Influence of Karen Immigrant Students on Teachers’ Instructional Decisions in the Rural United States
- Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, SD (United States); South Dakota Science & Technology Authority
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
Across the United States, the number of classrooms welcoming young students who are new English language learners (ELL) is rapidly growing. Motivated by a dramatic increase in the number of Myanmar- and Burma-originating immigrants now attending English-speaking schools in the rural, upper midwestern United States, this study systematically considers how the presence of Karen immigrant students impacts the instructional decisions that K-12 classroom teachers make using an exploratory case study method. Several recurrent themes emerged, and findings can be used to help better prepare both pre-service and in-service teachers to meet the needs of their ELL students, as well as policy makers. These emergent themes include the following: (a) authentic teacher–family relationships are key; (b) visual/hands-on learning and the use of technology enhance student achievement; (c) student work must be completed during the school day in classrooms; (d) teachers’ purposeful use of parallel language is critical for learning; (e) rigor can be maintained, although quantity is often adjusted; and (f) targeted ESL/cultural training for pre-service and newly hired teachers is positively influential. Such informed training often seems to help teachers learn key cultural distinctions and become better able to identify the most effective ways to meet the needs of students.
- Research Organization:
- South Dakota Science & Technology Authority, Lead, SD (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0020216
- OSTI ID:
- 2376660
- Journal Information:
- Education Sciences, Journal Name: Education Sciences Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 14; ISSN 2227-7102
- Publisher:
- MDPICopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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