Abstract

Changing patterns of immigration have caused schools in the U.S., which previously encountered few to no English Language Learners (ELLs), to see classrooms filled with many ELLs (Massey & Capoferro, 2008; Walker et al., 2004). Existing research on teaching ELLs focused heavily on the work of pre-service or early years educators’ teaching in secondary or post-secondary settings (de Courcy, 2011; Flynt, 2018; Rahman et al., 2018). This study uncovered the teacher lore of four veteran teachers of ELLs employed at a Title I, urban elementary school in the Rocky Mountain region. Data collection and analysis utilized techniques of narrative research, with a priori coding based in Bandura’s (1989) theory of reciprocal determinism (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Kim, 2016). The stories shared by these experienced educators revealed nine categories of teacher lore about the reality of teaching ELLs. Based on the lore revealed, this study concludes that 1) teachers need the freedom to exercise their professional judgment when teaching ELLs, and 2) the amount of resources available directly influence what any teacher can accomplish. The findings of this study apply to other teachers of ELLs, professionals interested in designing teacher-led, context based professional development, and policy makers interested in improving academic outcomes for ELLs (Marlowe, 2006).

Degree

MA

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Teacher Education

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2020-06-12

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd11237

Keywords

English Language Learners, teacher lore, high poverty schools, experienced teachers, Bandura

Language

english

Download

Share

COinS