This research paper examines the relationship between teacher preparation and ESL student performance, drawing on multiple empirical studies and theoretical frameworks. It investigates how cooperative learning, written corrective feedback, content-based instruction, and action research influence learning outcomes for English Language Learners. The paper also addresses the importance of cultural sensitivity, teacher efficacy beliefs, and professional learning communities in supporting ELL populations. Two guiding research questions structure the review: what role teacher preparation plays in student ESL grades, and which instructional strategies teachers find most effective. The paper concludes by proposing a mixed-methods research design to further evaluate the connection between teacher preparation and student achievement.
The population of ESL students has grown in recent years. While the population has grown, these students have continually underperformed in ESL classes and on exams. ESL teachers must be better prepared and educated to address the hurdles ESL students experience as they learn English. Teachers must also learn to adopt new strategies that provide better learning outcomes. This research paper features articles and studies that highlight the importance of teacher preparation and ways to improve ESL instruction.
In a 2013 study, researchers drew on sociocultural theory to investigate how Grade 6 children in an intensive elementary-level ESL class supported each other while performing and engaging in cooperative learning tasks. The children, classified as older learners, demonstrated capability in engaging in linguistically oriented support, or scaffolding. The kinds of support most commonly observed in the study were other-correction and requests for assistance. "Although a variety of scaffolding strategies were in evidence, the two most frequently used pertained to request for assistance and other-correction" (Gagne & Parks, 2013, p. 188). The least-used strategies were those associated with arbitration of gist from an interactionist viewpoint. This is an important finding because teacher preparation within an ESL classroom needs to include strategies that students can effectively utilize for grade improvement.
Teacher preparation often includes reviewing material that was previously taught. However, if the classroom teacher can focus on what things mean and allow students to ask questions to figure out meaning, this could help them more than a simple review of answers. For teachers within an ESL environment to be effective, they must discuss the meaning behind words and grammar, explain to students why things are done a certain way, and allow students to have a voice in the classroom so they feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
What role does teacher preparation play in the final grade of a student's ESL course?
In a 2015 case study, researchers examined the feedback practices and beliefs of a pre-service L2 writing teacher observed over one academic semester. The teacher, referred to as Kim, was a second-year MA TESOL student who taught a university-level ESL course focused on English composition. This quantitative study coded students' essays to distinguish four kinds of written corrective feedback (WCF): indirect, direct, indirect with explanation, and direct with explanation.
The researchers also assessed Kim's journals and interviews. Results indicated that Kim gave feedback based on global concerns, and to a lesser degree on local problems, offering explanations for some instances of WCF. However, her beliefs and her implementation revealed mismatches: although her stated beliefs pointed toward global feedback, her actual practice was the opposite, with local WCF far outnumbering global WCF. "Local WCF (83.9%) significantly outnumbered global WCF (16.1%). Other beliefs included the following themes: feedback needs to be contextualized, is time-consuming, is a process that requires practice, and can lead to better writing" (Junqueira & Payant, 2015, p. 19).
WCF is important but also time-consuming, especially when applied primarily at the local level. If a class such as an ESL classroom is to improve as a whole, instruction must be designed with the entire class in mind. As the earlier study showed, students do support each other in the classroom. When curriculum is explained in a way that the majority of students can understand, the knowledge students gain is more broadly reinforced than when teachers focus only on assessing individuals.
There is a growing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Quality teacher education programs have become a top priority in American schools in order to equip teachers with the necessary tools to effectively support these students. Local, state, and national mandates have established requirements to help ensure that ELLs receive quality instruction aligned with new content standards and language proficiency benchmarks. As a result, teacher education programs have faced added pressure to provide teacher candidates with sound pedagogical strategies and practices so they can best serve ELLs.
