Museum education programming for linguistically diverse learners in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex : a qualitative multiple-case study.

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Museums’ offerings must adapt and broaden to satisfy the demands of its visitors as the number of the population designated as linguistically diverse learners rises. This multiple-case study looked at three museums in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex whose education departments creates programming for linguistically diverse learners and incorporate English language learning practices. I employed a qualitative multiple-case study research approach to describe how museum educators create programming for linguistically diverse learners and to determine which English language learning (ELL) strategies museum educators use in their educational programming in the DFW metroplex. The research questions of this case study were exploratory in nature, in this case, how museum educators are creating educational programming for linguistically diverse audiences and which ELL strategies museum educators are implementing. These types of questions are best explored through a case study, as they enable the application and interpretation of multiple perspectives during the research process, as well as an in-depth examination of the subject (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The theoretical framework for this study is composed of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol form (SIOP). CRP and the SIOP place emphasis and value cultural antecedents, foundational knowledge, and language for diverse and differently abled learners. The theoretical framework helped to develop the data collection process of this study, which consisted of a 15-question survey, semi-structured interviews, and a lesson plan. Museum educators stand to gain the most from this study’s findings. The study’s findings describe how various museums in the DFW Metroplex create inclusive programming for linguistically diverse learners by creating connections with the cultural backgrounds of their students (Hooper- Greenhill, 2007). The study also describes how museum educators implement English language learning practices in their educational programs. The study serves as a model for integrating teaching strategies of English language learners into museum education programs. Finally, it describes how museums evolve to meet the needs of a changing demographic and create inclusive educational programming for linguistically diverse visitors by adapting to pedagogical strategies, creating connections, and adapting to a theoretical framework to help create inclusive programming for all visitors.

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Linguistically diverse. Museums. Inclusive programming.

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