Population Of English Language Learners Research Articles

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Instructional Practices Regarding English Language Learners

This mixed-methods study was used to examine the impact of teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and instructional practices when teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). Quantitative and qualitative data were sequentially collected, concurrently analyzed, and triangulated. A sample of 126 experienced K-12 educators from the northeastern US completed (a) a demographic survey, (b) a teachers’ self-efficacy survey, and (c) a classroom strategy scale. A stepwise multilinear regression procedure determined that teachers’ use of academic performance feedback, efficacy beliefs in student engagement, and employment of both student-directed and direct instructional practices predicted teachers’ self-perceptions about being able to adapt instruction for their ELL population. Qualitative data were obtained from 10 participants who self-rated as having high self-efficacy and classroom strategy use. Themes included foundational requirements, school leadership, specific instructional strategies, and knowing how to apply these strategies with ELLs. The triangulated results revealed that when school leaders provide professional learning opportunities that support a truly inclusive curriculum and collaborative time in which to plan with colleagues, there is a positive impact on teachers’ self-efficacy to instruct ELLs.

Instructional Strategies for Improving English Language Learners Reading Comprehension: A Systematic Review

English language learners make up the largest portion of English speakers all over the world. Moreover, the population of English language learners is growing fast these days. Therefore, teachers need to learn more effective teaching strategies to handle this rapid change. When studying English, reading comprehension has always been one of the most important skills that students should acquire. This review is a systematic review divided into two parts. The first part focuses on two of What Works Clearinghouses reviews; valuable reading comprehension instruction strategies were sifted out. The second part of the review selects four strategies published recently from 2019-2021. These strategies were chosen to support reading comprehension instruction by improving students vocabulary inference ability, knowledge connection ability, content prediction ability, and motivation.

Representation of Students with Special Educational Needs in Language Testing Research

The presence of students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) and Special Education Students (SES) in mainstream settings is growing. However, representation of these populations within language testing research remains unknown. This is important because language testing scores are increasingly used to evaluate student learning, teacher quality, and school quality. This meta-synthesis examined the representation of these two exceptional populations within the mainstream language testing literature published in two language testing journals. This meta-synthesis utilized inductive analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings indicated highly skewed representations of ELL and SES within the research corpus of the reviewed journals. Further analysis of participant demographics, research settings, test formats and test modalities are reported and discussed. Results highlight critical needs for the fields of exceptional education regarding the language testing of ELL and SES populations. The paper closes with suggestions regarding such needed research.

Supporting Literacy of English Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms

English language learners (ELLs) may not yet be proficient enough to participate in a mainstream classroom in the U.S. schools, and they often feel anxious, frustrated, and embarrassed. Identifying best instructional practices to foster literacy learning of ELLs has been an urgent priority in research given the fact that the ELLs population continues to increase. Teachers in the U.S classrooms need to be equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to meet the needs of these students. In this paper, current understanding of teaching literacy to ELLs in elementary classroom is presented, which revolve around discussion of oral language, complex text, and teacher engagement which is both culturally and linguistically relevant.

Creating School Scientific Communities Among Urban Refugee ELL Populations

Studies on English language learners (ELLs) and school science have been conducted from a range of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives, the findings of which have indicated growth in science achievement among ELLs when exposed to science inquiry. Yet studies are still needed to address the needs of specific groups within this large, and growing population. Children who are underserved in schools offering limited ELL support continue to be marginalized, and the gap for their future professional and higher education opportunities continues to grow when compared to their majority peers. Teachers often lack the experience, knowledge, and institutional support needed to address the complex educational needs of ELLs. The goal of this study was to examine aspects of multimodal science inquiry teaching strategies using technology with a specific group of students learning English as a new language. This paper describes a qualitative, autoethnographic, case study with three students from the Karen and Karenni cultures, coming to the United States from three different refugee camps in Thailand. Multiple data sources were collected throughout an year-long study, including videos of lessons, recorded focus groups, student artifacts, researcher field notes and reflections, and interviews with the classroom teachers. We coded data as emerging themes iteratively using HyperResearch qualitative research software. The study demonstrated how refugees ELL students developed their discourse skills and classroom engagements through the yearlong intervention designed to build trust between teacher and students by sharing responsibility for practice and learning, to involve inquiry-based science activities, and to value students’ communities and culture. The study was founded on the premise that students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds can participate effectively in scientific inquiry.

