Arizona Elementary Teachers' Attitudes Toward English Language Learners and the Use of Spanish in Classroom Instruction
- 1 July 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Bilingual Research Journal
- Vol. 29 (2), 295-317
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2005.10162837
Abstract
This study focused on the attitudes that elementary teachers have toward their English language learner (ELL) students' native languages (e.g., Spanish) and their use in instruction. A 27-item Likert-scale survey was administered to 152 first- through fourthgrade teachers from five school districts in Maricopa County, Arizona. These school districts have a large number of schools with students learning English as a second language. The researchers found that teachers' attitudes toward their ELL students differ significantly with the type of certification or endorsement they hold. The bilingual-certified teachers were more supportive of their ELL students using their native language in the classroom than were traditional and English as a Second Language–certified teachers. In contrast to previous studies, the researchers found that the more years a teacher taught, the more his or her attitude became negative toward his or her students' native language. Implications for training of bilingual teachers are discussed.Keywords
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