UMD Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2005 - 20102

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    Three young Korean children's English language learning in two American preschool classrooms
    (2010) Yi, Sunkyoung; Klein, Elisa L; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the process of English language learning through social interactions in a preschool. Three Korean ELLs in two American preschool classrooms were observed over the course of one school year, and their interactions were analyzed using qualitative methods to describe and explain how their learning developed over time. ELLs developed English skills using five types of actions and interactions. Non-communicative action (NCA), private speech (PS), Non-verbal communication (NVC), and Non-responses (NR) were used while ELLs became accustomed to their classroom routines and members. As the children understood routines and interactions, they employed verbal communication (VC) by access and initiation with the teachers and peers; descriptions and attention-getting were mostly used to communicate with others. Three steps of language learning were identified: 1) children actively participated through observation and listening; 2) peer involvement or teachers scaffolding provided understanding and competence through reoccurring instructions and themes; 3) English competencies developed through everyday social interactions with other children. Joint-attention (Yawkey & Miller, 1984) or mutual involvement (Camoinoni, 1979) played a central role in maintaining interactions. For mutual involvement to occur, ELLs had to find cooperative and loyal peers. To build such friendships, ELLs had to use other-centered strategies at the beginning of the school year and become avid observers and active participants. Social relationships thus were essential to facilitate social interactions and shared understanding. Play types (cooperative, parallel, and solitary), selection of friends or play partners, and attitudes toward peers influenced friendship-building and the development of English language comprehensions.
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    THE EFFECTS OF THE EFFECTIVE BLACK PARENTING PROGRAM ON THE PARENTING PRACTICES OF PARENTS OF PRESCHOOLERS
    (2005-04-29) Wessel, Diane E.; Randolph, Suzanne M; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Effective Black Parenting intervention on the parenting practices of African American parents with children in preschool. Although studies have previously examined the relationship between parent education programs and parenting, few studies have been conducted with at-risk African Americans. This study proposes a secondary analysis of data from the larger study entitled, "Fostering Resiliency in At-Risk African American Children." These data were used to evaluate the Effective Black Parenting (EBP) program, which was adapted and implemented with 33 parents in the urban Washington, DC area, who had a child in Head Start. In addition, 31 parents served as the comparison group in a quasi-experimental design. Analyses revealed that following the program, the intervention group demonstrated more use of positive control and less use of spanking than the comparison group. Programmatic implications and future directions for research are presented.