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Teachers' beliefs and perceptions about former English learners
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Cansdale, Joan. Teachers' beliefs and perceptions about former English learners. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-vdqr-r993

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TitleTeachers' beliefs and perceptions about former English learners
NameCansdale, Joan (author); Harrison, Judith R (chair); Curran, Mary E (internal member); Axelrod, Tali (outside member); Rutgers University; Graduate School of Education
Date Created2021
Other Date2021-05 (degree)
SubjectFormer ELs, Teacher Leadership
Extent1 online resource (x, 123 pages)
DescriptionAs the number of English Learners (ELs) in our student population grows, so does the number of former ELs, students who have been reclassified as proficient in English and reassigned from ESL and bilingual classes to general education classes. Secondary students are confronted with increased academic language demands at the same time as they are reclassified, often losing their language support services. Consequently, responsibility for supporting former ELs’ academic and language development falls to general education teachers, who may lack the necessary knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, no prior research has queried teachers about former ELs. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed methods study is to investigate the beliefs and perceptions of one district’s secondary teachers regarding the needs of their former EL students. This study also examined how the beliefs and perceptions of general education teachers compared with those of ESL teachers and evaluated the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices.

To address these aims, interviews and classroom observations were conducted and relevant instructional artifacts were collected. An observation form was used to document the use of sheltered instruction strategies in general education classrooms and artifacts such as student worksheets were analyzed for sheltered instruction approaches. Finally, ESL and general education teachers were interviewed about their knowledge and experience with ELs and former ELs.

Results indicated that teachers have positive attitudes about former ELs and are concerned about how comfortable they are in general education classes. Both general education and ESL teachers recognized a need for teacher collaboration and support for former ELs as they transition to GE classes. Although general education teachers were willing to provide needed academic support to former ELs, there was little correlation between their expressed beliefs about what is best for former ELs and their actual classroom practice. Further, teachers implemented more sheltered instruction strategies than they reported. As such, it appeared that teachers were unaware of best practices, even when engaging in them. The findings of this study will be useful to policymakers, curriculum developers, and professional development providers, while also contributing to the research base by addressing the existing gap.
NoteEd.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-vdqr-r993
LanguageEnglish
CollectionGraduate School of Education Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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