College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item A grounded theory of deaf middle school students' revision of their own writing(2010) Yuknis, Christina; Hultgren, Francine; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study used a grounded theory methodology to examine the experiences of deaf middle school students attending a program for deaf children in a public school to answer the following question: How do deaf children in middle school construct meaningful texts? The students were in one of two self-contained classes taught by a teacher of the deaf. The eight students and two teachers were each interviewed at least once. Classroom observations of the students engaged in writing an essay were conducted, and writing samples from each student were provided by the teachers. All of the data were analyzed, and a grounded theory that describes the experiences of the deaf students emerged. The theory consists of one core category and four key categories, which encompass three parts of writing: Knowing, Experiencing, and Doing. The core category, which captures the essence of what revision is to the students, is Living in Language and is the sole category in Knowing. Three key categories fall under the Experiencing heading: Interacting with the Text, Interacting with Instruction, and Interacting with Self as Reviser. The final key category is the sole category in Doing: Fixing Wrongs. This research contributes to the literature by illustrating how deaf students who are in one middle school understand, experience, and approach revision tasks. A significant understanding is that the students in this study are not given many opportunities to construct meaningful texts independently in their classes. Despite the lack of control over their own texts, the students have developed strategies to successfully “play the game” of writing in school. In addition, recommendations for future research and ways to improve instruction are offered. The greatest implication for instruction is that teachers need to step back and consider how instruction impacts the students. Students especially need to be empowered to control their own writing and develop metacognition of their own work. Future research can be done to test the theory using a broader scope of participants in other settings. It could also examine the writing process from the teachers’ perspectives to provide information about what informs their instruction of writing and revising.Item INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN DOMAIN-SPECIFIC BELIEFS ABOUT WRITING, WRITING SELF-EFFICACY, WRITING APPREHENSION, AND WRITING PERFORMANCE IN UNDERGRADUATES(2010) Sanders-Reio, Joanne; Alexander, Patricia A.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Writing has been called the "neglected `R'" in the traditional trilogy of reading, `riting, and `rithmetic (National Commission on Writing, 2003). Writing performance continues to languish, despite societal expectations that students should be able to write clearly and precisely. Sociocognitive theory predicts that writing beliefs are related to writing performance. Much research has focused on writing self-efficacy beliefs and their link to writing apprehension and writing performance, while research exploring another type of belief, domain-specific beliefs about writing itself, is sparse. This study examined the relations between these beliefs about writing, writing self-efficacy, and writing apprehension, and their links to writing performance. This research was a three-phase study. Phases I and II involved instrument construction and validation, while Phase III examined the relations among the research variables. Two hundred eighty-seven Hispanic women students completed a test battery in class measuring demographics, beliefs about writing, writing self-efficacy, and writing apprehension. Writing performance was measured separately on an authentic writing task, a take-home paper, by both an overall grade and six component grades. Inter-rater agreements on these grades ranged from r = .83 to .91. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that beliefs about writing independently predicted writing performance and that some beliefs about writing (e.g., Good writers adapt their message to their readers) are adaptive and associated with strong writing performance, while other beliefs about writing (e.g., Readers are impressed by big words) are maladaptive and relate to weak writing performance. In addition, apprehension about making grammatical and other mechanical errors had a stronger negative effect on writing performance than the more traditional concept of writing apprehension, which concerns sharing one's writing with others and having it critiqued. After controlling for domain-specific beliefs, writing self-efficacy weakly predicted writing performance as well. These results support the need for future research examining the relations among the research variables and writing performance in samples that are more balanced with respect to gender and ethnicity, and with other writing tasks. Because beliefs about writing demonstrated the largest beta weights in the regression equations, these beliefs may have the most promise for promoting both writing research and practice.Item The Effects of Metaphor and Blending Theory-Centered Instruction on Secondary English Students' Ability to Analyze Shakespearean Sonnets(2009) McHugh, Thomas Edward; Slater, Wayne H.; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of metaphor and blending theory-centered instruction on Secondary English students' ability to comprehend and analyze Shakespearean sonnets. Students in three intact British Literature and Composition classes located in a high school in a suburban county received an Advanced Placement (AP) pretest poetry prompt. The treatment class received instruction in metaphor and blending theory applied to Shakespearean sonnets. The comparison groups received two variants of instruction in the language arts model, a standard and accepted curriculum focused on textual, thematic, and cultural contexts for the Shakespearean sonnets. After the three intact classes completed the instruction, students completed an AP poetry posttest. Results suggest that the inclusion of metaphor and theory-centered instruction may have positive effects on secondary students' abilities to understand complex figurative language, infer theme, and respond effectively to AP-style prompts. These results, however, will need to be validated by further research that allows for randomization and other sample treatments.Item Critical Engagements: Adolesents African American Girls and Urban Fiction(2009) Gibson, Simone; Wiseman, Donna; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Although one of the ultimate goals of teaching English is to instill a love of reading, motivating students' engagement in texts poses a problem for many teachers. Despite research which suggest that adolescents, generally, do not read voluntarily (Strommen, 2004), adolescents, indeed, are often engaged with texts during their leisure time that are very