Action Research Plan
Abstract
Through the years, I have found that my English
Language Learner (ESL) students seemed to struggle the most in the classroom. I
began looking for ways to help them become more successful with English
vocabulary and in particular, content area vocabulary. I found some strategies
that helped these students build confidence which allowed them to achieve at a
higher level than they had previously. I noticed many other teachers
experienced the same difficulties with their ESL students. I wanted to find a
way to share my ideas about effective ELL classroom skills and strategies with
other teachers so they would also be able to help their own students become
successful in the classroom setting. Through
professional development sessions, my goal for this research was to offer
teachers of English Language Learner (ELL) students more effective skills and
strategies using hands-on activities they could immediately incorporate into
their classroom and provide lessons in order to promote better understanding in
the classroom and improved report card grades for students who are considered
English Language Learners. I hoped to gain information through the data in
order to determine if these sessions with teachers will help their ELL students
become more confident and successful in their academic life. This study will
take place at Rennell Elementary in Cypress Fairbanks ISD with five ESL Reading
and Language Arts teachers.
In five 45 minute sessions, I provided new skills
and hands-on strategies the ESL teachers could use in their classrooms. I led
the teachers in make-and-take strategy sessions, led discussions on how to use
the products in the classroom with students, and coached teachers with any concerns
or problems they were having with the activities. I led the teachers in
practice with the new strategies and products ensuring each teacher had a good
understanding of the activity and a high comfort level regarding the skill and
product.
Determining the Effectiveness of ELL Professional
Development
By
Jennifer Boyd
Introduction/Background
Rennell Elementary is a PreK through 5th
grade campus that opened in 2010 to service students in Northwest Harris
County. It is currently serving almost 1,000 students in Cypress, Texas. The
principal is Mrs. Leslie Thomas and the staff includes two assistant
principals, one counselor, two instructional support members, fifty-one
teachers, and sixteen paraprofessionals. The student population is 40.9% White,
17.9% African American, 27.2% Hispanic, 10.6% Asian, and .43% Native American.
Additionally, the campus serves 24.8% economically disadvantaged students, 6%
special education students, and 15.8% Limited English Proficient students. I have seven years of teaching experience all
in CFISD. I came to Rennell Elementary
when it opened in 2010 as a fifth grade Reading/Language Arts teacher.
Statement
of the problem
I previously taught at a CFISD campus whose
population was 72% economically disadvantaged with a predominately Hispanic
population. Each grade level had a bi-lingual classroom and the 4th
and 5th grades each had a Structured English Immersion (SEI)
classroom. While Rennell does not currently have these demographics, the ELL
population continues to grow throughout the district. CFISD requires all English/Reading/Language
Arts (ELAR) teachers to obtain the minimum 30-hour ESL training to become
certified as an ESL teacher, however many of the teachers on my campus have not
received additional training and some have never had ESL students in their
classroom.
Purpose
of the Study/ Significance of the Study
The purpose of this study is to increase the
effectiveness of ESL teachers working with ELL students and immediately give
both teachers and students the tools they need in order to be successful in the
classroom. After speaking with Christine
Melancon, my campus supervisor, we determined it would be of great benefit to
both the ESL teachers on the campus and the students in their classroom to
focus my research on addition training for ESL teachers involving hands-on
activities and effective reading strategies and skills for ELL students. This
study will add to the knowledge base for teachers working with ELL students on
my campus.
Definition
of Terms
ELL- English Language Learners
ESL- English as a Second Language
SEI- Structured English Immersion
ELAR- English/Language Arts/Reading
LEP-Limited English Proficiency
Literature
Review
Across the country, we can observe
teachers giving instruction about new words the students need to know and
learn. Vocabulary instruction is not a
new theory and the techniques and styles used to help the students learn the
new words and their meanings will vary greatly from classroom to classroom. Unfortunately,
there is not a set standard used to introduce and teach vocabulary to students
and even the best teachers are left with question on how to effectively design
and implement vocabulary instruction. (Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle, Watts-Taffe,
2006) The ELL student, unfortunately, has the added burden of learning not only
the word and its meaning, but also learning and understanding the words that
comprise the meaning. Their teachers share in their burden but usually lack the
skills and strategies to effectively help these students fully understand to
the same level of the non-ELL students in classroom.
