Voices from the Middle: A Qualitative Study of Non-ESL Credentialed Middle School Content Teachers’ Experiences, Beliefs, and Self-Efficacy Teaching English Language Learners

As the English Language Learners (ELL) population continues to increase and diversify middle school classrooms across the nation, teachers are challenged with the task of helping these students master a prescribed curriculum while assisting them with their English language acquisition. Due to the fact that most teachers are content credentialed, but have limited to no formal English Language Learner teacher training is causing challenges with teachers’ self-efficacy, impacting their experiences, and influencing their belief systems while working with English Language Learners. It is hoped that information and knowledge obtained from this study will help administrators and school districts develop and create job-embedded, on-going professional learning opportunities for non-credentialed teachers of English Language Learners. The focus of this study was to examine teachers’ experiences and beliefs, and highlight training that will support non-credentialed middle school teachers of ELLs self-efficacy. A phenomenological approach to research guided this study. There were 10 full-time middle school teachers who participated in the study. The participants’ beliefs, experiences, and self-efficacy responses aligned with five themes: Confronting Language Barriers, Limited Instructional Practices and Resources, Teaching with School-based Supports, Absence of Targeted Professional Development Opportunities, and Restructuring Professional Learning. The results of this study support the need for school districts and schools to redesign professional learning experiences for non-credentialed teachers of English Language Learners at the middle school level