Adopting Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners in Elementary Classrooms

In an Eastern U.S. school district, little is understood about how elementary general education teachers apply instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom and which strategies they perceive support academic achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary general education teachers’ reported application of ELL instructional strategies and their perceptions of how those strategies support ELL academic achievement. The study’s conceptual framework consisted of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which infers that learning is a social process guided by interactions with one’s environment, people, and culture. Also framing this study was Krashan’s second language acquisition theory (Long, 1983), which infers that language is attained though one’s strong desire to interact with the world around them. Two research questions were used to investigate the reported ELL instructional strategies used by teachers and how teachers perceive those strategies support ELLs’ achievement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 elementary general education teachers. Volunteers were recruited from schools having ELL populations of 30% or more. Interview data were analyzed by using open and a priori codes and thematic analysis. The findings indicated that participants used familiar instructional strategies and consistently applied them for the whole class. Additionally, participants perceived ELLs’ academic confidence and connecting concepts with their primary language as important to academic achievement. This study contributes to positive social change through a deeper understanding of the ELL instructional strategies that may benefit elementary teachers and stakeholders.

Exploring the Use of Learner-Centered Instruction with English Language Learners in Social Studies Classrooms

Despite English Language Learner (ELL) supplemental instruction on Saturdays and evenings and professional development for teachers, learner-centered instructional strategies in social studies are currently ineffective in meeting the learning needs of the ELL population in an urban school in the northeastern United States. The instructional approaches being used to deliver curriculum have a marginal effect on learning for ELL students, and the local school board supports the importance of exploring this problem. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore the learner-centered instructional practices used at the study site and how teachers are using Weimer’s framework to engage ELLs in social studies. Guided by Weimer’s learner-centered instruction theory, the research questions focused on exploring how teachers use Weimer’s learner-centered instructional strategies and how teachers plan their instruction for ELLs and social studies using Weimer’s framework. As a case study, this qualitative research involved gathering data during 1 academic year through observations and interviews of 10 teacher participants. Research data collected through observations and interviews were coded into an Excel document to assign and filter codes. A 3-day professional development opportunity and monthly follow-up sessions were the results of the analysis of data collected from interviews and classroom observations of 10 ELL social studies teachers in Grades 9-12. The results of this study may lead to positive social change if social studies teachers modify their learner-centered instructional approaches to increase students’ motivation and satisfaction in learning.

English Language Learner Instruction in Middle School Mainstream Classrooms

In a southeastern state, Grade 7 and 8 middle school general education teachers were not implementing cultural and individual instructional strategies consistently to support the academic achievement of the growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs). The purpose and key research questions of this qualitative study were designed to (a) identify what cultural relevant instructional strategies Grades 7 and 8 middle school general education teachers implement, (b) identify what individual relevant instructional strategies, and (c) understand what perceptions teachers have regarding strategies to facilitate consistent implementation of cultural and individual instruction to support ELLs. The nine participants were middle school (i.e., Grade 7 and 8) general education teachers from a school district in a southeastern state. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews and the themes included teachers’ beliefs in their abilities to provide consistent instruction to support ELLs, use of varied individual instructional strategies to support ELLs, use of varied cultural instructional strategies to support the needs of ELLs, and their want of preparation and relevant professional development to instruct ELLs. The findings have implications for positive social change, including identifying areas where professional development and focused instruction on the cultural and individual needs of ELLs increase teachers’ knowledge, skills, consistency, and perceived ability to support ELLs in the local school district.

Supporting newly arrived Latinx students in upper elementary mathematics through one‐way dual‐language approaches

This article discusses findings of a study conducted in an urban Title 1 elementary school in the United States. The study examined mathematics quarterly test data from Hispanic newcomer English language learners (ELLs) enrolled in Grades 4 and 5 at the same school, some of whom received mathematics instruction almost entirely in Spanish (treatment group) and some in English (comparison group). The treatment group (n = 15) and the comparison group (n = 48) were not randomly selected. A selection criterion was used instead. As predicted, and consistent with research on language transfer theories (Cummins, 1981), empirical data revealed that Hispanic ELLs receiving mathematics instruction in Spanish exhibited higher gains (7%) when compared to those receiving that instruction in English (<3%). As the ELL population continues to grow (Chishti & Hipsman, 2016), these findings may offer an alternative to those interested in closing academic opportunity/achievement gaps.