different from those found in traditional classrooms that emphasize classical literature (Schultz & Hull, 2002). Creating bridges between their leisure reading interests and those presented in schools is one way of ideally bolstering more traditional forms of reading achievement within schools. Urban fiction is a form of text that is capturing the leisure reading interests of growing numbers of adolescent African American girls. Within this exploratory investigation, six adolescent African American females engaged with an urban fiction text to unveil their complex engagement with the genre. Through the use of a literature circle format that took place over two months, participants' relayed insights about why they engage with the texts from the urban fiction genre and how they process those images found within the texts. Participants responses reveal several findings that help inform current understandings about adolescent African American girls' engagement with urban fiction. Extending beyond a culture of reading texts from the genre at participants' school, each participant suggested varying reasons for engaging with texts from the genre that extend beyond the hyper sexualized and violent content. Next, participants demonstrated that they used engagement with the text to explore their conceptions of beauty and gender roles for Black women, relationships, and sex. Finally, participants suggested that exposure to content from the texts serve as a demotivator for engaging in similar behaviors as the protagonists. Implications, based on students responses, are presented for in-service and preservice teachers, teacher educators, curriculum writers, and policy makers.Item Picturebooks as Visual Literacy: The Influence of Illustrations on Second-Graders' Comprehension of Narrative Text(2008) Gerrard, Emily Elizabeth; O'Flahavan, John F; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study poses the following research question: "How does change in text type as text contains more illustrations and fewer words influence second-graders' comprehension of narrative text?" Eleven second-graders read three texts each and completed a series of oral reading comprehension tasks. The three text types varied in terms of the proportion of words to illustrations available in the text: written-only text, combination of written and illustrated text, and illustration-only text. The researcher interviewed each participant three times, once for each text type. Participant scores from the retelling and comprehension questions portion of the interview were analyzed in addition to participant's responses to the retrospective think aloud portion of the interview. Quantitative results from the retellings and comprehension questions suggest an overall trend indicating that illustrations have a positive effect on second grader's comprehension. Qualitative data for individual participants from their retrospective think alouds confirm this trend.Item Cross-Language Transfer of Sub-Syllabic Units in the Acquisition of L2 Phonological Awareness: Semivowel Placement Differences between Korean and English(2007-06-03) Baek, Seunghyun; Kushner, Millicent I; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study investigates the language-specific sub-syllabic awareness of two groups of eighty-six Korean-English speaking kindergarteners learning English as a foreign language or English as a second language and examines the effects of transferred sub-syllabic units from children's first language on their phonological awareness in a second language. The relationship between oral language proficiency and sub-syllabic units was also explored. Children were assessed in Korean/English on experimental tasks of sub-syllabic discrimination and production of semivowels in non-real words and a test of verbal ability. In addition, one group of ten monolingual English speaking kindergarteners as a reference group was tested only in English. Results suggest that Korean-English as a foreign language speaking children have an implicit and explicit sensitivity to body structure in Korean that is highly correlated with their Korean language dominance, and which is transferred to their second language, English. On the other hand, Korean-English as a second language speaking children have an idiosyncratic sub-syllabic preference for rime in English and both rime and body in Korean, presumably resulting from both their English language dominance and dual language exposure. These results have implications for the availability of language-specific sub-syllabic awareness, the transfer of sub-syllabic units from one dominant language to the other language, and the possible influence of oral language proficiency on early reading and spelling. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the incorporation of sub-syllabic awareness measures into phonological assessments will result in a more accurate assessment of English language learners with diverse phonological representations and help guide early reading instruction for children at risk for difficulty learning to read, speak and spell in English as a second language.Item The Effects of Honors Ninth-Grade Students' Strategic, Analytical Reading of Persuasive Text Models on the Quality of their Persuasive Writing(2007-01-22) Beach, Jennifer Anne; Slater, Wayne H.; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the analysis and imitation of persuasive text models on the persuasive writing quality of ninth-grade honors students. Two intact ninth-grade honors classes participated in an instructional treatment of thirteen lessons designed to teach persuasive writing strategies through explicit instruction and collaborative learning. The experimental group examined, analyzed, and imitated persuasive models as part of the instructional unit. The comparison group studied the same persuasive writing strategies through explicit instruction and collaborative learning, without the analysis of text models as part of their instruction. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected during the study. Pre- and posttest persuasive writing samples were compared using two persuasive writing scoring instruments, the NAEP Grade 12 Persuasive Scoring Guide, and a researcher-designed persuasive trait analytic scale. Additionally, four purposefully selected students from each class were interviewed for the study, and their pre- and posttest writing samples were examined in conjunction with their interview responses. An analysis of the scores on the pre- and posttest writing samples revealed that the mean score for each group increased on the holistic scale. The experimental group had a higher mean gain on the holistic scale than the comparison group, but the results were not statistically significant. Of the six persuasive strategies measured by the researcher-designed persuasive trait analytic scale, only the audience awareness category showed significant results. The students' attitudes toward persuasive writing instruction, as determined by the interviews, were overwhelmingly positive. One surprising finding was that students held misconceptions