Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Accessibility Remediation

If you are unable to use this item in its current form due to accessibility barriers, you may request remediation through our remediation request form.

First Advisor

Taeyeon Kim

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Committee Members

Elvira Abrica, Kara Viesca, Shavonna Holman

Department

Educational Administration

Date of this Version

4-27-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Educational Administration

Under the supervision of Professor Taeyon Kim

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Valerie Anne Kyllmann. Used by permission

Abstract

This mixed methods study is part of a larger research-practice partnership (RPP) between practitioners and researchers at a Midwestern suburban elementary school experiencing an increase in cultural and linguistic diversity. Like many U.S. schools, its teaching force is mostly White, middle-class, and female, creating not only a pedagogical gap, but also a belief gap about the linguistic and academic assets multilingual students possess. Grounded in linguistically responsive teaching, adult learning, and improvement science, this study explores how RPPs can leverage varying expertise in cycles of inquiry to co-create initiatives that foster asset-based teacher perspectives through building-wide events and professional development. Building leaders partnered with two university professors and a doctoral student for two years to (a) enhance teachers’ orientations and instructional strategies for multilingual learners and (b) promote an inclusive school culture through an asset-based lens. Findings revealed that, while teachers already possessed pedagogical knowledge and strong community-building skills, they needed time and practice to understand that these strategies were not exclusive to monolingual students; the professional development provided research-based knowledge about the benefits of multilingualism. Teachers internalized these strategies as shared norms and operationalized them through hands-on practice over time. Concurrently, teachers fostered classroom community and belonging, while building-wide events shifted views of multilingual learners from problems to schoolwide assets. Based on these findings, this study proposes an extension the linguistically responsive teaching framework by positioning community-building and fostering feelings of belonging as foundational preconditions. Results suggest that RPPs, grounded in shared responsibility and co-inquiry structures, offer a promising model for school improvement during demographic transitions, especially when teams take into account school leadership and culture, teacher beliefs, and specific instructional strategies for multilingual learners.

Download

Share

COinS