoming increasingly diverse due to the arrival of large numbers of immigrant groups. Many of these children do not speak English as their first language. However, the U.S. Department of Education (1995) reports that only 15% of English language learners (ELLS) nationwide are educated in programs designed specifically for second-language learners. With English-only educational policies in a number of states, ELLs will likely be put in mainstream classrooms in which they may not receive enough language learning support. In most cases, a teacher in a mainstream classroom is not equipped with the proper ESL education to support ELLs through their transitional phases. It is therefore necessary to research the process of ELLs acquiring English in a mainstream classroom. This ethnographic case study examines the nature of a novice English learner's apprenticeship and her experiences in the process. Ying, an 8-year-old, whose native languages are Taiwanese and Mandarin, arrived in the U.S. 2 months prior to the start of this study. Ethnographic approaches--participant observations, interviews, and artifact collection--are utilized to answer two research questions. The research questions that guide this study are: (1) what is the nature of apprenticeship for a novice ESL learner in a mainstream classroom, and (2) how does a novice ESL learner experience the process of apprenticeship within the contexts of the home, school and community. The findings for the first question document the kinds of assistance and resources Ying received from the community, the school, the class, and the family, and the influence of the assistance and resources on Ying's development of English. The findings of the second question include Ying's significant roles as a collaborator, a resource seeker, a demonstrator, and a contributor in her class and school communities. She utilizes the strategies of tolerating ambiguity, remaining confident, connecting schoolwork with her real life experience, and making good use of resources in the process of learning. Based on these findings, the researcher discusses their theoretical contributions and pedagogical implications of sociocultural theory, comprehensible input, and balance of cognitive and situated perspectives in second language acquisition research.