A 2015 mixed-methods study examining 144 PK–12 teachers with five or fewer years of experience emphasized the significance of teachers' perceptions and efficacy beliefs in teaching ELLs. "Findings revealed a statistical significance in efficacy beliefs for teachers with an ESL certification as opposed to teachers without the credentials. Five in-depth cases augmented the finding to support how individual classroom practices exemplified specific ESL pedagogy learned from pre-service contexts" (Tran, 2015, p. 1). Teachers are central to improved student learning. If teachers are not trained properly, students such as ELLs will have a more difficult time adapting to and absorbing the curriculum. Alongside the development of instructional strategies, teacher education programs must adopt a more educated and insightful perspective toward preparation.
What instructional strategies do teachers use that are effective in teaching English as a second language?
In a 2013 article, the authors examined major patterns underlying content-based instruction (CBI) as applied at the end stage of an MA TESOL program. This quantitative study coded lesson plans for analysis. "One hundred and seven lesson plans were coded according to a typology developed to evaluate clarity and identify areas of potential difficulty in the design of content and language objectives by TESOL teacher candidates for use in PreK–12 ESL classrooms" (Baecher, Farnsworth, & Ediger, 2013, p. 118). Participants demonstrated difficulty designing language objectives while finding content objectives comparatively easier. Furthermore, researchers found a tendency among participants to write language objectives with vocabulary in mind, rather than focusing on grammatical functions, structures, or language learning strategies.
This study showed that even at the program stage, teachers can adopt ineffective teaching strategies. Focusing on vocabulary alone has not been shown to be as effective as focusing on grammar. Grammar provides the "why" of language and is more likely to help ESL students excel over time.
In a 2012 article, the authors noted that improving teacher education programs produced better results in terms of how teachers instructed their students and prepared them for the curriculum. Collaboration among administrators and teachers also resulted in improved teacher performance. "Through her AR project and collaboration with teachers and administrators in the district, Calkins found that AR helped transform a working group of teachers and administrators into a professional learning community" (Thompson, Li, White, Loewen, & Gass, 2012). This study introduced the concept of Action Research (AR) — a process that alters the context of learning and organizes collective professional work in ways that extend professional expertise, thereby building a strong professional learning community.
It is important to cultivate a strong professional learning community because such communities are among the most important factors supporting student learning. If teachers lack the resources and strategies to effectively teach their students, those students will underperform. Teacher preparedness begins with the level of resources available, and a collaborative model of AR could prove highly beneficial in enhancing that preparedness.
In 2014, researchers observed a collaborative effort among five university ESL instructors who sought to analyze how students in their program's advanced writing course viewed, made meaning of, and responded to the feedback they received. Using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, the researchers aimed to give students a space to express their opinions, insights, and perceptions. Results demonstrated that participants' relationship with feedback comprised a set of exchanges with the written text, with classmates during peer review, and with instructors during personal communication. "Through examining these interactions, the teacher-researchers found that student views of feedback were often driven by an emotional response that was heavily influenced by grades and the teacher's written comments" (Best, Jones-Katz, Smolarek, Stolzenburg, & Williamson, 2014, p. 332). Negative and mixed reactions arose when students received peer-related feedback, while positive reactions came from one-on-one interactions with their teachers. The article concluded by calling on administrators and teachers to create more space for students to express opinions and views, as this may generate positive interactions and improve grades within the ESL student population.
"Support, cultural awareness, and teacher-student connection for ELLs"
"Mixed-methods design using surveys, interviews, and archival data"
If an ESL student sees an ESL teacher trying to be aware of the student's culture, perhaps that could add meaning to the learning experience of the ESL student and encourage better learning. For example, certain languages have a grammatical structure that is the opposite of English. Developing an understanding of those differences could improve ESL instruction and provide ESL teachers with an approach that offers an effective mode of learning for their students. There are three things an ESL student needs to learn English effectively: grammar, support, and connection (Thompson, Li, White, Loewen, & Gass, 2012). If an ESL teacher learns to incorporate these three elements into their instruction, the learning outcomes of their students are more likely to be favorable.
You’re 62% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 2 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.