Date of Award
7-13-2009
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Teaching & Learning
First Advisor
Shelby Barrentine
Abstract
The United States has experienced a large growth in the number of students who speak Teaching & Learning as a non-native language. The results of a 2004 survey on the topic of ELLs showed the number of ELLs had almost doubled to 5,119,561 nationally in public schools. North Dakota has experienced surges in its ELL populations as well and struggles to meet their educational needs. What compounds the problem is the shortage of endorsed or certified ELL teachers and an almost complete lack of certified bilingual teachers available to meet the myriad of first languages spoken by ELLs in North Dakota who come from Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, Mexico, or who are Native American. The purpose of this qualitative study was to observe and describe the different methods and practices utilized by three monolingual Teaching & Learning language learner (ELL) elementary and middle school teachers in three small schools in North Dakota. The data collection methods used in this study are sustained observation and interviewing. Five themes emerged from the data. These themes include: (1) Successful ELL teachers use ELL teaching practices; (2) Successful ELL teachers adapt their teaching materials to make them comprehensible for their students; (3) ELL teachers have a commitment and take an advocacy stance for their students that extends beyond normal teaching practice; (4) ELL teachers have a heightened awareness of time limitation for their ELL students and (5) ELL teachers perceive a lack of collaboration between ELL and classroom teachers.Recommendations from this study include mandating ELL professional educational classes for all teachers that would include learning to adapt curriculum and studying collaborative practices between ELL and classroom teachers; having principals and ELL staff collaborate to provide professional development for school staff in which they teach and learn about ELL students, their unique academic and social needs; and finally, calling for more research on school climate and roles school leaders need to play to prevent marginalization of ELL students and teachers.
Recommended Citation
Aus, Joan Oigawa, "Teaching Practices And Challenges: A Description Of Monolingual Teaching & Learning Language Learners Teachers' Instructional Practices In Grades One Through Six" (2009). Theses and Dissertations. 8038.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8038