Professional Development Reflected in English Language Learner Classrooms

• In Event: Promoting Educator Agency: Navigating Restrictive Policy Environments Through Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners

Abstract

Objectives
In Arizona, teachers are working within the mandates of the law based on Proposition 203 that severely limits the amount of native language instruction that can be used in K-12 classrooms. Effective classroom practices are imperative to effectively educate ELLs within these mandates. Effective practices include incorporating academic language and providing opportunities for interaction among speakers of English within the daily classroom. In today’s classrooms, teachers must include ample opportunities for students who are learning English to practice using academic language in meaningful ways through means such as cooperative and collaborative learning and thematic instruction (Echevarría, Vogt, and Short, 2004). Our goal was to enhance the state mandated 4-hour model to provide effective classroom practices that optimizes ELLs’ learning both linguistically and academically as content material is addressed.

Theoretical Framework
Cultural-historical activity theory contends that all human development is founded upon social interaction in cultural practices that are mediated by the use of cultural artifacts, tools and signs (Cole, 1996; Engestrom, 1999; Vygotsky, 1978). Language is the preeminent mediating tool in learning and development (Gutiérrez et al., 1999; Ochs & Scheiffelin, 1984) and is the means by which individuals make meaning of material and artifacts in the social milieu (Ochs, 1992).

Consistent with the underlying theory is Rogoff’s notion of guided participation (1995). This construct is productive in looking at how teachers and students co-construct their involvement in cultural activities of the classroom and how this participation leads to language development and understanding of academic content.

Methods
This study sought to examine the classroom practices used by thirteen third grade English Language Development (ELD) teachers to provide opportunities for ELLs to interact within Arizona’s 4-hour model after intensive professional development and coaching. A total of 47 classroom observations were analyzed using Marshall and Rossman (1999) suggestions for organizing the data and identifying themes and categories within each section of the protocol. All data was triangulated using the classroom observation protocol, artifacts, and member-checking with participants. The participants in this study are elementary certified, Structured English Immersion (SEI) endorsed teachers and ELD coaches. Gathered and analyzed data included classrooms observations, relevant artifacts of the 4-hour model from each participating teacher, and member-checking with participants. All data were collected between spring 2010 and spring 2011. Data analysis revealed themes in the participants’ classroom practices and ELD coaches’ involvement at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of the partnership.

Results & Scholarly Significance
The data revealed an increased alignment between content and language objectives in addition to alignment among objectives, classroom activities, and student assessment. Findings also indicated that teachers became more aware through the ITELL professional development opportunities and coaching of how content and language objectives can be better aligned to students’ language proficiencies as well as how academic language can be more effectively modeled and elicited from students. Lastly, teachers moved from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered classroom.

Authors

• Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Arizona State University

• Tracy R. Nguyen, Arizona State University