03/14/2025
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Edlira Beda ““See Me:” Improving Secondary Content Area Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Students With Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)”

Candidate: Edlira Beda
Degree: Doctoral- Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Remote Zoom link:
Thesis/Dissertation Title: "“See Me”: Improving Secondary Content Area Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Students With Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)”

Dissertation Committee
Dissertation Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: James Nehring, Ed.D., Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: Associate Professor, Language Arts and Literacy School of Education


Abstract
Teachers face persistent challenges in ensuring equitable learning outcomes for Students with Limited and Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). This study employs an Improvement Science framework to investigate and address gaps in SLIFE awareness and affordances of asset-based instruction for four English and social studies teachers in a 9-12 urban school district. It explores: (1) What is the effect of a two-day asset-based workshop using SLIFE profiles on improving teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of SLIFE? (2) How do asset-based workshop sessions impact teachers’ implementation of students' assets during lesson planning and delivery? This Dissertation-in-Practice consists of three interrelated manuscripts. The first presents a literature review and needs assessment to identify instructional and professional development gaps. The second explores the implementation of an asset-based intervention, employing Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to improve teachers’ knowledge and perceptions using SLIFE profiles and asset-based teaching strategies. The third evaluates intervention sustainability and scalability through practitioner inquiry, organizational learning, and policy implications. Findings indicate that targeted professional development using SLIFE profiles and leveraging students’ cultural knowledge, experiences, and strengths improved teachers’ knowledge and shifted perceptions away from deficit-based assumptions. However, institutional constraints present challenges. The study contributes to Improvement Science by demonstrating how continuous inquiry, data-driven decision-making, and practitioner collaboration drive educational change. These findings have important implications for district leaders, policymakers, and educators seeking to improve SLIFE instruction. Future research should explore professional development models and adaptive leadership to ensure system-wide improvements for SLIFE.
Keywords: Asset-based, Multilingual Learners, Students with Limited and Interrupted Formal Education, SLIFE profiles