Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
Advisor
John Travers
Committee Member
Diane Bloom
Keywords
English Language Learners, leadership, Limited English Proficient, professional development, self-efficacy, teacher education
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to provide insight into teachers' perceptions of their ability to work effectively with limited English proficient (LEP) students. Data from the writer's district, as well as state and national data, show a persistent achievement gap between the academic performance of LEP students and non-LEP students on various indicators. LEP students are dependent upon their classroom and subject-area teachers for their academic growth. However, these teachers are generally unprepared to meet the academic needs of LEP students. Established instruments were used to survey the 895 teachers in the research district to determine how teachers across a large school district in New Jersey felt about their ability to teach LEP students effectively. This study also sought to determine whether there were pockets of greater self-efficacy by establishing whether there is a relationship between reported teacher self-efficacy and independent variables such as demographic category or area of specialization and to discover which initiatives or training teachers report as contributing to greater self-efficacy in working successfully with LEP students.
NSUWorks Citation
Joanne Negrin. 2014. An Analysis of Teacher Perceptions of Self-Efficacy in Working with English Language Learners. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. (55)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/55.