This was a qualitative study that used the procedures of case study design while incorporating ethnographic techniques of interviewing and non-participant observation in classrooms with six selected students, six teachers, and eight interviews of selected administrators and staff members in one middle school in a large Texas urban school district. The purpose of this study was to understand the educational experiences and perceptions of selected immigrant students and their mainstream teachers. Following the method of case study design, the educational experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) students were examined in the naturally occurring context of the school and the classroom. Because the goal of case studies is to understand a given phenomenon from the perceptions of the participants (referred to as “emic” perspective) all participants were interviewed in-depth in order to understand their unique perceptions. The study took place during a five-month period in the spring of 2002. Data were analyzed concurrently during data collection and were framed by Geneva Gay's (2000) characteristics of culturally responsive teaching. The findings and interpretation of data are divided into three parts that encompass the results of the five research questions that guided this study. Part one presents the teachers' perceptions and addresses the themes that arose from research questions one and two: what are teachers' perceptions of the academic problems facing (ELL) students as they enter the mainstream classroom? What instructional practices do regular teachers use to meet the academic needs of students? Part two presents the students' perceptions and addresses the findings from research questions three and four: what are (ELL) students' perceptions of the academic challenges facing them in the mainstream classroom? What are the ELL students' perceptions of the instructional practices used by mainstream teachers to meet their academic needs? Part three addresses the fifth research question that guided this study: What administrative policies and procedures are in place in the school and district to meet the educational needs of ELL students?

Effective ELL teaching and learning is profoundly influenced by the teachers' personal experiences and personalities (Farrell, 2016), their experience as language learners as well as language teachers (Farrell, 2007), and their beliefs about learning and teaching a second language (Farrell, 2015; Farrell & Ives, 2015). This study honored and examined in-depth the often-discounted stories/reflective narratives of our teachers. This paper reports a qualitative cases study that explores three veteran teachers' reflection on their personal and professional experiences with ELLs for self-discovery over years (Cirocki & Farrell, 2017) so that they can further reflect for their future actions with ELLs (Burns & Bulman, 2000; Farrell, 2007; Farrell & Vos, 2018). Data analysis revealed the teachers' different strengths and needs in working with ELLs. Four major dimensions (language, culture, culturally and linguistically sensitive pedagogy, and collaborative community) were identified as critical to effective teaching of ELLs and preparation of second language teachers.

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement. This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 working-class Latino immigrant mothers whose children were enrolled in two elementary schools in southern California. Parents were purposively selected from two predominantly Latinx urban Elementary schools to participate in individual interviews and focus groups. This study addresses an urgent need to survey the current context of immigrant families and, because most research on the subject of parent involvement takes a subtractive or deficit approach that often devalues the experiences and perceptions of Latinx immigrant parents, it responds to a need for studies that approach the subject from an asset based perspective that includes the voices of the parents themselves. Examining the narratives of the parents from their own perspectives, this study provides a platform from which parent voices can be heard and creates a space where the historical and current particulars of home and community practices, histories, and activities become as relevant as those of the dominant culture(s), thus creating equitable conditions where the social justice mission of education—which is to provide quality education for all—is more likely to be fulfilled.

A large school district in the northeastern United States struggled with teaching middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) to succeed in reading and writing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers' perceptions regarding what they could do to increase academic achievement for ELLs. The conceptual framework emerged from Weimer's learning-centered teaching, which aligns with Dewey's social constructivism. Ten purposefully sampled teachers agreed to be interviewed in the attempt to answer the research questions about instructional strategies teachers believed were best to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate instruction for ELLs and what teachers believed could be done to improve ELLs' classroom engagement and motivation for increased academic achievement. Analysis and open, thematic coding of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and teachers' lesson plans were used to create seven themes, including differentiated instruction, background knowledge, challenges and difficulties, home-school connection, technology for diverse learners, administration and faculty collaboration, and professional development. Findings included participants' desire for meaningful professional development where differentiated instruction is modeled to address the cultural and linguistic needs of ELLs. The project was created to deliver this training for all teachers at the site, focusing on culturally and linguistically differentiated instruction, sheltered instruction, and collaborative learning. The findings and project may promote positive social change by improving instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse learners at the local site and similar school districts. Higher academic achievement would provide better opportunities for ELL students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of middle school transition and achievement as it relates to Hispanic students. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there are more than 35 million registered Hispanic citizens. Of those, 3.6 million are public school students. The literature indicated that there was a marked regression in student achievement during the transition to middle school. Through the use of descriptive statistics and regression analysis, sixth grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and math developmental scale scores (DSS) were analyzed to determine if the mean achievement improved or declined after the transition to middle school. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select 615 Hispanic students from more than 6,000 students that were enrolled in sixth grade during the 2008-2009 school year. The major findings of this study did not support the literature that indicated that students experienced a decline in achievement when they transitioned to middle school. Analysis of the descriptive statistics indicated that sixth grade Hispanic students experienced a substantial increase in their mean FCAT reading DSS and a smaller increase in the mean math DSS only increasing by 30 points or 2% after they transitioned to middle school.