English

With the steady increase in the English Language Learner (ELL) population in the U.S., this case study was aimed at capturing elementary teachers’ perceptions of how well their teacher preparation program was prepared to teach ELLs. This work utilized the case study design, and included five North American elementary teachers as the subjects of the research who were teaching ELLs in a small Christian Academy located in southern Haiti. All of the teachers were fluent in English, and two of the teachers from Canada were also fluent in French. All of the elementary students spoke Creole. The instruments in the case study included a questionnaire, two interviews, and classroom observations of teaching. The data was coded and triangulated. The results of this study supported existing research, and specifically included a desire for explicit coursework on how to teach reading to ELLs within their teacher preparation program, as well as increased time instructing ELL students in high ELL population schools that utilized inclusive instruction during their student teaching placements. Required second language coursework was also recommended, as the teachers believed it would have enhanced their understanding of the complexity of language acquisition and develop empathy for ELL students.   Key words: Teacher education, English Language Learners, teacher perceptions.

Identification of Hispanic English Language Learners in Special Education

Overrepresentation of English language learners (ELLs) in special education is a current problem. Urban school professionals indicated that inappropriate placement is linked to a multiplicity of factors. Scarce data exist regarding the relationship between school professional efficacy beliefs, the availability of bilingual programs and personnel for ELLs, and successful academic outcomes. School employees are still confused about the proper placement of English language learners (ELLs). What is enough time to acquire a second language and learn with success? Without other substantial program choices, children are referred to special education. Furthermore, many students in need of special education may be overlooked and remain in ESL programs for their entire school career. The aim of this study was to identify the role staff member’s efficacy plays in the proper determination of an ELL with a language difference or disability. Child study team (CST) members (n=14) working with a large Hispanic ELL population participated in semistructured interviews to determine the role their efficacy beliefs exert during assessment of linguistically diverse students. Overwhelmingly, staff members noted that they did not feel competent when making decisions regarding ELLs. Therefore, staff members placed the children into special education each time. The practice implications come from the prominent themes that include significant in-district professional development on second language acquisition, facilitation of second language through use of first language through bilingual staff, and committed bilingual programs to meet ELL needs. Additionally, universities must provide coursework that furthers second language acquisition theories and strategies for all teacher candidate programs.

Problem-Solving Among English Language Learners: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

New mathematics standards ask teachers to strengthen mathematics instruction while still building upon communication skills. In today's classroom, this is complicated by the growing number of English language learners (ELLs) across the country who because they are still learning English struggle with the language of mathematics. Researchers who have addressed the question of problem-solving among ELLs have explored schema-based instruction or the use of math journals. Of these two approaches, a discussion of the ELL population is not included in research on math journals and problem solving. Within the research on schema-based instruction, research limit their findings to ELLs with math difficulties (MD). This study addresses the gap in the research on problem-solving among ELLs. A writing structure referred to as Source, Path, Goal (SPG) was used as a linguistic scaffold and type of schema-based instruction. Instruction was set in an elementary ELL classroom. Each group received a different level of scaffolded instruction: 1) instruction only treatment group, 2) instruction plus practice treatment group. Three non-parametric sign tests were conducted (one for each group) to compare pre- and post-test results and indicated strong support for the use of scaffolding plus practice. An analysis of the students’ written explanations of how they solved their math problems only indicated an increase in problem-solving skills for instruction only treatment group, but both treatment groups increased in the depth of their mathematical thinking. Implications for practice and future research are shared.

Effect of Transnational Standards on U.S. Teacher Education

The Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning (CREDE, 2014) specify five transnational universals of teaching that are especially effective for the rapidly growing population of English language learners in North America. CLASSIC is an evidence-based, CREDE-aligned model of teacher education for classroom educators of English language learners. CLASSIC has utilized with more than 10,000 teachers in 100 school districts, located in eight states, in collaboration with eight different universities. This study examined the impact of the transnational standards of CLASSIC curricula on teachers

Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre as an Approach to Literacy and Content Area Instruction for English Language Learners

This mixed-methods study investigated elementary teachers’ perceptions of curriculum-based readers theatre (CBRT) as a relevant approach for teaching English language learners (ELLs). I collected quantitative survey data from teachers who worked at the school with the largest population of ELLs in a large Florida school district. The survey investigated teachers’ ability to identify English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) instructional strategies embedded within the approach after professional development and classroom implementation. I collected qualitative data in the form of discussion board transcripts and interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis led to similar conclusions and revealed that CBRT incorporates various ESOL instructional strategies that are recognized as effective for teaching ELLs. I offer implications and suggestions for future research on the instruction of ELLs and the benefits of CBRT and other similar approaches that make connections among literacy, content area methods, and ESOL instructional strategies.

Developments In Stem Educators’ Preparedness For English Language Learners In The United States

In the United States, the population of students classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) in K-12 education has increased in recent decades. As a result, teachers outside of specialized linguistic courses have needed to adapt their instruction to better meet the needs of these students. This exploratory study investigates potential indicators of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers’ preparedness to work with ELLs, in comparison with the rates of ELLs in STEM courses.
 
 Data for this study were obtained from the national restricted-access datasets of the 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 School and Staffing Survey (SASS) Teacher Questionnaire (TQ). STEM teachers’ participation in ELL-focused professional development activities, credentialing related to ELLs, and ELL populations in STEM teachers’ courses were analyzed to quantify changes in these measures over time and among the STEM disciplines. Regional analysis of STEM teacher populations and ELL populations in STEM classes was also conducted to examine how these factors differed across the United States.
 
 Analyses of these data indicated increases in the percentage of STEM teachers who have ELLs in their service loads and in the average number of ELLs in teacher service loads; these trends were present in all U.S. regions and in all STEM disciplines. However, the total number of STEM teachers who participated in ELL-focused professional development activities increased only slightly over the four-year span. To effectively teach the growing ELL student population, STEM teachers must develop the skills and approaches necessary to educate and engage these students.

Using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) 7 Nonverbal Battery to Identify the Gifted/Talented: An Investigation of Demographic Effects and Norming Plans

The nonverbal battery of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is one of the two most common nonverbal measures used in gifted identification, yet the relationships between demographic variables and CogAT7 performance has not yet been fully examined. Additionally, the effect of using the CogAT7 nonverbal battery on the identification of diverse demographic groups based on various norming, cutoff, and modifier plans has only just begun to be explored. In this study, we analyzed the CogAT7 nonverbal battery scores of kindergartners from a very large urban school district with a high minority, low socioeconomic status, and high English language learner population to determine the relationships between demographic variables and CogAT performance. The results suggest relationships between CogAT scores and multiple demographic variables, similar to other nonverbal instruments. We also examined the effects of various norming practices, including school-level and group-specific norming, on identification using the CogAT7 nonverbal battery.

A Multi-Modal Intervention for English Language Learners: Preliminary Results

Abstract Finding culturally responsive practices that are engaging for students is even more important with the ever-increasing population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. The challenges of a language barrier can contribute to low achievement and high dropout rates. This 16-week study examined the effects of authoring and sharing dual-language identity texts on the narrative skills of 3 Spanish-speaking ELLs who were in the third grade. Specifically, we examined discourse length and lexical diversity. In this culturally responsive intervention, students authored and read dual-language identity texts. Language samples were elicited in the form of story generations prompted by randomly selected photographs. Results of the study indicate that 2 of the 3 participants made notable gains in vocabulary and narrative skill performance. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords: dual language, culturally responsive intervention, narrative skills, book sharing, story grammar ********** One of the most pressing issues in education today is how to address the academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). The population of ELLs has increased dramatically in classrooms across the United States. Nearly one in five children come from a home where English is not the native language and more than one in four children are Hispanic where Spanish is the primary language spoken (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). The challenges of a language barrier make it difficult for ELLs to compete with their English-proficient peers resulting in low academic achievement and high dropout rates (Hernandez, 2011; McCardle, Meie-McCarthy, Cutting, Leos, & D'Emilio, 2005). Vocabulary knowledge and narrative skills have been found to be precursors to achieving literacy for children who are learning two languages (August & Shanahan, 2006). Narrative skills and extended monologues are a type of academic language proficiency that children are expected to comprehend and produce during school activities (Ortiz, 1997; Westby, 1992). These skills have also been identified as areas that are problematic for ELLs (Castro, Paez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011). Compared with their typically developing peers, children with language and literacy difficulties are more likely to produce narratives that include less information (shorter discourse length) and contain less grammatical complexity (shorter utterances), lexical diversity (fewer different words), cohesive adequacy, and organizational coherence (Gutierrez-Clellen, 1995; Hayward, Gillam, & Lien, 2007; Paul & Smith, 1993). Difficulties in these areas can lead to an adverse effect on academic progress (Boudreau & Hedberg, 1999). Researchers have found that narrative skills are a predictor of progress in language development (Cleave, Girolametto, Chen, & Johnson, 2010) and a predictor of later reading outcomes (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001; Gutierrez-Clellen, 2002). Furthermore, the lexical diversity of children's narrative discourse has been found to be one of the most informative predictors of oral language skill (Fergadiotis, Wright, & Capilouto, 2011). It is important that quality classroom instruction include opportunities for ELLs to strengthen second language skills by providing strong connections with their native language and culture. Culturally Responswe Practices That Support Natwe Language Educators who implement culturally responsive instruction create opportunities for children to practice new skills, engage in meaningful experiences, and understand new concepts. Instruction that allows ELLs to draw upon their culture and their first language reinforces a sense of belonging and a desire to participate in classroom activities (Cummins 2001, 2004; Reyes & Azuar, 2008; Taylor, Bernhard, Garg, & Cummins, 2008). It also helps students develop their identities and make sense of their world (Cummins, 2001, 2004; Gonzalez et al. …

