Teachers perceptions of the english learner professional learnin

Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Teachers' Perceptions of the English Learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development Course Natasha Nichole Ridley Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Education Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral study by Natasha N.

Ridley has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. JoeAnn Hinrichs, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. David Weintraub, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr.

Timothy Lafferty, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph. Walden University 2019 Abstract Teachers’ Perceptions of the English Learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development Course by Natasha N. Ridley MA, Adelphi University, 2003 BS, Empire State University, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2019 Abstract For 4 years, a northern local district in Virginia conducted an intensive staff training on English language learner (ELL) instruction to settle a United States Department of Justice complaint. The local problem was that ongoing professional development to build teachers’ instructional skills has not significantly resulted in ELL students’ academic improvement.

The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate teachers’ perceptions of the mandated English learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development to help address the instructional needs of ELLs. Guskey’s characteristics of effective professional development and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory provide the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions were designed to examine teachers’ perceptions of the needs and influence of professional development for teachers of ELLs. A case study design was used to capture the insights of 5 elementary school teachers through semistructured interviews; a purposeful sampling process was used to select the participants.

Emergent themes were identified through open coding, and the findings were developed and checked for trustworthiness through member checking, rich descriptions, and researcher reflexivity. The findings revealed that teachers recognize the need for increased preparedness, instruction informed by colleagues and team support, and on-going professional development. A professional development project was created to provide coteaching and co-planning instructional strategies for teachers to increase their knowledge and skills to instruct ELLs. This study has implications for positive social change by offering strategies and approaches for improving ELL classroom instructional practices.

Teachers’ Perceptions of the English Learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development Course by Natasha N. Ridley MA, Adelphi University, 2003 BS, Empire State University, 2001 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2019 Dedication This doctoral study is dedicated to my late mother, Yvonne, who instilled in me the heritage of faith in Jesus Christ. She always believed in me and taught me the values of education, hard work, and perseverance. In the words of God to Joshua (1:9), “Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” so he also speaks to me. A wish of my mom was for me to finish my Doctor in education and she looked forward to that day when she would behold my doctoral hooding ceremony. Sadly, mom is not here to witness this priceless moment. She would have been proud of me.

I also dedicate this doctoral study degree to my husband and daughter, the best cheerleading squad. My husband, who vowed support and patience for a long time, remained consistent as I completed each critical stage of my degree. My daughter was my inspiration in finishing this doctoral degree. I hope eternally to inspire her to be a risk-taker and believe that she can achieve anything in life that she sets her mind to do.

Acknowledgments I want to thank all of the participants for taking the time to partake in my research study and I want to thank the school principals and district for allowing me to conduct this research. Without their input, I could not have developed this project that increases teachers’ knowledge and skill practice in instructing English language learners and in honing their profession. I give a heartfelt thank you all of the members of my committee both past and present for their unwavering support and wealth of knowledge and experience through the doctoral study stages. Dressler, my first committee chair, and Dr.

Weintraub, my committee member for getting me through the prospectus. My deepest gratitude goes especially to Dr. Weintraub, and Dr. Lafferty for getting me through the final study stage to publish my doctoral study and to graduate.

Hinrichs, for stepping in and taking the lead as my committee chair and for her valuable, timely feedback and encouragement throughout this scholarly journey that has allowed me to complete this research study. Weintraub, my committee member, for his invaluable keen reviews and growth-producing feedback. His ongoing support and motivation from the beginning of my doctoral journey to the end has been consistent and rewarding. Lafferty, the university research reviewer, for his constructive feedback and comments that have fundamentally molded my scholarly work and have guided me to conduct such a relevant study.

Table of Contents List of Tables. iv Section 1: The Problem. 1 The Local Problem. 3 Evidence of the Problem at the Local Level.

3 Background of the Problem. 4 Evidence of the Problem From the Professional Literature. 6 Definition of Terms. 8 Significance of the Study.

11 Review of the Literature. 13 Historical Overview of the Problem. 13 Growing Noncompliance Issues in Schools. 14 Growing ELL Populations.

16 Need to Prepare and Train Teachers Who Instruct ELLs. 17 Need for Effective ELL Professional Development. 18 Efficacy-Inducing Approaches in Professional Development. 22 i Section 2: The Methodology.

24 Research Design and Approach. 25 Population and Sampling Procedures. 25 Access to Participants. 27 Researcher-Participant Relationship.

28 Data Collection Methods. 29 Local District Data. 31 Role of the Researcher. 33 Step 1: Organize and Prepare the Data for Analysis.

33 Step 2: Read Transcripts and Identify Themes. 34 Step 3: Begin a Detailed Analysis With a Coding Process. 34 Step 4: Use the Coding Process to Generate a Description of the Setting or People as Well as Categories or Themes for Analysis. 36 Step 5: How the Description and Themes Will Be Represented in the Qualitative Narrative.

