Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations (ELPF) Electronic Theses and Dissertations (UMKC)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Division of Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations (ELPF). Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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The Division of Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations ELPF) was previously called the Division of Urban Leadership and Policy Studies in Education.
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Item Translanguaging in the English medium instruction classroom: a heuristic critical ethnography(2025) Parisi, Michaela C.; Barger, RitaThis heuristic critical ethnography explores the experiences of both multilingual and monolingual students in an English Medium Instruction (EMI) classroom implementing translanguaging pedagogy (TP) at a linguistically diverse public high school in the Midwestern United States. The study investigates how TP shapes student engagement, identity, and academic experiences by encouraging the use of students’ full linguistic repertoires within classroom instruction and interaction. The translanguaging classroom itself serves as the unit of analysis, providing a lens into the social, emotional, and academic dynamics that emerge in EMI spaces where language is treated as a resource rather than a barrier. Grounded in translanguaging theory (García & Wei, 2014), sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978), and critical theory, this qualitative study utilized classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis to capture nuanced perceptions and practices. Data analysis revealed four central themes: Building Classroom Community, Teacher as Reflective Practitioner, Language as Identity, and Equity Tensions. These themes demonstrate how translanguaging not only supports linguistic access and identity affirmation for multilingual learners but also facilitates inclusive collaboration and empathy among monolingual students. The teacher’s reflective practice emerged as instrumental in fostering an environment where translanguaging was embedded in both pedagogy and classroom culture. At the same time, findings illuminated persistent equity tensions, including linguistic hierarchies and systemic barriers that affect students’ access to language resources and participation. These findings underscore the potential of translanguaging pedagogy to advance equity in EMI classrooms, while also highlighting the institutional limitations that constrain its full implementation. This study contributes to the growing field of research on translanguaging in secondary EMI contexts, offering implications for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers seeking to foster more inclusive, linguistically responsive educational environments. It calls for professional development, structural support, and policy reform that center students’ linguistic and cultural resources as assets for learning and belonging.Item Multidimensional predictors of English language proficiency: MSEM analysis in Saudi EFL students in higher education(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2025) Aljubran, Mohammed Saeed A.; Wei, Michael, 1968-Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and the PERMA well-being framework, this multilevel study surveyed 3,980 Saudi English-major undergraduates nested within 185 professors and 91 academic advisors to examine how student characteristics, professors’ need-supportive teaching (NST), and advisors’ well-being jointly influence English Language Proficiency (ELP). Earlier age of English acquisition negatively predicted ELP, whereas higher motivation, favorable personality traits, and positive attitudes showed significant positive effects; a reading-oriented learning style had a small negative association and gender effects were nonsignificant. When professor-level variables were added, instructional involvement emerged as the strongest NST dimension, significantly boosting student proficiency. Advisor analyses revealed that advisors’ positive relationships dimension uniquely elevated ELP after accounting for student and professor factors. Collectively, the integrated model explained nearly half of the variance in proficiency, underscoring that motivated learners achieve higher ELP when guided by involved professors and relationally engaged advisors within Saudi higher education.Item Who do you think you are? An arts-based narrative inquiry of teacher personal identity and professional learning(2025) Smith, Yalonda Chanell; Davis, Donna M. (Donna Marie); Schlein, CandaceThe connection between identity and teacher professional learning is fundamental, as teachers’ development of effective classroom practices is intricately linked to their sense of self. Teachers’ self-concept plays a vital role in shaping their professional goals and actions, encompassing aspects of their professional identity, self-hood, and future aspirations. Current approaches to professional learning often lack a focus on teachers’ lived experiences, which are essential for understanding their capacity to both learn and teach. As a result, district and school leadership practices might be questioned whether there is adequate consideration of the personal “self” when planning professional learning opportunities. Using arts-based narrative inquiry grounded in heuristic and soliloquy methodologies, this study engaged eight teachers from an urban Midwestern public school district. Participants completed multiple data sources: a demographic survey, the Twenty Statements Test (TST) surveys, an "I Am From…" poem, and a semi-structured interview. Data were analyzed using narrative and thematic coding across all sources, drawing on Clandinin and Connelly’s three-dimensional narrative inquiry framework. This proposed research study explored one central question: How do teachers describe their professional learning experiences? This exploration includes two sub questions: (1) How do teachers define professional learning? (2) How do teachers perceive their own personal identity? This study contributes to the field by centering teacher voice and identity in discussions of professional learning. It suggests that effective teacher development must move beyond surface-level pedagogical training to include reflective, identity-informed, and culturally responsive practices. These findings have implications for school leaders, teacher educators, and policymakers seeking to design sustainable professional learning that affirms teacher identity while fostering instructional growth.Item Their eyes were watching Zora: storientation, black girl magic, and Afrofuturistic implications for educators(2024) McClaine, Michelle D.; McCarther, Shirley MarieThis dissertation examines the intersection of Black girl identity and empowerment, drawing upon the concept of “Black Girl Magic” as it correlates with the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston. Through the four stances of Black Girl Magic—realization, resistance, restoration, and resilience—this study reveals how Hurston’s contributions continue to shape Black girlhood and womanhood as a source of strength, creativity, and empowerment. Utilizing an Afrofuturistic and intersectional lens, this research follows a historical approach to explore the resilience of Black girls by analyzing Hurston’s life and literary works and collecting oral histories from Black women scholars across the United States. These narratives provide invaluable insights into Black girls’ resilience and inform future educational practices to support them. This study also addresses the challenges faced by Black girls in educational settings, where they are disciplined at disproportionately high rates. In response, this dissertation advocates for the Sankofa storientation approach in literacy education, which centers on educators’ responsibility to engage with and learn from Black girls’ stories. This model follows a sequence beginning with Me: Educator as Storyteller, where educators reflect on their narratives; Her: Mentor Text as Storyteller, using multimodal texts that highlight Black girls’ experiences; They: Black Girls as Storyteller Apprentices, providing Black girls opportunities to express their identities; and We: Educators and Black Girls as Participant Observers, promoting a reciprocal, active listening approach to understand students deeply. In all, Zora Neale Hurston’s life and work calls for educators and communities to critically examine societal constraints impacting Black girls’ experiences within the African Diaspora. By exploring identity, self-expression, and societal expectations in her writings, this research deepens our understanding of the historical and ongoing struggles Black girls face. This analysis serves not only as a reflection on the past but also as a catalyst for reimagining inclusive and empowering educational practices that uplift Black girlhood.Item International students living with aunts and uncles: a narrative multiple case study(2024) Myer, Julie K.; Wei, Michael, 1968-; Riggers-Piehl, TiffaniSome international students live with their aunts and uncles while studying in the United States. Living with aunts and uncles shapes these students’ college going experience. However, research about college student family issues has not specifically explored the role and impact of local extended relatives on this student population. The purpose of this study was to learn the stories of international students’ lived experience residing with aunts and uncles while studying at higher education institutions in the United States. This study was based on a central research question: What stories do international students tell about their U.S. college experience while living with aunts and uncles? The four sub-questions were (A) What are their stories of cultural experiences and influences related to the college-going process? (B) What are their stories of experiences related to academic participation? (C) What are their stories of experiences related to social interaction? (4) What are their stories of experiences related to changes in how they relate to themselves and others? The theoretical framework for this study included Arnett’s development theory of emerging adulthood, Deardorff’s intercultural competence framework, and Astin’s input-environment-outcome model.