Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Reginald Wilkerson
Committee Member
Dr. Hans Klar
Committee Member
Dr. Rhonda Miller
Committee Member
Dr. Antonis Katsiyannis
Abstract
The demographics of the typical American classroom continue to present as a more diverse student population with the increase of English Language Learners (ELL) entering public schools. General education teachers on a secondary level are challenged with incorporating academic language instruction into content instruction for ELLs. Many of these teachers seek appropriate instructional strategies to teach ELLs academic language skills related to literacy to comprehend the specific content taught at the secondary level. A deeper understanding of language and skill acquisition within a secondary classroom can help guide future efforts in implementing effective literacy strategies to address ELLs’ academic language needs. This qualitative case study aimed to explore how the implementation of vocabulary strategies in biology general education classrooms improves English Language Learners’ content acquisition. The conceptual framework for this study included Cummins' and Krashen’s theories of second language acquisition. The participants included three general education biology teachers and seven ELLs at a high school in the southeastern area of the United States. Teacher interviews, student focus groups, and classroom observations were utilized to answer the research question. Data were analyzed via open coding to generate the themes. The study findings revealed that implementing visual vocabulary strategies in secondary general education biology classrooms was necessary for the academic language acquisition of ELLs for core content. This study’s findings may positively affect change by informing stakeholders’ efforts in implementing vocabulary strategies to provide academic language instruction to ELLs for success in acquiring core content material in secondary classrooms.
Recommended Citation
Perry, Virginia, "Use of Vocabulary Strategies to Aid English Language Learners in a General Education Biology Classroom" (2023). All Dissertations. 3274.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/3274
Included in
Accessibility Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons