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Hearing the voices of alternatively certified teachers in Texas: Narratives of teaching English language learners in urban secondary mainstream classroomsHearing the voices of alternatively certified teachers in Texas: Narratives of teaching English language learners in urban secondary mainstream classrooms
HEARING THE VOICES OF ALTERNATIVELY CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN TEXAS: NARRATIVES OF TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN URBAN SECONDARY MAINSTREAM CLASSROOMS A Dissertation by YETUNDE MOBOLA ZANNOU Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Committee Members, Head of Department, Norvella Carter M Carolyn Clark Zohreh Eslami Gwendolyn Webb-Hasan Yeping Li December 2012 Major Subject: Curriculum and Instruction Copyright 2012 Yetunde Zannou UMI Number: 3537064 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion UMI 3537064 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013) Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC All rights reserved This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 ABSTRACT In Texas, nearly half of all new teachers are alternatively certified (AC) whilst English language learners (ELL) are over one-third of the public school population in some districts As this trend continues, the likelihood that AC teachers will teach ELLs increases and alters what Texas teachers must know upon entering the classroom This research explores teacher knowledge and beliefs about teaching ELLs through constructivist and narrative lenses Four AC science teachers in two diverse school districts participated in in-depth interviews and reflective interviews following classroom observations to answer the research questions: (1) how AC teachers describe and interpret their acts of teaching ELLs in mainstream classrooms; and (2) how AC teachers describe and interpret their learning to teach ELLs in mainstream classrooms Data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic narrative methods This study found that participants saw ELL instruction as: (1) “just good teaching” strategies, (2) consisting primarily of cultural awareness and consideration for student comfort, and (3) less necessary in science where all students must learn the language The most experienced teacher was the only participant to reference specific linguistic knowledge in describing ELL instruction Many of the teachers described their work with ELL students as giving them an opportunity to improve their lives, which was consistent with their overall teaching philosophy and reason for entering the profession Participant narratives about learning to teach ELLs described personal experience and person-to-person discussions as primary resources of knowledge District support was generally described as unhelpful or incomplete Participants portrayed their AC ii program as helpful in preparing them to work with ELL students, but everyone desired more relevant information from the program and more grade-appropriate strategies from the district Participant narratives reveal AC teachers needed a pragmatic and less theoretical understanding of diversity during pre-service training Participant tendency to draw upon “common sense”, affective, and practical strategies in teaching ELL students in lieu of the state-mandated English language proficiency standards (ELPS) suggests AC programs should have teachers articulate and discuss their beliefs about ELL instruction in order to provide training targeted towards misconceptions about language development, particularly in science iii DEDICATION To the heroes of faith—past, present, and future iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible Matthew 19:26 For me, “this” is more than about finishing degree requirements; “this” is about becoming someone new through the process For that lasting difference and more to come I thank my God, my Heavenly Father, my Lord Without You, I would not be possible You are my provider and my resource This is the culmination of a journey, which I have had the honor to share with so many people I would like to thank my committee chair and advisor, Dr Norvella Carter, for seeing more in me than I sometimes knew was there I am proud to be your colleague To Dr Chance Lewis, you are such an encouragement, teaching more with your actions than could be spoken with words To Dr Carolyn Clark, thank you for making time for me and truly fostering my sense of scholarly competence To Dr Zohreh Eslami, thank you for your willingness to take a chance on me I always valued your honest feedback on my early ideas and know I am stronger as a result To Dr Webb-Hasan, thank you for all of your support throughout my doctoral program I can only recall taking one class with you but the memories of all you taught me about just being will remain with me forever Committee, thank you for the seeds you deposited in me during this process In time, they blossomed and saw me through to the completion of this project v I would like to thank the teachers who participated in this study Thank you for giving of your time and yourselves as an expression of your belief in this research I am forever grateful to you To my biggest cheerleader ever, my mom Kudi Smith! Words cannot express how much your love and support have meant to me throughout this 4-year journey I can honestly say I would not have been able to complete this without you, without the peace of mind sharing life with you has brought me I love you dearly mom Thank you To my brother Mide and my nieces Folasade and Adenike, thank you for your support and understanding why I sometimes couldn’t be with you though my heart longed to be I am so happy to celebrate this achievement with you To Genesis and my Congress-WBN family, what can I say? You have been my backbone, helping me to stand straight, not shrink back, and finish well I am so glad to be journeying with you all—for now and for always My tribe! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ii DEDICATION iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vii CHAPTER I II III INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Personal Story Making Meaning: A Constructivist Approach Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Significance of the Study Research Questions Definitions Organization of the Study 12 16 19 21 22 24 25 28 LITERATURE REVIEW 29 Alternatively Certified Teachers Mainstream Teachers of ELLs Just Good Teaching and ELL Instruction ELL Instructional Standards Summary 30 34 41 46 52 METHODOLOGY 54 Narrative Inquiry Research Context Purposeful Sample Instrumentation Data Collection Researcher’s Role Participants Data Analysis 54 57 61 64 65 69 72 73 vii CHAPTER IV V Page Trustworthiness and Credibility Summary 81 82 FINDINGS 84 Jane’s Story Maya’s Story Nina’s Story Naomi’s Story Summary 85 109 139 169 199 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 201 Discussion Conclusion Recommendations Implications for Future Research 201 208 209 211 REFERENCES 213 APPENDIX A 229 viii ... answer the research questions: (1) how AC teachers describe and interpret their acts of teaching ELLs in mainstream classrooms; and (2) how AC teachers describe and interpret their learning to... linguistic knowledge in describing ELL instruction Many of the teachers described their work with ELL students as giving them an opportunity to improve their lives, which was consistent with their... during pre-service training Participant tendency to draw upon “common sense”, affective, and practical strategies in teaching ELL students in lieu of the state-mandated English language proficiency