This single case study explores education of multilingual learners (MLs) from Hispanic backgrounds in an urban inner city school. Using a single case study to answer the research questions was ideal because it allowed the researcher to investigate the school through an objective lens (Gomm, Hammersley, Martyn, & Foster, 2000). The main purpose of the study is to investigate the systems in place in a public school that prevent those students to reach their potential. Several factors have influenced this enlarging academic and achievement gap. Even though, Hispanic community making-up to 16.7% of the entire U.S. population and being the largest and fastest-growing minority group, reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011). Educating Hispanic children continues being a challenge. (Liu, C.-Y. A., & Liu, W.-H, 2012). However, with a growing number of Hispanic students in the US schools, it is imperative to improve their education and minimize those barriers. Using a single case study, this qualitative research focused on a single school in Boston where students Hispanic MLs students represents more than 50% of the schools’ population. The researcher visited classrooms and interviewed teachers to collect qualitative data. This information was later coded in themes to find trends and patterns affecting education of MLs. The researcher found that despite existence of several positive systems in place in the classrooms, such as knowledgeable teachers delivering sounds lessons, and strong systems to address family engagement, other factors are preventing students’ success. In effect, the results concluded existence of several opportunities to improve MLs education including changing language programs models and adding resources to be intentional in addressing MLs linguistic and academic needs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/46215 |
| Date | 17 May 2023 |
| Creators | Carrero, Alberto |
| Contributors | Dobbs, Christina L., Smith-Mumford, Pipier |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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