Recent research suggests that the college-going trajectories of English language learners (ELLs) may be improved by focusing on their academic abilities rather than their English limitations; that ELLs are capable of high-track, college preparatory coursework. Most research draws on feedback or observations of current high school students. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to elicit retrospective perspectives of three Latina college students placed in English as a second language (ESL) during high school. These three former ELLs were able to navigate from ESL courses to higher-track, advanced placement (AP) courses, which prepared them for college. Results suggest that relatively short times spent in ESL may positively influence ELLs’ access to college preparatory coursework and integration with native English speaking (NES) peers who possess college-going social capital. Results also suggest that ELLs’ perceptions of teachers’ high expectations and college-going assistance may provide important social capital facilitating ELLs’ access to higher-tracks and college. / text

xiv, 203 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The primary purpose of this research is to determine whether the implementation of Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) teaching strategies increases the English receptive language and expressive vocabulary development of native Korean-speaking students. A secondary focus of the study is to identify specific GLAD strategies that are observed to be effective at supporting the expanding vocabulary of students. Because English language learners need to learn and use vocabulary words for different purposes and in different contexts, this dissertation is focused on vocabulary development for second language acquisition that is not in the context of reading. Participants included 16 native Korean-speaking students (grade 1, N = 11; grade 2, N = 5) and their teachers ( N = 7). The teachers used seven GLAD strategies to implement their science curriculum over a period of approximately 7 weeks. All of the teacher resources that were necessary to implement the GLAD strategies were provided. Quantitative data were collected on curriculum dependent as well as curriculum independent measures and were analyzed using paired-samples t tests to determine if growth occurred in the student's English receptive and expressive vocabulary development. Results indicate that curriculum independent measures produced findings that were statistically significant in receptive language only, at least at the small sample size. Curriculum dependent measures, however, did produce findings of learning gains that were statistically significant in both areas. These findings suggest that when vocabulary words are carefully selected from the curriculum, intentionally taught and implemented through a variety of strategies, it is possible that receptive language and expressive vocabulary growth may occur on targeted vocabulary. Qualitative data were also collected through teacher interviews, observation checklists, and web-based teacher questionnaires. The qualitative data were coded and analyzed for patterns to provide information on the implementation and effectiveness of the GLAD strategies. Three strategies, the cognitive content dictionary, total physical response, and 10/2, were identified as strategies that were (a) used frequently, (b) showing effective use when implemented, and (c) used to teach the target vocabulary words. Qualitative data also revealed that these three strategies were used throughout the day and not exclusively during science. / Committee in charge: Kathleen Scalise, Chairperson, Educational Leadership; Gerald Tindal, Member, Educational Leadership; Edward Kameenui, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Jean Stockard, Outside Member, Planning Public Policy & Mgmt

Engelskundervisningen idag i årskurserna 1-3 är enligt min åsikt och erfarenhet, inte tillräckligt prioriterat. Många av eleverna kan redan vid skolstarten ha engelskkunskaper med sig och de måste nationellt ges möjligheten till att utveckla dessa. Läraren kan ha stor betydelse i barnens andraspråks- och språkinlärning. Det är av vikt att läraren har kompetens, skapar en trygg miljö och har en varierad undervisning. Andra aspekter som är avgörande för elevernas förståelse är som tidigare sagt miljö och även engagemang från eleverna. Detta examensarbete är en litteraturstudie och innebär att sökningar har gjorts och litteratur har sammanställts inom ett valt område. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien är att undersöka om arbetsmetoder mot yngre barn samt vad tidigare forskning säger om andraspråks- och språkinlärning för barn. I resultatet upptäcktes att det är många faktorer som spelar in vid barns språkinlärning i de valda studierna. Det som gemensamt hittades bland studierna var vikten av repetition, imitation och kommunikation vid undervisning. Att börja med språkundervisning i årskurs 1 och att ta vara på elevernas egna inlärningsstrategier skapar de bästa förutsättningarna för språkinlärning. Ett förslag till vidare forskning är att undersöka hur lärare idag arbetar med engelska språkinlärning mot yngre barn.

This study investigates two vocabulary exercises where the participant students receive an assigned set of words to put into sentences, one being a more traditional written exercise, the other being an exercise where students make a vlog using the assigned words. Two upper secondary school classes in Sweden participated in the experiment, including responding to a Likert attitude questionnaire. The hypothesis used in this paper is derived of Pegrum’s third category, of higher integration between school and everyday life, and that this would lead to better results for the students who completed the vlogging exercise. The two participating classes were each divided into two group halves, and each group half received one written exercise and one vlogging exercise – consequently each class half acted as a control group for the other half. The responses gathered were divided into three categories, ‘Correct’, ‘Undetermined’, and ‘Failed’. The results disprove that the vlogging exercise offers a significant improvement over the traditional written exercise, and thusly confirms the No Significant Difference phenomenon.

This quasi-experimental Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) study explored whether the vocabulary and reading comprehension mean scores of Hispanic Kindergarten ELs whose teachers were trained to utilize Dialogic Reading (DR) discourse were higher than the mean scores of Hispanic ELs in kindergarten whose teachers were not trained to utilize DR discourse strategies. Sixty-three self-identified Hispanic, English Language Kindergarten students and four teachers participated in the study. The teachers were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (DR trained) or control group by drawing names from a hat. Student assignment to experimental versus comparison group was based on the teacher’s assignment to either the experimental or comparison group. Thirty-one were assigned to the control group and 32 to the experimental group. The teachers were instructed to read the story to a group of six students (maximum) at a time, utilizing the DR discourse strategies they had been trained to implement. Subjects were read a story each week during the 8-week duration of the study. Teachers in the experimental group collaboratively selected 10 words each week from the Read Together Talk Together (RTTT) instructional stories that were utilized for vocabulary instruction. A test of homogeneity was conducted to evaluate whether the variance among the dependent variables was the same across the groups. An Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to analyze students’ vocabulary and comprehension mean scores in the experimental group and the comparison group. The results of the study demonstrated a significant increase in the vocabulary and reading comprehension mean scores for the students whose teachers had been trained in DR discourse strategies. When comparing the two groups, the results revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study was conducted to explore how DR discourse may be an effective technique to teach literacy skills. The findings of this study showed that vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of Hispanic ELs were positively affected by the teachers’ inclusion of dialogue during storybook reading. Its outcomes accentuated the need for teachers to provide assistance to ELs as they develop vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension skills.