Thesis advisor: Charles P. Proctor / This dissertation develops, theorizes, and investigates the notion of metalinguistic engagement (ME). Within the context of reading research for upper elementary bi/multilingual students, which is relatively sparse and particularly lacking in qualitative detail, there are some emerging and promising findings related to the impacts of ME on students’ overall literacy development (Proctor et al,. 2012; Silverman et al., 2014). These outcomes specifically suggest that the development of component language (semantic, morphology, syntax) knowledge, skills, and strategies through ME provides substantial support to bi/multilingual students (Proctor et al., 2015; Silverman et al., 2015). CLAVES, a quasi-experimental language-based reading intervention and curriculum project (Proctor et al., 2020), highlighted the instructional malleability of ME, demonstrating positive effects for both language proficiency and reading comprehension among the participating fourth and fifth grade Spanish/English and Portuguese/English bi/multilingual students. However, the nature of the students’ ME and the extent to which their naturally dynamic linguistic repertoires emerged and were capitalized on during learning is currently unknown. In order to address gaps in research, this dissertation theorizes and investigates ME and contributes a qualitative analysis to the larger quasi-experimental intervention from Proctor et al (2020). This dissertation presents three case studies of teachers and their fourth-grade, Spanish/English bi/multilingual student working groups. A theoretical framework of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) (Greeno & Engström, 2014; Roth & Lee, 2007) informed by heteroglossia (Bakhtin, 1981) was employed to attend to the tensions between the centripetal forces of classrooms’ goal-oriented activity and the centrifugal aspects of multiple voices and repertoires during ME (Wertsch, 2009). Findings highlight the various actions and resources through which students and teachers participate in ME. The ‘multivoicedness’ of students’ practices were shown to mediate ME goals, while also moving alongside and against the pressures from both the curriculum structure and teachers’ facilitation. Furthermore, dialectics between the curriculum and teachers within ME activities emphasize overarching tensions related to the goals of ME and the students’ opportunities and outcomes within ME. Findings accentuate the flexibility and constraints on bi/multilingual students’ practice and participation during ME and have implications for curriculum, instruction, and teacher preparation. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

International assessments indicate that Swedish students achieve high results in reading, writing and understanding English. However, this does not mean that the students display oral proficiency, despite an emphasis on functional and communicative language skills in the current English Syllabus. While a previous literature study by this researcher has shown that authentic texts are a way to increase these skills, most of the results shown are from an international viewpoint. Thus an empirical study was conducted within Sweden with the aim to examine the use of authentic texts in the Swedish EFL upper elementary classroom. Twelve teachers have answered a questionnaire on how they use authentic texts in their language teaching, as well as their opinions about these as a teaching tool. Additionally, 37 students have answered a questionnaire on their attitudes about authentic texts. Results indicate that all of the teachers surveyed see authentic texts as an effective way to increase students’ communicative competence and English language skills; however, only a few use them with any frequency in language teaching. Furthermore, this seems to affect the students’ attitudes, since many say that they read authentic texts in their free time, but prefer to learn English out of a textbook at school. These findings are based on a small area of Sweden. Therefore, further research is needed to learn if these opinions hold true for the entire country or vary dependent upon region or other factors not taken into consideration in this study.

The present study identifies reading instructional practices used in upper elementary classrooms during the age of high-stakes test accountability and compares reading practices among schools of varying accreditation status and socio-economic status (SES). The current study partially replicates and extends a study conducted by Baumann, Hoffman, Duffy-Hester, and Ro in 2000. The Baumann et al. (2000) study provides a frame of reference to compare instructional practices prior to high stakes testing with those used in the current high stakes testing environment. Third- through fifth-grade teachers in seven school districts in central Virginia were asked to complete an electronic survey. Descriptive statistics from 113 surveys identified current instructional practices, materials used for instruction, and grouping strategies used for reading instruction. Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to identify differences between groups based upon socio-economic or accreditation statuses. Participating teachers reported using a balanced approach to reading instruction, indicated a desire to develop independent readers, and noted that a considerable amount of time is spent on comprehension instruction. Leveled guided reading books, fiction books, and nonfiction books are used frequently for instruction, but basal readers are used infrequently. Ability-based groups were reported as a primary grouping structure, but many teachers indicated they also use whole-class mini-lessons. Schools with higher percentages of students receiving free and reduced lunch, Title 1 status, and those that have not met accreditation benchmarks are more likely to spend time on vocabulary instruction. Title 1 schools are also more likely to use test preparation materials and twelve additional classroom resources, such as general reading skill workbooks, phonics workbooks, and commercial classroom libraries. While most teachers felt pressure to modify instruction to match assessments, no differences in the degree of pressure felt were found based upon either measure of SES or accreditation status.

