Assessing middle school teachers’ perceptions of successful practices with English language learners

This phenomenological study inquired into middle school teachers’ perceptions of successful practices with English language learners (ELLs). The purpose was to better understand successful practices with ELL students. In order to accomplish this, four middle school (grades 6 – 8) teachers, including ELL teachers, with at least two years of experience working with ELL students were interviewed. Qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts revealed three themes. The first theme reported on participants’ perceptions of ELL students in relation to the diversity amongst ELL students, the stories of refugee students, and the sense of belonging of ELL students at school. The second theme reported on successful and unsuccessful practices with ELL students regarding push-in vs. pull-out model; peer support as a teaching practice; and the importance of being flexible, reflective, and collaborative. Finally, the last theme reported on the systemic supports and barriers experienced by participants when supporting ELL students. Findings provided a teacher-eye view of potential best practices when supporting ELL teachers in the B.C. context. The study was limited in scope to only four interviewees in three contexts, which affected the generalizability of the findings. Nonetheless, the study yielded three main recommendations: teachers should take a holistic approach with ELLs that honors their home discourse, teachers should recognize the need to foster growth mindsets in ELLs to support language development, and teachers should take a flexible and collaborative approach to meet the needs of ELLs in their particular context.