Degree Date

12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Education

First Advisor

Todd Price

Second Advisor

Shaunti Knauth

Third Advisor

Kate Zilla

Abstract

This dissertation, Language Learner Literature: A Mixed Methods Study, by Esmeralda Mora, Ed.D., of National Louis University, specializing in Curriculum, Advocacy, and Policy, investigated the impact of shifting a Midwest high school world language department from a traditional, grammar-focused model to a proficiency-based approach centered on Language Learner Literature (LLL). Employing a Modified Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, the study first analyzed longitudinal AAPPL proficiency scores from 1,134 high school students (2020–2025) using T-tests and Multiple Linear Regressions to establish measurable outcomes (the "what"). This quantitative phase demonstrated significant and consistent gains in expressive skills (Writing and Speaking) post-LLL implementation, with Writing (PW) identified as the central skill and strongest positive predictor of Speaking (ILS). The study then transitioned to a qualitative teacher focus group to interpret these results (the "why"), confirming that LLL catalyzed a profound departmental paradigm shift where teachers unanimously reported reducing grammar drill time and doubling interpretive activity time. Crucially, this empirical validation led to LLL serving as a professional reset button, drastically increasing teacher efficacy and professional unity because the data affirmed their instructional choices were grounded in current, strong research. The primary contribution of this work is providing the mixed-methods evidence necessary to validate LLL as a successful curricular reform that not only boosts student achievement but also serves as a tangible strategy for improving teacher retention through enhanced professional identity, leading to policy recommendations that formalize the shift of instructional time away from explicit grammar and toward Comprehensible Input using Language Learner Literature.

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