Like vocabulary instruction, it is
also not a new occurrence that ELL students can be found in many of these same
classrooms where teachers are introducing new words and meanings to students. Some of these teachers have little or no prior
training with these students and lack a complete understanding of their needs.
Washburn stated, “Because areas with the most rapid growth generally have
little history of educating the ELL population, there may be a corresponding
lack of understanding of and empathy for ELLs.” (2008) In order to allow
teachers to experience the frustration felt by ELL students in the classrooms,
he devised a reading lesson for the teachers. His lesson was in Chinese. The
goal was for the teachers to acquire empathy for the ELL students’ language
barrier and stimulate thinking about skills and strategies that could be used
in the classrooms. (Washburn, 2008)
Most teachers learn new techniques
to introduce vocabulary through professional development trainings, from books
about vocabulary introduction, from watching and speaking with other teachers,
or from textbook adoptions on their campus. Many teachers take the best pieces
from each and try to assemble the best technique for the students in the
classroom. Research shows that the best practices in ELL vocabulary instruction
are those that include hands-on activities. “It is through the use of hands-on
activities that students learn best. They are able to manipulate objects and
make sense of them.” (Fishkin, 2010) These activities include vocabulary
picture cards, clue cards, sentence strip cues, 4-square vocabulary, and
fantasy words. Effective skills that can be used in the classroom to support
the hands-on activities include peer mentors and visual checklists or
reminders.
Teachers can help their students
learn the vocabulary by creating clue cards and sentence strip cues. The words
can be used in context with a book the students are reading or created by the
student using words from a vocabulary list. These help students with vocabulary
skills by allowing them to visualize their words or the sentence they can be
found. For ELL students just beginning to learn English, Cipriano suggests also
using the sentence strips as concrete examples for phrases ELL students might
need in the classroom. Examples: Can I please_______? I need help with_______. (2011) The use of
Fantasy Words in the classroom, where the students draw their vocabulary word
in such a way that it depicts the meaning of the word, also allows the students
to visualize and produce concrete representations for the student to reference.
It is also helpful to add word families to the Fantasy Word drawing. “Visual
aids provide students with something concrete that they can refer to when
learning.” (Fishkin, 2010) Many researchers discuss the use of visuals to aid
the ELL students in acquiring a broader vocabulary. They can also be used to
aid the student in boosting their comfort level in the classroom which creates
a better learning environment. A simple checklist of the day’s activities and
assignment can be written on the board and checked off by the teacher upon
completion of each or provided privately for the student to control. This
allows the ELL student to recognize the clues and cues for classroom
procedures.
Another effective strategy for ELL
students is for students to create Four-Square Vocabulary cards. A large paper
is divided into four sections. A different vocabulary activity is completed for
the same new word in each section. “They build sentences, compound words, and
contractions, and they match synonyms, antonyms, and word families.” (Fishkin,
2010) This strategy can be used as several follow-up activities over several
days. The four-square is also helpful when teaching ELL students vocabulary
words with multiple meanings. In order
to aid the students in learning and remembering the new knowledge, the new
words the ELL students hear or learn during vocabulary instruction need to be used
in a meaningful way with follow-up activities. “Instruction that combines
definitional information with other active processing, such as adding
contextual information, writing, or rich manipulation of words, is consistently
more effective than definitional instruction alone.” (Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle,
Watts-Taffe, 2006) The Vocabulary Picture Cards allows students to see the new
word written accompanied by a picture or representation of the word. These can
be created by the teacher or student and kept in a binder, folder, or on a
ring. The ELL students keep the cards for future reference during instructional
time, independent reading or practice, or even homework. In their article,
August, Carlo, Dressler, and Snow pointed out that the use of picture cards
were helpful when direct instruction time is limited. (2005) Because the cards
can be used independently by the students, they do not have to wait for a break
in instruction in order to use them if they are having difficulty with a word.