about the concept of text models and their use in writing instruction. The interviews also revealed that students found explicit instruction in persuasive strategies to be helpful to them as they completed persuasive writing tasks. The findings from the present study indicate that the analysis and imitation of persuasive models has a significant positive impact on students' ability to appeal to an audience in their writing. The results of this study indicate that more research is needed on the use of writing models as an instructional tool for teaching persuasive writing at the secondary level.Item Stories of Teacher Identity: A Narrative Inquiry into East Asian ESL Teachers' Lives(2005-11-28) Lu, Yen-Hui; Valli, Linda; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study is a narrative inquiry into how our experiences as non-native English speaking (NNES), English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers construct and reconstruct our identities as persons and as teachers. While the phrase "East Asian ESL teachers" in the title refers to Wen-Lin Huang, Kuriko Yayama, and Xuen Zhang, K-12 ESL teachers in east coast public schools, it is also refers to me. These descriptions are based on my personal journey as an English learner and graduate student, as well as intensive interviews with three NNES ESL teachers whose experiences I have to honor and give voice to by presenting them as I learned from them. This study captures the NNES teachers' experiences of becoming and being ESL teachers in the United States. Particularly, this study emphasizes the meanings of our experiences as language learners, ESL teacher candidates, and ESL practitioners in relation to our identity construction and reconstruction, and highlights the effects of cultural, linguistic, social, personal and interpersonal elements on our professional identity transformation. This study also describes the multitude of obstacles NNES ESL teachers overcome in developing the power of their minds. It is as much a study about pain, frustration, struggle and challenges as it is about accomplishment and hope. The contributions to the thought and practice of teacher education as a result of this study are three-fold. First, I hope the attention I give to the stories of teacher identity of the four NNES ESL teachers will highlight the need for TESOL teacher preparation programs to include and emphasize development opportunities for NNESs. Second, I hope the witness of the four NNES ESL teachers' teaching lives and the experiences of professional growth will open possibilities for NNES teacher candidates in the teaching profession. Finally, I hope the themes emerged from this study will provide an initial framework for future research in TESOL.Item To Gain Consensus on a Definition of Multicultural Children's Literature: A Delphi Study(2005-08-01) Levinson, Joan Marie; Hendricks, Susan M; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to gain consensus on a definition of multicultural children's literature. The study was conducted using the Delphi Method, a research questionnaire format. A pilot study was completed, followed by three rounds of questionnaires. The 25 participants were selected from a Children's Literature listserv, whose membership includes several hundred college professors, authors of children's books, university librarians, and education diversity specialists. Many Delphi doctoral dissertations and other research studies have examined multicultural literature for stereotyped portrayals of characters of color and ethnic origin. This researcher found none that included the literary integrity of the books as well as the multicultural content. This study sought a definition of multicultural children's literature that would include a literary standard for quality literature as well as multicultural elements. The study was organized into four literary categories: Plot, Characters, Setting, and Point of View. The questionnaire format was designed to gather information in each category on what elements would have to be present in order for a book to be identified as multicultural children's literature. Statements on which consensus was gained were combined to form a definition of multicultural children's literature. Many of the participants embarked on this study with the preconceived idea that all works of quality literature are innately multicultural. However, they concluded that, to be multicultural, quality literature should also demonstrate an awareness of multicultural elements. The resulting definition states that a work of quality literature can be labeled multicultural children's literature if the plot tells a fascinating story; the characters are believable and round; the setting enlarges the view of the reader; and the point of view reveals the inner world of each character; all the while demonstrating an awareness of multicultural elements such as age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. This and a longer form of the definition could be distributed in the form of a handout to be placed in libraries, bookstores, and classrooms, where those involved with book selection for children could use it for a guide. It could be accompanied by a list of appropriate books, while those with stereotyped portrayals could be deleted.Item Self-Monitoring of Attention Versus Self-Monitoring of Performance with Second-Grade Journal Writing: A Comparison of Two Techniques(2004-12-14) Moran, Susan Anne; Graham, Steven; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Students do not generally self-monitor when they write. This study examined the comparative effectiveness of self-monitoring of performance (SMP) and self-monitoring of attention (SMA) in the area of journal writing. Eight second-grade students with writing problems participated in this study. A multiple-baseline design was implemented to examine the differential effects of SMA and SMP. Observational data were collected by the experimenter and consisted of observing and recording each of the following behaviors during morning writing sessions: on-task behavior, number of words written, and number of minutes spent writing. Writing quality was also assessed. This study took place in two general education inclusive classrooms. Number of words written during both the SMA and SMP conditions exceeded the number of words written during baseline for all students. During SMA, time on-task increased for all 8 students. Although students in the SMP condition demonstrated gains, in time on-task, these were not as large as the gains for students in the time on-task SMA condition. Number of words written during both treatments exceeded the average number of words written during baseline. Generally, students increased the number of minutes spent writing in both SMA and SMP. However, 6 of the 8 students spent more time writing during the SMP condition than the SMA condition. Writing quality was improved over baseline during the SMA condition for 7 out of 8 students. During the SMP condition, 5 out of 8 students improved their writing quality over baseline. No carry over effects were noted.