Case Studies of Expectation Climate at Two Bilingual Education Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this inquiry was to examine expectation climate at two schools where bilingual education was an approach to educating language minority students. Using purposive sampling based on criteria of similar student demographics but with contrasting settings, two schools were selected for the inquiry. Case studies were prepared of each school based on qualitative data collected, such as interviews, videotapes of instruction, and teacher responses from a self-report instrument. Comparing and contrasting the data from the two schools revealed that: (a) different standards (enrichment versus basic education) affected the type of expectations each group of teachers had for their students; (b) beliefs about the value of student native language influenced the type of expectations held for students (a higher valorization for Spanish reduced the perception that student acquisition of English was problematical); (c) the values and beliefs regarding curriculum as well as district and state expectations impacted the respective climates of the two schools differently; and (d) the use of the accelerated school model appeared to influence the kind of expectations one school faculty held for students. The data inferred the importance of viewing expectations as two-dimensional: standards and belief in student capability. A model of the socio-political dynamics of the expectation climate observed at the two schools is provided.