Students need the opportunity to
hear and use academic content vocabulary in addition to reading and writing. It
is important for the ELL students to be paired with a strong English speaker in
order for the ELL student to begin to learn through these interactions. Fishkin
shares that many ELL students may lack the confidence to speak in front of the
entire classroom but will feel more comfortable speaking one-on-one with a
partner. Examples of peer mentoring that
could take place in the classroom are think-pair-share, buddy reading, and
conversation role play. (2010)
Action
Research Design
Subjects
The target population for this study was ELAR teachers from
my campus. I chose five ESL teachers
from four different grade levels to participate in the study with the idea that
the sessions could be used in a campus-wide capacity in the future if the study
yields high results.
Procedures
After speaking with Mrs. Melancon
and deciding on a focus for this study, I developed a questionnaire for
teachers regarding their teaching experience, prior ESL training, and the
skills and strategies they have or were currently using in their classrooms
with ESL students. Based on this information,
I choose teachers I felt would benefit from this experience to participate in
the study.
I began reading articles and studies
involving work with ELL students, attended an ELPS Trainer of Trainers course,
and spoke with other ELPS trainers to create a list of effective skills and
strategies containing hands-on activities that teachers could use with ELL
students in their classrooms. A professional development calendar was created
for five sessions set three weeks apart. The teachers took the information and
materials from each session and immediately began using the skills and
strategies in their classrooms. After
the three weeks, teachers completed a questionnaire regarding their experience
with the materials, the students’ experience with the materials, as well as any
observable increases or decreases in student grades and/or test scores during
the time period between sessions.
Session 1: Empathy Builder
In order for teachers to understand
the dilemma faced by our English Language Learners (ELL), teachers were given
problem cards in which they had to determine an answer to a question. Most of the words were nonsense words with
few words they could identify. The nonsense word problem allowed teachers to
experience the problem as an ELL student. The teachers were given additional
clues one at a time until they were able solve the problem. The clues
represented the strategies teachers need to use in order to aid our ELL
students.
Session 2: Non-Verbal Cues/Peer
Mentor
Teachers made color-coded cards for
students to turn in order to show their level of understanding. One color
indicated that more instruction was needed, while another color indicated they
felt they had a clear understanding of the assignment. Peer mentors for ELL students were discussed
as a strategy to allow the ELL students to check their understanding
immediately when they felt they were having difficulty. This also gave them a
chance to hear and use academic vocabulary when they were partnering for
activities.
Session 3: Vocabulary Picture Cards
Cards with pictures were made with
content area vocabulary. In the classroom, these would be made by the students.
Pictures could be printed from the computer, drawn, or cut for a magazine. These cards could be put into either a
binder, a folder, or on a ring for the students to use during class or at home
with their homework.
Session 4: Four-Square
Vocabulary/Fantasy Words
To teach specific vocabulary in a
small group, teachers folded paper into four squares or drew four boxes on
plain paper. A different activity was then completed in each square regarding
the vocabulary word depending on the grade level and abilities of the student.
Some suggested activities were synonym, antonym, sentence, picture, and example
of the vocabulary word. Examples of Fantasy Words were created by the teachers
to allow the students to get an idea of how to use this in the classroom with
their own vocabulary words. A picture was drawn of the vocabulary word to
depict its meaning.
Session 5: Visual Checklist/Clue
Word Cards and Sentence Strips
Teachers practiced writing their
lesson plan into a checklist format. These lists can be written on the board
for the whole class to see. Each item can be removed or checked when completed.
This gives the ELL student a visual to let them know exactly what is happening.
The checklist can also be written or typed on a sheet of paper for a more
private visual timeline. Teachers were shown how to create clues for vocabulary
words by placing them on cards with the vocabulary word. Students use the clues
to determine the meaning of the words on their own.
