ERIC Number: EJ1234672
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Dec
Pages: 38
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0002-8312
EISSN: N/A
Emergent Change: A Network Analysis of Elementary Teachers' Learning about English Learner Instruction
Hopkins, Megan; Gluckman, Maxie; Vahdani, Tara
American Educational Research Journal, v56 n6 p2295-2332 Dec 2019
We study how a suburban U.S. district in the early stages of demographic change developed systems of support for teachers of English learners (ELs). Using district- and school-level social network and interview data, we examine elementary teachers' EL-related professional learning opportunities, and how district and school organizational contexts enabled or constrained these opportunities. We find that the separation of language and content at the district level limited teachers' learning opportunities, yet school leaders mitigated this separation by implementing structures that fostered norms of shared responsibility and collaborative teaching. Findings highlight the relevance of an organizational perspective for understanding how suburban districts respond to demographic change, and have implications for policymakers and practitioners with respect to creating inclusive environments for ELs.
Descriptors: English Language Learners, School Districts, Elementary School Teachers, Faculty Development, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Suburban Schools, Educational Change, Social Networks, Course Content, Teacher Collaboration, Demography, Inclusion, Social Capital, Institutional Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A