In-service learning of teachers of ELLs: An ecological perspective

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the influences that impact in-service teachers of ELLs’ professional development decisions. In this dissertation, I followed the work of four in-service ELL teachers in two different school districts to determine the nature of the various institutional systems within which their work occurred and the impact these systems had on the teachers’ continued learning. In blending sociocultural theory and an ecological perspective, I was able to view the interactions teachers had with their peers and larger systems of activity (i.e., the school district, the school-site, the classroom, and the legislative arena) as mediating factors in the decisions the ELL teacher made in their professional development. Through interviews, classroom observation, and document and artifact collection, I uncovered the ways in which these systems linked to exert influence on the participating teachers. I found that these teachers engaged in a wide variety of professional development activities, that they responded to various institutional influences, and that they translated what they learned into classroom practice. Further, this study suggests that the linkages that exist between the various systems in which teachers participate determine the professional development ELL teachers choose, as these linkages define the roles and responsibilities ELL teachers take up in their schools and districts. In sum, this study highlights the impact the specific contexts within which teachers work have on the professional development choices ELL teachers make.