Detta är en undersökning angående de faktorer som styr svensklärarnas val av skönlitteratur till elever på högstadiet. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilka faktorer svensklärare på högstadiet utgår från när de väljer skönlitteratur till sina elever. Undersökningen är baserad på nio kvalitativa intervjuer. Informanterna är lärare på högstadiet och undervisar i svenska eller svenska som andraspråk. Utgångspunkt för uppsatsen är följande frågeställningar: -        Huvudfråga:Utifrån vilka faktorer väljer svensklärare på högstadiet skönlitteratur till eleverna? -        Underfrågor: Hur ställer sig lärare till att ha en litterär kanon inom svenskämnet? Hur har debatten om en litterär kanon inom svenskämnet påverkat lärares undervisning? Hur påverkas lärarens skönlitterära val till eleverna av lärarens konstruktion av svenskämnet? Hur påverkar styrdokumenten litteraturundervisningen i svenskämnet? Resultatet visar att svensklärare påverkas av en mängd olika faktorer i litteraturvalet såsom eleven, arbetsplatsen, personliga åsikter, läsningens syfte, samhället, styrdokument, samt lärarens konstruktion av svenskämnet. Resultatet visar att lärarna är både negativa och positiva till en litterär kanon i svenskämnet och att kanondebatten inte har påverkat deras undervisning. / This study with its purpose concerns factors that influence teachers, who specialize on the subject Swedish, when choosing fictional literature for their students. The gathering of empirical facts is done through nine qualitative interviews. The informants are nine teachers with Swedish as major who teaches at upper elementary level. The questions at issue are: -        Which factors influences teachers at upper elementary level when choosing fictional literature for their students? -        How do teachers regard the use of a literary canon when teaching Swedish? -        How has the debate concerning the use of a literary canon in the teaching of Swedish affected the teachers tutoring? -        To what extent is the teachers’ choice of fictional literature affected by the teachers’ own construction of the subject Swedish? -        To what extent does the curriculum affect the teaching of literature in the subject Swedish? The result of this study shows that teachers of Swedish are affected by several factors when they are choosing fictional literature for their students. Factors that influence the teachers’ choice of literature are: The teachers’ own construction of the subject, student preferences, workplace, personal preferences, the purpose of the reading, society and the curriculum. The result also shows that the teachers both have negative and positive attitudes towards using a literary canon in their tutoring of Swedish. The debate concerning the use of a literary canon has not affected their teaching of Swedish.

<p>Detta är en undersökning angående de faktorer som styr svensklärarnas val av skönlitteratur till elever på högstadiet. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilka faktorer svensklärare på högstadiet utgår från när de väljer skönlitteratur till sina elever.</p><p>Undersökningen är baserad på nio kvalitativa intervjuer. Informanterna är lärare på högstadiet och undervisar i svenska eller svenska som andraspråk.</p><p>Utgångspunkt för uppsatsen är följande frågeställningar:</p><p>-        Huvudfråga:Utifrån vilka faktorer väljer svensklärare på högstadiet skönlitteratur till eleverna?</p><p>-        Underfrågor: Hur ställer sig lärare till att ha en litterär kanon inom svenskämnet? Hur har debatten om en litterär kanon inom svenskämnet påverkat lärares undervisning? Hur påverkas lärarens skönlitterära val till eleverna av lärarens konstruktion av svenskämnet? Hur påverkar styrdokumenten litteraturundervisningen i svenskämnet?</p><p>Resultatet visar att svensklärare påverkas av en mängd olika faktorer i litteraturvalet såsom eleven, arbetsplatsen, personliga åsikter, läsningens syfte, samhället, styrdokument, samt lärarens konstruktion av svenskämnet. Resultatet visar att lärarna är både negativa och positiva till en litterär kanon i svenskämnet och att kanondebatten inte har påverkat deras undervisning.     </p> / <p>This study with its purpose concerns factors that influence teachers, who specialize on the subject Swedish, when choosing fictional literature for their students.</p><p>The gathering of empirical facts is done through nine qualitative interviews. The informants are nine teachers with Swedish as major who teaches at upper elementary level.</p><p>The questions at issue are:</p><p>-        Which factors influences teachers at upper elementary level when choosing fictional literature for their students?</p><p>-        How do teachers regard the use of a literary canon when teaching Swedish?</p><p>-        How has the debate concerning the use of a literary canon in the teaching of Swedish affected the teachers tutoring?</p><p>-        To what extent is the teachers’ choice of fictional literature affected by the teachers’ own construction of the subject Swedish?</p><p>-        To what extent does the curriculum affect the teaching of literature in the subject Swedish?</p><p>The result of this study shows that teachers of Swedish are affected by several factors when they are choosing fictional literature for their students. Factors that influence the teachers’ choice of literature are: The teachers’ own construction of the subject, student preferences, workplace, personal preferences, the purpose of the reading, society and the curriculum. The result also shows that the teachers both have negative and positive attitudes towards using a literary canon in their tutoring of Swedish. The debate concerning the use of a literary canon has not affected their teaching of Swedish.</p>

