Teachers' Experiences With English Learner and Immigrant-Origin Children in Pandemic-Era Schooling: A Comparative Case Study

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Twelve
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Experiences Teaching Language and Literacy (Table 2)

Abstract

This longitudinal study investigated educators’ experiences with English learner (EL) and immigrant-origin children during and following pandemic-related distance learning. Using comparative case-study design with qualitative methods, we explored three Midwestern districts in small-town, suburban, and urban contexts spanning birth through eighth grade. Using interview and documentation data, this two-phase study gleaned perspectives on teaching EL/immigrant-origin children during distance learning and the return to classroom learning. Findings indicated that distance learning involved teachers appropriating district mandates and online learning platforms to provide responsive and holistic supports. The return to classroom learning required continued maneuvering amid novel challenges and mandates for masking, distancing, and grouping. Implications center on learning from these experiences to change schools rather than continue with the status quo.

Authors

• Amy J. Heineke, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Vera, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Joseph Elliott, Elmhurst University
  Presenting Author

• Wenjin Guo, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology
  Presenting Author

• Anna Press, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author