ERIC Number: ED579844
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 188
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-0-3553-5133-0
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Teachers' Perceptions of Language Teaching for English Language Learners
Schulz, Yoshiko
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northcentral University
Under the No Child Left Behind's educational accountability requirements, the U.S.'s mainstream classroom teachers were responsible for all students' academic language and content knowledge development regardless of students' academic or linguistic backgrounds. A lack of teachers' language awareness appeared to be responsible for teachers' inability to identify complex linguistic features and vocabulary concept that required explicit academic language instruction embedded in grade-level academic content contexts for English language learner students in mainstream academic content classrooms. This qualitative single-case study of seven kindergarten-grade through fourth-grade mainstream classroom teachers in a public school district in the Northwest region of the U.S. explored their perceptions of language teaching for English language learner students in grade-level academic content class contexts using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used for textual analysis to identify the main themes underlying the phenomenon. Open-coding process was conducted using the priori codes that were derived from the second language acquisition literature, learning theories, and environmental theory and added emerging codes for the subsequent analyses to reach the theoretical saturation. Findings upon the triangulation of two data sources indicated that converging themes included teacher self-efficacy for ELL students and affective factors for second language acquisition. Inconsistent but significant themes included teacher language awareness, belief and attitude towards language teaching, and second language acquisition process and progress. The researcher concluded that teacher's engagement with language was necessary for teachers to develop their language awareness so they could identify the appropriate language for teaching for their ELL students. Further, teachers' perceptions of language teaching were always transforming through their interactions with their ELL students. Through their language teaching experience, teachers learned that the second language acquisition was unique to individual ELL students who came with different backgrounds. Finally, the researcher recommended future studies of a similar topic with different samples in different settings might reveal some commonality in teachers' perception of language teaching as well as some unique characteristics affected by specific teacher population and instructional contexts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: English Language Learners, Second Language Instruction, English (Second Language), Elementary School Teachers, Case Studies, Qualitative Research, Focus Groups, Semi Structured Interviews, Content Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Self Efficacy, Second Language Learning
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A