I do not feel I am properly trained to help them! Rural teachers’ perceptions of challenges and needs with English-language learners

This paper explores the perceived professional development needs of inservice teachers of English-language learners (ELLs) from 10 rural and small districts in the USA. The survey instrument that captured responses from 159 elementary and secondary teachers in Texas was primarily quantitative and was based on the state English as a second language (ESL) certification examination. It also included open-ended demographic information on teachers’ backgrounds, and elicited information on challenges in working with ELLs. Demographics of the respondents reflect a typical teaching force in the rural USA: primarily white, English-speaking females with a bachelor’s degree. For many of the teachers, communication with students and their parents was cited as a major challenge. One of the most salient findings occurred in correlations between teachers having taken one or more college courses in ESL and their perceived knowledge of the competencies involved in the ESL examination. This important insight suggests that professional development, in the form of college-level (graduate) courses in ESL, is highly beneficial for mainstream, rural teachers.

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