(ESOL) Teacher Experiences with Newcomer Students at the Secondary Level: a Phenomenological Study
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ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) TEACHER EXPERIENCES WITH NEWCOMER STUDENTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY by Lindsey Marie Conrad Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University 2019 2 ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) TEACHER EXPERIENCES WITH NEWCOMER STUDENTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY by Lindsey Marie Conrad A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2019 APPROVED BY: Dr. Linda L. Holcombe, Ed. D., Committee Chair Dr. James A. Swezey, Ed. D., Committee Member 3 ABSTRACT The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and other staff members who work with newcomer English Language Learners (ELLs) at the secondary level in two Northern Virginia public school systems. Stephen Krashen’s (1982) theory of second language acquisition guided this study as it explains the ways in which students learn and acquire new language skills throughout their schooling and social experiences. The following central research question guided this study: What are the experiences of ESOL teachers and staff members who work with newcomer ELLs at the secondary level in Northern Virginia? Three sub-questions will support the central question: How do participants describe the learning environment? How do participants describe the process of second language acquisition for their students? How do participants describe the process of content area knowledge acquisition for their students? Participants were current newcomer ESOL teachers or other staff members (administrator, counselor, educational coach, or other school-based staff member) who work in one of two school districts in the Northern Virginia region. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, writing prompt responses, a focus group, and a classroom analysis. Data analysis included bracketing, horizonalization, code clustering, textural description, structural description, and the essence of the phenomenon. Results of the study show that the learning environment, support, pedagogy and practices, and understanding student backgrounds are all major themes that shape newcomer ESOL teacher experiences at the secondary level. Keywords: English Language Learners (ELLs), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), newcomer, language acquisition 4 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my Dad, Dan Conrad, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 2015. He worked in higher education for over 20 years and I know he would appreciate this document. Thank you for being a role model and mentor for hard work, perseverance, and doing the right thing. I know you would have enjoyed reading over 200 pages of my research! It is also dedicated to my two children, Penn and Brady, who were both born during this process. To them, I owe my fortitude. 5 Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge my dissertation chair, Dr. Holcomb, for her patience, kindness, and understanding throughout this process. Your insight and perspective were invaluable to my development as a writer and scholar. I would like to thank Dr. Swezey for his advice and cheerful spirit during many hours of reading and review. Finally, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Milacci, who shaped my time at Liberty University during two intensive courses. Thank you for your humor and intuition in bringing a long, arduous process to life one brick at a time. 6 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................5 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................9 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................10 List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................12 Overview ............................................................................................................................12 Background ........................................................................................................................13 Situation to Self..................................................................................................................17 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................20 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................................22 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................22 Research Questions ............................................................................................................26 Definitions..........................................................................................................................29 Summary ............................................................................................................................30 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................32 Overview ............................................................................................................................32 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................33 Related Literature...............................................................................................................42 Summary ............................................................................................................................64 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ..................................................................................................66 7 Overview ............................................................................................................................66 Design ................................................................................................................................67 Research Questions ............................................................................................................69 Setting ................................................................................................................................70 Participants .........................................................................................................................71 Procedures ..........................................................................................................................73 The Researcher's Role ........................................................................................................75 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................76 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................89 Trustworthiness ..................................................................................................................91 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................93 Summary ............................................................................................................................94 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS .....................................................................................................96 Overview ............................................................................................................................96 Participants .........................................................................................................................96 Results ..............................................................................................................................111 Summary ..........................................................................................................................151 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION..............................................................................................152 Overview ..........................................................................................................................152 Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................152 Discussion ........................................................................................................................154 Implications......................................................................................................................172 Delimitations and Limitations