Completed MA in Education Action Theses
CSUMB
Action theses are housed in the library at CSUMB, and can be downloaded in PDF form.
Action theses are housed in the library at CSUMB, and can be downloaded in PDF form.
An easy way to locate them is to go to the Archive of the CSUMB Capstone website. 1999
Yer Jeffery Thao. Multicultural Learning Environment for Mong Children in the California North Coast: Home and School Collaboration.
2000Adrian Andrade, The Emancipating Power of Education: Reshaping the Intellectual Paradigm of California's Chicano Community
Through the examination of current higher educational trends of a sample of representatives from the Mexican-American community, this research seeks to provide some answers to the central question, 'Why is it that only a small number of Mexican-Americans have succeeded in the college environment, while so many continue to drop out?'Kerry Conner. Family Involvement and Reading: Achievement and Enjoyment.
This action thesis examines family involvement and children's feelings about their families' involvement in their reading progress. The study examined student feelings, family feelings, and teacher feelings about family involvement in reading, using data gathered in the author's school.Felix Cortez-Littlefield. Critical Computing in a Multicultural Classroom.
Cortez-Littlefield developed liberatory and empowered approach to computing and teaching for today's diverse learners, drawing on Paulo Freire's conceptions of liberatory education. The heart of his action thesis is an on-line website of a course outline.Kate Dixson-Clark, Emergent Literacy and Second Language Development: A Case Study of Six English Language Learners in a Structured English Immersion Kindergarten.
This project focused on the second language literacy development of non-English speaking Kindergartners learning to read and write in English. This thesis was written in part in response to Proposition 227's decision that children, after one year in a Structured English Immersion program, should be ready to transition to mainstream English-only programs. Case studies document student achievement in the kindergarten classroom.Natalie Gray, Participatory Community Literacy in Peace Corps Training.
The thesis explores the idea of incorporating a Participatory Community Literacy project into Peace Corps training with the goal of improving Peace Corps training and empowering the local community. Participatory Community Literacy is described and discussed, as is Peace Corps training, with an analysis of the goals and objectives of both. An integrated, thematic curriculum for elementary school was developed incorporating Participatory Community Literacy, based on questions that addressed the needs of the local community, and the language and cultural goals of the Peace Corps.Eloise Guidara. Kindergarten Retention: Preceptions, Practice, and Criteria.
This thesis studied the basic issues teachers face in choosing students to repeat the kindergarten year, and what the teachers believe it will do for those students. It summarizes philosophies pro and con for kindergarten retention, what the research concludes about the practice, and how a sample of local kindergarten teachers feel about the issue.Max Macias, Our Mexican California Past (1821-1848)
This action thesis provides a critical examination of how the Mexican Period of California history is presented in five textbooks, four of which are currently being used in classrooms. A framework for analyzing and evaluating textbooks was created for this analysis.Holly Ouellette,Ethnomathematics: Towards Integrating Culture into Upper Elementary Mathematics.
The purpose of this project was to create and pilot a professional development presentation to define culturally relevant pedagogy, ethnomathematics, and the role of ethnomathematics toward culturally relevant pedagogy. Following the presentation, the author gathered data from the participants on its impact on them, and suggested modifications to a workshop such as this one.Vinay Singh. Fiji East Indian Educational Implications in Monterey County.
Fiji East Indian students are almost invisible in the local schools. Singh presents a brief history of this group, then uses Obgu's theory of voluntary versus nonvoluntary minorities to argue that Fiji East Indians have a history of being both. The thesis then presents a study showing isolation of students in the schools, and offers suggestions for what teachers can do.
Kelly Smith. Making Comprehension Comprehensible: Using Explicit Instruction in Comprehension Skills and Effective Groupwork Strategies to Increase Secondary Student Reading Achievement.
This study examined strategies to explicitly teach comprehension to secondary students, a large proportion of whom spoke Spanish as their primary language. The use of Reciprocal Teaching and Complex Instruction is explored. The study reports test data on student reading achievement, showing how reciprocal teaching and complex instruction support student achievement.
Jeanette Dugger Taylor. Developing Small Group Early Literacy Intervention Model.
This project examines the effects of an after-school small group early literacy intervention model on students and teachers at a small rural elementary school. The impact of this model on staff development and student achievement is discussed.
Xiu Zhang, Struggling in US Society: Three Ethnic Groups’ Perspectives of US Society
This action thesis examines three ethnic and cultural groups: African-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Asian Americans, and their individual perceptions of U.S. society. It surveys their experiences from childhood to adulthood, especially as it relates to their school years. This action thesis 1) identifies some of the problems which the various minorities have in common, 2) reviews how each group faces them, and 3) tries to find solutions that make them better.
2001Susana Bugarin, Teacher Buy-In: One School's Experience to Improve Student Achievement. This is a case study of a middle school that was in the process of implementing a reform to raise student achievement. The focus of the study is on teacher-buy in when school reform is implemented.Zandra J. Galvan, Family Involvement: Building a Partnership Between Schools and Families through the Joy of Reading
My case study researches and identifies what both our families and school are currently doing to involve themselves in the reading practices of our children. The research includes an extensive literature review and shared results from student, parent, and teacher surveys. The literature review and survey results allowed the researcher to provide specific recommendations on how to further promote and increase family involvement in reading at Greenfield Elementary School.Miyuki Murase, Communicative English for Japanese
Japanese learners are good at writing; however they’re not really good at communication. What kind of social or cultural factors might hinder Japanese to acquire communicative English? This thesis investigates that question by reporting a survey of teachers and students in English classrooms in Japan.Liz Nelson, Multiculturally Relevant Curriculum in the Art Classroom
This thesis examines what multicultural perspectives are currently being used in two art classrooms to create more relevancy for a diverse student population. After an extensive review of literature on art and multicultural education, the thesis reports interviews with the two teachers and surveys of the students to find out what is actually happening in two classrooms.Luis Felipe Restrepo, A Field of Study of Dual Diagnosis Program for Adults with Psychological Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to enhance therapeutic and educational curriculum of the transitional age client (normally between the ages of 18 and 24 years) with a dual diagnosis program fir adults with psychological disabilities and chemical dependency. This is an age group that tends to fall between the cracks in dual diagnosis programs. Students where the author works are surveyed in order to examine what works and what could be improved in the curriculum there.Virginia Roach, Digital or Electronic Portfolios as Process to Support Different Ways of Knowing
This electronic/digital project is a culmination of an extensive search on the Internet and in the literature for exemplary authentic student work digitized for portfolios published on the Internet. Students, and educators alike will be able to access the information on a website to see how the process of electronic portfolio development is viewed around the globe.Marlene Theresa Chavez Villegas, Physical Education in the Curriculum
The purpose of this study is to determine the importance of physical education in the school curriculum. Data were collected through surveys of high school students regarding their attitudes and perceptions about physical education.Jennifer Zanzot, Bilingual Education after Proposition 227
This action thesis is a case study of kindergarten students in an alternative bilingual program in California. Academic growth, English acquisition, and student interactions are examined and discussed. It is shown that being in a bilingual program did not keep the case study students from acquiring English and other academic skills.