Data
Collection
Questionnaires, surveys, and reflection sheets were used after
each three week period following each skill and strategy session to collect the
data for this study. My goal was to introduce new, effective skills and
strategies to ESL teachers they could immediately use with their ELL students
in their classrooms to increase student grades and scores on standardized
tests. The participating teachers completed questionnaires and surveys
regarding their experience with the sessions, skills and strategies learned
from the sessions, teachers’ observation of students’ use of the strategies,
and the amount of use of each strategy by the teacher and by the student in the
classroom. In order to determine the effectiveness of the new skill and
strategy, each ELL teacher kept a detailed tracking log for each ELL student’s
grades on report cards and standardized tests to show. To protect the privacy of the students,
students’ names were omitted and were identified by numbers only for the use of
this study.
The data from the teacher’s reflections regarding the use
and effectiveness of each skill and strategy and their observations regarding
students’ use of the skill and strategy was collected and presented in two
separate grids. The data regarding each individual ELL student’s grades and
test scores were collected and presented in line graphs to show their progress
in each area throughout the study. Teacher reflections regarding presentation
of sessions were collected and presented in a narrative section.
Findings
I found that most teachers responded favorably to the new
skills and strategies I introduced during the professional development
sessions. The comments expressed the most praise in that they were able to use
the new materials immediately in their classrooms with their ELL students. The
“make and take” style sessions provided examples they could use to get started
as well as offer the knowledge of how to use the new strategy. Many also noted
they were able to use the strategies with other students in their classroom who
may have been experiencing difficulties with vocabulary or assignments. All
participating teachers responded they would like to continue to attend ELL
skill and strategy professional development sessions with hands-on activities
if they are offered after the study.
This gave me encouragement that teachers are in need of new and
effective methods of helping their ELL students become successful in the
classrooms. The data indicates that most students’ report card grades did
increase throughout the study. The average grade increase was by 12 percent. All students’ benchmark scores increased. The
average increase was 8%.
Conclusions and Recommendations
My experience leading teachers in ESL professional
development was positive and I plan to continue to look for ways to help
teachers develop skills to help aid ELL students in the classrooms. I shared
the results of the surveys and questionnaires with my site supervisor, Mrs.
Melancon, and she was excited about the outcome. She was encouraged by the
positive feedback from the participating teachers regarding their experience in
the study. She asked me to share the activities in several campus-wide Staff
Development sessions that will take place during the upcoming school year. I
have stated that I would be thrilled to help the staff in ESL training and
providing the teachers with even more effective skills and strategies to use in
their classrooms.
While I am thrilled with the positive comments and outcomes
from the teacher surveys to the study, I am not as thrilled with the student
results. While the results have been mostly positive and the students gained in
both grades and test scores, I feel it is hard to determine if it is a direct
result of the activities the teachers learned from the professional development
sessions I led or from everyday good teaching that occurs in the classrooms on
my campus or from a combination of both.
Many of these same students were in LEP pull-out programs and ESL
tutoring. I am sure that all could have and did play a role in the increased
scores for the ELL students.
References
August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C., & Snow, C. (2005).
The critical role of vocabulary development for English language learners. Learning Disabilities Research &
Practice (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 20(1), 50-57.
Blachowicz, C. Z., Fisher, P. L., Ogle, D., &
Watts-Taffe, S. (2006). Vocabulary: Questions from the classroom. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(4),
524-539.
Carlo, M. S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Snow, C. E.,
Dressler, C., Lippman, D. N., & White, C. E. (2004). Closing the gap:
Addressing the vocabulary needs of English-language learners in bilingual and
mainstream classrooms. Reading Research
Quarterly, 39(2), 188-215.
Cipriano, J. (2011). 32 Tips for ELLs. Instructor, 121(1), 36-38.
Fishkin, O. (2010). Effective primary literacy strategies
for English language learners. Illinois
Reading Council Journal, 38(4), 14-19.
Klingner, J. K., Boardman, A. G., Eppolito, A. M.,
Schonewise, E. (2012). Supporting Adolescent English language learners’ reading
in the content area. Learning
Disabilities—A Contemporary Journal, 10(1), 35-64.
Washburn, G. N. (2008). Alone, confused, and frustrated:
developing empathy and strategies for working with English language learners. Clearing House, 81(6), 247-250.
