03/17/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Amy Jane Priest “Transforming Teacher Attitudes Through Improvement Science: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Translanguaging for Multilingual Learners."

Candidate: Amy Jane Priestl
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: March 24, 2026
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Transforming Teacher Attitudes Through Improvement Science: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Translanguaging for Multilingual Learners

Dissertation Committee

  • Committee Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Christina Whittlesey, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Committee Member: AJ Angulo, Ed.D., Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
Multilingual learners (MLs) continue to experience academic and social inequities in U.S. schools. This inequity is rooted in a bias for English proficiency, limited implementation of culturally responsive practices, and systemic barriers. At Elliott Middle School (EMS), academic disparities between White students and Hispanic MLs highlighted the need to address systemic barriers by building collective teacher efficacy. This dissertation-in-practice examines how targeted professional development (PD) can shift teachers’ attitudes toward supporting MLs, serving as a leverage point to reduce their marginalization and strengthen their sense of belonging.

This study uses improvement science and is grounded in a socioecological framework, emphasizing culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and translanguaging pedagogy. This concurrent, mixed-methods design used a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to measure the impact of four weeks of guided training sessions on five sixth-grade teachers’ multicultural attitudes and perceptions. Quantitative data from the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS) were supported by focus groups, interviews, and teacher reflections. Findings indicated measurable growth in multicultural awareness and evolving perceptions regarding the implementation of CRT in daily instruction. Qualitative data reinforced that affirming students’ linguistic assets and intentionally increasing translanguaging can support MLs. The study prioritizes the teacher’s role in promoting equity and focuses on sustained, collaborative PD as the catalyst for advancing more belonging-centered, inclusive school experiences for MLs.