36 Step 6: Make an Interpretation or Meaning of the Data. 37 Evidence of Trustworthiness. 39 Data Analysis Results. 39 ii Participant Demographic and Academic Success of ELLs Instructed.

56 Theme 3: Professional Development and Training. 61 Section 3: Professional Development Workshop Project. 64 Review of the Literature. 68 Coteaching and Co-planning Initiative to Support Teachers of ELLs.

86 Potential Resources and Existing Supports. 89 Roles and Responsibilities. 89 Project Evaluation Plan. 91 iii Goal-Based Evaluation.

93 Section 4: Reflections and Conclusions. 95 Project Strengths and Limitations. 95 Recommendations for Alternative Approaches. 97 Alternative Approaches to the Project.

97 Alternative Definitions of the Problem. 98 Alternative Solutions to the Local Problem. 99 Scholarship, Project Development and Evaluation, and Leadership and Change. 100 Project Development and Evaluation.

101 Leadership and Change. 102 Self as a Scholar. 103 Self as a Project Developer. 105 Self as a Practitioner.

106 Reflection on Importance of the Work. 107 Implications, Applications, and Directions for Future Research. 112 iv Appendix A: Professional Development Project. 126 Appendix B: Interview Questions and Protocol.

144 v List of Tables Table 1. ELLs Overall Performance in Reading. ELLs Overall Performance in Writing. 31 vi 1 Section 1: The Problem English Language Learners (ELLs) are a quickly developing population in American schools, with their numbers expanding in volumes (Hutchinson & Hadjioannou, 2017).

Close to 6 million ELLs are enlisted in state-funded schools. It is estimated that by 2025, ELLs will make up 25% of the population (Teachers of English to Speakers Other Languages International Association, 2013); therefore, the preparation, development, and support that teachers of ELLs gain will directly affect the achievement of America’s ELLs and the success of this particular population. It is essential to provide teachers who instruct ELL students with professional development opportunities that are relevant to them, for they spend most of their school day in content area classrooms (Smith, 2014). Therefore, teachers of ELLs have stipulated a need for professional development that would provide them with instructional skills and language theories to assure quality instructional practices that might improve their belief in teaching ELLs (Collins & Liang, 2014).

The Local Problem The local problem being studied was that ongoing professional development to build teachers’ instructional skills has not significantly resulted in ELL students’ academic improvement. In the United States, 9.3% of public-school learners throughout the 2013-2014 school year took part in programs for ELLs, and in the state of the local district, 7.5% partook of programs for ELLs (United States Department of Education [DOE], 2015b). It is important that schools develop reliable systems in which leaders and 2 educators who work with ELLs are knowledgeable and equipped with the best instructional practices. This local district was out of compliance with the USDOJ’s requirement in providing appropriate English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) services for ELLs, including qualified English as a second language (ESL) teachers, English language development (ELD) teachers, and sheltered content teachers (USDOJ, 2013, 2015).

Educators are not adequately prepared to work with ELLs, and they lack professional knowledge for teaching ELL students, considering the increasing federal government requirements that target teacher quality and student accountability (de Jong, Harper, & Coady, 2013). School district educators must comply with the laws of the USDOJ and Office for Civil Rights regarding the education of ELL students. ELLs are at a disadvantage in learning when teachers lack the knowledge and skills that ELLs need (Villegas, 2018). Teachers lack preparation for teaching ELLs, and this deficiency will have severe implications for academic outcomes and future life opportunities of ELLs.

Coady, Harper, and de Jong (2015) explored relationships between ELL-particular learning and abilities created in their readiness program and the instructional practices teachers use to advance ELLs learning, and revealed that teachers who were instructing ELLs rarely used appropriate instructional practices to help the English language development of ELLs. Instead, they used regular instructional strategies and on-the-run scaffolding techniques with ELLs (Coady et al. Many states are only in the beginning steps of creating procedures for methodically giving ELL-related in-service professional development for 3 working instructors (de Jong, 2014). The need for professional development and training geared at teachers who instruct ELLs is critical.

Rationale Evidence of the Problem at the Local Level For 4 years, the local district was mandated to do an intensive staff training to properly serve its ELL population. However, ELL students have not significantly improved academically. Ongoing professional development to build teachers instructional skills to help enhance student results remains a work in progress. According to an accountability report from the local district under study, overall ELL performance in reading has remained in the low to mid 60th percentile for 4 years (2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018) as compared to non-ELLs.

The percentile for ELLs in 2017 (62nd) showed little to no significant difference from their past scores in 2016 (65th), 2015 (61st), and 2014 (62nd).