Abstract
This study examined psychological constructs of acculturation, ethnic identity, and teaching efficacy among 89 Latino in-service teachers serving minority students. Results showed significant differences in these constructs in relation to certification, program taught, and years of teaching. First, bilingual teachers were less likely to be assimilated to White-American culture compared to traditionally/alternatively prepared ESL teachers. Second, traditionally certified ESL teachers were more efficacious in controlling disruptive behavior than alternatively prepared ESL teachers. Finally, higher acculturated teachers were associated with university route and ESL program while low acculturation individuals were more likely to hold alternative certification and teach in bilingual program. Educational implications were discussed.
Highlights
The dramatic increase of English language learners (ELLs, or used interchangeably with the term of language minority students) in the U.S public schools presents a challenge to prepare an effective and competent teacher force to accommodate the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of these students (August & Shanahan, 2006)
An examination of the results found that ESL teachers obtained a higher estimated marginal mean (M = .501) than did the bilingual teachers (M = -.227)
Results indicated that the acculturation level was “strongly Anglo oriented” for alternatively-certified ESL teachers, “slightly Anglo oriented bicultural” for traditionally-certified ESL teachers, and “Mexican oriented to approximately balanced bicultural” for bilingual teachers
Summary
The dramatic increase of English language learners (ELLs, or used interchangeably with the term of language minority students) in the U.S public schools presents a challenge to prepare an effective and competent teacher force to accommodate the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of these students (August & Shanahan, 2006). This challenge becomes even more pressing with the push for educational reform, as reflected in No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) mandating that each bilingual or English-as-Second-Language (ESL) classroom serving ELLs must be equipped with a highly qualified teacher, who is credentialed and holds a degree or significant expertise in the area s/he teaches. A growing bilingual/English-as-second-language (ESL) staff vacancy underscores the importance of training veteran teachers to work effectively with new populations of www.ccsenet.org/ies
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