Prereferral Process with Latino English Language Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities: Perceptions of English-as-a-Second-Language Teachers

This study explored perceptions of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers on the prereferral process for Latino English language learners (ELLs). Using Colaizzi’s (1978) phenomenological approach, qualitative data were collected through interviews with four ESL teachers. Analyses of the data indicated that the ESL teachers used research-based interventions and progress-monitoring in the prereferral process with Latino ELLs. Data analysis also indicated negative participant perceptions of parental and school-level influence on the identification process. Key concerns about the identification of Latino ELLs with specific learning disabilities (SLD) are presented, raising questions about current practices in school districts with small ELL populations.

Scaling Up Success for English Language Learners in Charter Schools: Exploring the Role of Charter School Authorizers

The population of English language learners (ELLs) and the number of charter school students have both increased rapidly over the past two decades, but no existing research has examined the role that charter school authorizers play to ensure that ELLs have equitable access to charter schools and that those schools implement research-based programs for ELLs. To fill this gap, our exploratory qualitative study employed a multiple-case case study approach to examine how 10 diverse authorizers considered ELLs in their authorizing practices. Guided by Honig’s (2006) three Ps framework (people, places, and practices), we examined how authorizing practices were shaped by external factors, the agency of the actors within the authorizing office, and by the local context in which the authorizer was situated. Overall we found that ELL-related authorizing practices varied widely across the sample, as some authorizers integrated ELLs into their practices, while others paid little explicit attention to ELLs. In terms of place, contextual factors at the state, district, and authorizer levels contributed to the variation. Within the people component of the framework, the commitment of authorizing staff members to improve access and quality for ELLs in charter schools was an important factor, as was the authorizer’s access to ELL-related expertise. We conclude by outlining implications for research, practice, and policy.

Action Research on the Impact of Student Grouping

There exists a lack of relevant literature by which educators can determine how they might effectively group beginning-level English Language Learners (ELLs) toward the end of language acquisition and social inclusion. Because of this gap in literature, educators often struggle in determining best practices in a multilingual classroom. This author has undertaken a study of unconventional ways to group ELLs in a mainstream classroom for maximum inclusion and language acquisition. In the study context, a rural public K12 district with a comparatively low ELL population, established practice had been to pull ELLs out of English-only group classrooms in homogeneous home language groupings according to grade level. Due to low numbers of students classified as ELLs, groupings were small and rarely differentiated by literacy level. The author began the study by interviewing study students, families and affected teachers to determine actual and perceived effectiveness of the pull-out model for language acquisition and academic achievement as measured by local and state literacy assessments. After a review of interview data and commonalities in responses, this author undertook various grouping methods from individualized to small similar-language groupings to literacy-level groupings inclusive of native English-speaking peers. Student engagement and response to instruction was monitored for grouping-dependent changes. The study has found that inclusion of native-speaking peers with similar literacy levels or social factors had a positive impact on ELL engagement and achievement, particularly in communicative competence. Additional research on the effects of student grouping on language acquisition and social inclusion has the potential to benefit student experience and elevate ELL academic achievement levels.