LibGuides: Language and Literacy Education: Dissertations

Dissertation Databases

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ National University This link opens in a new window
Content: National University & NCU student dissertations and literature reviews.
Purpose: Use for foundational research, to locate test instruments and data, and more.
Special Features: Search by advisor (chair), degree, degree level, or department. Includes a read-aloud feature.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global - Full Text This link opens in a new window
Content: Global student dissertations and literature reviews.
Purpose: Use for foundational research, to locate test instruments and data, and more.
Special Features: Search by advisor (chair), degree, degree level, or department. Includes a read-aloud feature
The ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database (PQDT) is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. It is the database of record for graduate research, with over 2.3 million dissertations and theses included from around the world.

Selected Dissertations

Learn how to find dissertations in the Library. See the FAQ: How can I find completed dissertations in the Library?

A Case Study of the Preset of Language and Literacy Skills Required for Kindergarten Readiness
The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to determine what language and literacy skills preschool and kindergarten teachers believe are necessary for kindergarten readiness. Author: Bobbie Ahrens, Northcentral University.
Examining the Complex Morphology within the Kindergarten and First Grade Exemplar Texts from the English and Language Arts Common Core State Standards in Light of What Is Currently Known about the Importance of Morphology for Literacy Instruction
The purpose of this study was to identify and categorize the morphologically complex words in the Kindergarten and First Grade Common Core State Standards English and Language Arts (CCSS ELA) Exemplar Texts. Author: David L. Ray, Seattle Pacific University.
Examining the Effects of Embedding American Sign Language into Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism
American Sign Language (ASL) has been investigated as a functional communication method for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, but has not been investigated as an instructional method for use in literacy tasks in this population. Author: Josephine Stump, University of Washington.
Factors Affecting Literacy Skills and Oral Language Development in Young Children
The purpose of the study was to determine what factors in a child's life affects their ability to learn early literacy skills before entering school. Author: Dawn Marie Schwarzkopf, Northcentral University.
The Feasibility of Language-Literacy Instruction Facilitated by Preschool Classroom Volunteers
This pretest-posttest study examined the effects of a professional development training on five volunteer instructors’ (VI) utilization of language and literacy facilitation strategies within interactive storybook readings with low-income preschool children. Author: Jacqueline Schmitt, University of Kansas.
How can Literacy Instruction be Adapted to Improve the Reading Level of Third Grade English Language Learners?
This paper has been designed to address the growing concern over the opportunities for English Language Learners (ELLs) to receive appropriately differentiated and culturally responsive literacy instruction. Author: Brian Maire, State University of New York Empire State College.
Language and Literacy Problems of South African Youth: A Historical Analysis of Case Studies
Using Vygotsky’s social development theory as a guide, the purpose of this historical analysis of case studies was to gain a deeper understanding of the educational and practical problems of students in South African elementary schools in regards to language and literacy. Author: Anne Marie Ginnane, Northcentral University.
Literacy Strategies Used by Teachers of English Language Learners in Grades 3-5: A Case Study
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore literacy instructional practices being used by teachers that will help to narrow the literacy achievement gap between English Language Learners and native English speakers in the third, fourth, and or fifth grade. Author: Stacey Tyra Lopez, Northcentral University.
Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education and Its Impact on the Development of Early Language and Literacy Skills: An Exploration of One Head Start Program's Parent Involvement Model
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine parent involvement practices of the Early Beginnings Head Start program and to determine the impact that parent involvement has on the early language and literacy development of preschool children. Author: Lindsay A. Koch, Drexel University.
Professional Conversations about Race, Culture and Language in Early Childhood Literacy Education: An Administrator's Journey
In an attempt to fill this gap, utilizing tenets of ethnography, critical ethnography and autoethnography and a pattern analysis for examining data, I sought to understand: What happens when a school administrator and teachers of three- four- and five-year-old children engage in long-term professional study designed to explore issues of culture, race, language? What challenges are met? How are those challenges negotiated? How is the experience reflected in day-to-day life in the classrooms, particularly as it relates to supporting children's positive literate identities? What is the role of the administrator in this process? Author: Maria Sabina Mosso-Taylor, University of South Carolina.