Implications for Research and Practice: Case Study Findings on Technology and English Learners

• In Event: What Districts and Teachers Say About Educational Technology Use With English Learners: National Study Findings

Abstract

Objectives. The paper presents district and teacher case study findings from a national study on the use of educational technology in instructing EL students. The discussion highlights key case study findings, identifying gaps and posing questions on implications for priorities in research and practice.
Perspectives. Building on the survey data, the case studies provided more in-depth, qualitative data on how districts and schools use DLRs for instructing EL students. The findings from the six case studies provide illustrative vignettes and practitioner comments; while a presentation of the case studies will provide the session participants with details on how the particular set of districts responded, the findings are not nationally representative, and should not be generalized.
Methods and data sources. Study staff conducted case studies in six purposive sampled school districts. Case studies included interviews with district and school staff, DLR demonstrations, and classroom observations. Key district personnel, including the director of curriculum and instruction, the director of EL services and the director of technology participated in interviews. At each school, the principal, instructional or technology coaches and EL services coordinators (where those positions existed), and three to five teachers of EL students, including both mainstream teachers of ELs and EL specialists, participated in interviews.
Case Study Results.
• When deciding on DLRs to use, administrators were more likely to agree to a DLR purchase when a number of teachers were already using the DLR, when teachers thought that the DLR was effective in improving students’ learning outcomes, and/or when teachers reported that the DLR was successful in engaging students. School-level case study respondents stated that DLRS should be easy to use for the students and teachers, and they especially valued DLRs that were able to keep students engaged while using the program.
• Teachers noted that they obtained some DLRs through means other than the district, including submitting proposals for funding to other sources, making low-cost purchases on their own, and obtaining free DLRs.
• Some mainstream teachers explained they often used general education DLRs for ELs so as not to single out EL students by using a different DLR for them. These teachers also believed that the general education DLRs had features that were sufficient to meet the needs of the EL students, such as visual and auditory support components.
• Teachers in two districts stated that EL students sometimes worked on a DLR while English-proficient students worked on another activity.
• Some teachers of EL students described professional development as focused on specific features or functions of DLRs rather than on how to incorporate DLRs into their instruction. Some case study teachers noted that guidance from technology leaders also provided useful information on how to incorporate DLR into instruction.
Significance. The study offers the first national data on use of DLRs in instructing ELs in grades K-12, and these case studies provide a detailed view of how some districts make their decisions regarding the use of DLRs for the ELs.

Authors

• Philip J. Vahey, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• Kaily Yee, SRI International