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a computer program for students with emotional behavioral disorder (EBD) on behavior and academics. This concurrent, multiple baseline study investigated the use of Brainology with three upper elementary students diagnosed with EBD. Evaluations across behavior, academics, and behavioral academic indicators resulted in indications of possible effectiveness with one fourth grade student and limited to no effects with the other two students. There was a lack of multiple demonstration of intervention effect in this study across the baseline for behavior. Overall, student effort appeared to increase using this intervention, which is an important finding given the problems with disengagement that students with EBD experience (Wagner et al., 2004. Despite the limited results of this study, Brainology appears to hold some promise for students with EBD and it is hoped that further research will explore this possibility further. The teachers and students indicated that the treatment had strong to moderate validity on validity measures. Implications for Brainology and students with EBD are presented. Study limitations and directions for future research and practice are discussed. / text

To master English is a clear advantage in Swedish society and throughout compulsory school, the English subject is mandatory in each grade. Language learning is a lengthy and demanding task that requires effort and determination. Consequently, it is crucial to sustain motivation among the learners, which requires motivational and conscious teaching. There are a number of strategies that through research have indicated motivational capacity. In this empirical study, teachers’ and pupils’ perception of the motivational influence of different strategies were examined. The method was quantitative and surveys were used to collect data from the teachers (N=10) and the pupils (N=142). The results show that the teachers regard their own behavior and a stimulating, varied teaching as most important, whilst the pupils prioritize clear and understandable instructions and are concerned with a pleasant classroom climate, where humour is present and where it is safe to make mistakes. In addition, the results indicate that teachers, as well as pupils, are not particularly interested of a transmission of responsibility from the teachers to the pupils. / <p>Engelska</p>

In the globalized world, the English language has an important role. It expands and finds its way into curriculums as far away as in Asia. However, in Sweden English has been a part of the curriculum for over a half-century and most Swedes are able to understand and make themselves understood in English to a certain extent. Nevertheless, in the wake of globalization its importance has grown, and as a core subject in school and as a spread commercial language, mastering the English language has become a significant skill. Learning a foreign language is a delicate task that requires volition and a great deal of patience. In order to succeed, the learner must be motivated. Motivation is a powerful phenomenon, relevant within all learning, but not least when it concerns areas as demanding and challenging as language learning. This smallscale study investigates views in recent research of the role of pupils’ selves in relation to their motivation and what factors are considered to stimulate pupils’ selves. Asian studies dominate the reviewed material but also Swedish studies are represented. The findings of this study indicate that pupils’ selves are related to motivation. What stimulates pupils’ selves seems to match all activities and methods that strengthen autonomy, competence and relatedness. These findings support a motivational conscious teaching, where motivation is acknowledged as a vital element in learning in general and specifically in language learning.

To master English is a clear advantage in Swedish society and throughout compulsory school, the English subject is mandatory in each grade. Language learning is a lengthy and demanding task that requires effort and determination. Consequently, it is crucial to sustain motivation among the learners, which requires motivational and conscious teaching. There are a number of strategies that through research have indicated motivational capacity. In this empirical study, teachers’ and pupils’ perception of the motivational influence of different strategies were examined. The method was quantitative and surveys were used to collect data from the teachers (N=10) and the pupils (N=142). The results show that the teachers regard their own behavior and a stimulating, varied teaching as most important, whilst the pupils prioritize clear and understandable instructions and are concerned with a pleasant classroom climate, where humour is present and where it is safe to make mistakes. In addition, the results indicate that teachers, as well as pupils, are not particularly interested of a transmission of responsibility from the teachers to the pupils. / <p>Engelska</p>

This single-case study compared the effects of a typical practice baseline phase to those of a treatment phase. Seven students with learning disabilities (LD) in Grades 4 and 5 participated in the two-school-site study. Each student had basic word-reading proficiency and a distinct deficit in comprehension. Baseline lessons consisted of text reading with corrective feedback, a text-based summary with corrective feedback, and a daily quiz. In treatment, students read text with corrective feedback, used a graphic organizer to study and teach the content to the instructor, and completed a daily quiz. The baseline and treatment lessons were influenced by direct, systematic, and explicit instruction. Analysis indicates that an experimental effect was present for all students when the daily quiz results for baseline and treatment phases are compared. Percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) results were 100% for five students, which is characterized as a highly effective treatment according to single-case standards. Two students had minimal overlap between baseline and treatment, but their scores indicate that the treatment was effective at improving informational text learning. On a cumulative pre/post social studies test, students at School A improved from 26% to 56%, and at School B, students scored 28% on pretest and 81% on posttest. Results indicate that treatment components that were previously effective for students with LD in secondary school are promising for enhancing informational text learning for students in upper elementary school. A social validity questionnaire indicated that students perceived graphic organizers as an efficacious practice for improving learning potential. / text