Supporting EAL students in regional education contexts: “It creates a huge workload and often times disappointment”

Authors

  • Melissa Barnes Monash University, Australia http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3090-2585
  • Seham Shwayli Monash University, Australia
  • Pamalee Matthews Department of Education and Training Victoria, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21153/tesol2019vol28no1art906

Keywords:

EAL, regional schools, secondary schooling, mainstream teachers, beliefs, Bourdieu

Abstract

There has been increasing attention on mainstream teacher beliefs on English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in their classrooms, particularly in regards to how these beliefs impact on teacher expectations and actions. With many teachers holding deficit beliefs towards EAL students, many have argued that professional development is one way to counter these beliefs. However, with a push for the regional settlement of migrants in Australia, there is limited understanding of mainstream teachers’ beliefs about EAL students in regional contexts. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and field, this study investigates the beliefs of teachers and principals in two regional secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The findings suggest that while many teachers hold common misconceptions regarding EAL students, their views regarding the inclusion of these students are generally positive and both the teachers and principals are open to additional training and support. However, the prevailing issue regarding supporting EAL students is time and/or timing—a commodity that both teachers and students do not have. This paper argues that EAL support in a regional context needs to be further interrogated, identifying a variety of approaches, such as professional development for mainstream teachers, additional EAL specialist support, and after-school programs, to better meet the needs of EAL students in regional areas.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

  • Melissa Barnes, Monash University, Australia

    Dr Melissa Barnes is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University working within the fields of teacher education, assessment, policy and TESOL. She teaches and leads research initiatives that focus on policy construction, interpretation and enactment, with a focus on how policies impact and shape teaching and learning. She has published in journals such as Critical Studies in Education, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education and English for Academic Purposes, among others.

  • Seham Shwayli, Monash University, Australia

    Dr Seham Shwayli recently finished her PhD at Monash University in 2015. She received her Master of Education in TESOL and Linguistics from Monash in 2010 and her Bachelor in Arts / English Education from Basra University, Iraq in 1996. Her PhD, “What Kind of Inclusion: Iraqi Muslim Women’s Experiences in Australia” focuses on social inclusion and challenges facing Muslim women and their families in Multicultural Australia.

  • Pamalee Matthews, Department of Education and Training Victoria, Australia

    Pamalee Matthews has been teaching for more than 30 years and has always been interested in furthering her studies and taking on new positions and roles. Seven years ago, she became involved in teaching English as an Additional Language. It has been the highlight of her career, particularly teaching English to refugees and new arrivals. Pamalee is passionate about improving the educational outcomes for EAL students in regional areas.

References

Acharya, M. (9 August, 2018). Australia to trial new ways for settling migrants in regional areas. SBS. Retrieved from https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/en/article/2018/08/09/new-ways-being-trialled-settle-migrants-regional-australia

Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2019). My School. Retrieved from https://www.myschool.edu.au

Baxendale, R. (2018, October 9). New incentives will be offered to migrants who settle outside of cities. The Australian. Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/

Bourdieu, P. (1990a). In other words: Essays towards a reflexive sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1990b). The logic of practice. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Caldwell, B. (2015). Feeling overwhelmed?: It is time for serious innovation. Australian Educational Leader, 37(1), 14-17.

Castro, F., Kellison, J., Boyd, S., & Kopak, A. (2010). A methodology for conducting integrative mixed methods research and data analyses. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 20(4), 342–360. doi:10.1177/1558689810382916

Correa-Velez, I., Gifford, S., McMichael, C., & Sampson, R. (2017). Predictors of secondary completion among refugee youth 8 to 9 years after resettlement in Melbourne, Australia. International Migration & Integration, 18(1), 791-805. doi:10.1007/s12134-016-0503-z

Creagh, S., Kettle, M., Alford, J., Comber, B., & Shield, P. (2019). How long does it take to achieve academically in a second language? Comparing the trajectories of EAL students and frist language peers in Queensland Schools. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 42(3), 145-155. Retrieved from https://eprints.qut.edu.au/131787/

Cross, R. (2012). Reclaiming the territory: Understanding the specialist knowledge of ESL education for literacy, curriculum, and multilingual learners. TESOL in Context, 22(1), 4-17. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/

Crowe, D. (2018, October 9). Demand for detail as coalition repeats call for regional migration. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/demand-for-detail-as-coalition-repeats-call-for-regional-migration-20181009-p508j9.html

Cuervo, H., & Acquaro, D. (2018). Exploring metropolitan university pre-service teacher motivations and barriers to teaching in rural schools. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 46(4), 384-398, doi:10.1080/1359866X.2018.1438586

de Jong, E. J., Harper, C. A., & Coady, M. R. (2013). Enhanced knowledge and skills for elementary mainstream teachers of English language learners. Theory into Practice, 52, 89–97. doi:10.1080/00405841.2013.770326

Department of Education and Training (2019). EAL Funding Program. Retrieved from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/finance/Pages/srpref026.aspx

Disbray, S. (2016). Spaces for learning: policy and practice for indigenous languages in a remote context. Language and Education, 30(4), 317-336. doi:10.1080/09500782.2015.1114629

Edwards, S. (2014). Supporting English language learners: New Zealand secondary mainstream teachers’ knowledge and use of recommended teaching resources and strategies. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 49(1), 43–58. Retrieved from http://researcharchive.wintec.ac.nz/3160/

Gándara, P., & Maxwell-Jolly, J., & Driscoll, A. (2005). Listening to teachers of English language learners: A survey of California teachers’ challenges, experiences, and professional development needs. Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6430628z

Golebiowska, K., Elnasri, A. B., & Withers, G. (2017). Responding to negative public attitudes towards immigration through analysis and policy: Regional and unemployment dimensions. In N. Klocker, & O. Dun (Eds.), Population, Migration and Settlement in Australia and the Asia-Pacific: In Memory of Graeme Hugo (pp. 63-82). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Halsey, J. (2018). Independent review into regional, rural, and remote education. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.au/independent-review-regional-rural-and-remote-education

Hansen-Thomas, H., Richins, L., Kakkar, K., & Okeyo, C. (2016). I do not feel I am properly trained to help them! Rural teachers’ perceptions of challenges and needs with English- language learners. Professional Development in Education, 42(2), 308-324. doi:10.1080/19415257.2014.973528

Harper, C., & de Jong, E. (2009). English language teacher expertise: The elephant in the room. Language and Education, 23(2), 137-151. doi:10.1080/09500780802152788

Joyce, L., & Liamputtong, P. (2017). Acculturation stress and social support for young refugees in regional areas. Children and Youth Services Review, 77(1), 18–26. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.03.016

Kainth, S. (2018, October 15). New plan to settle migrants in regional areas. SBS. Retrieved from https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/punjabi/en/article/2018/08/29/new-migrants-may-have-live-regional-australia-5-years

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465– 491. doi:10.3102/00028312032003465

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: A.K.A. The remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84. doi:10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751

Mantero, M., & McVicker, P. (2006). The impact of experience and coursework: Perceptions of second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Radical Pedagogy, 8(1), 1-23. Retrieved from http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/content/issue8_1/mantero.html

McKenzie, P., Weldon, P., Rowley, G., Murphy, M., & McMillan, J. (2014). Staff in Australia’s schools 2013: Main report on the survey. Retrieved from https://research.acer.edu.au/tll_misc/20/

Mellom, P., Straubhaar, R., Balderas, C., Ariail, M., & Portes, P. (2018). “They come with nothing:” How professional development in a culturally responsive pedagogy shapes teacher attitudes towards Latino/a English language learners. Teaching and Teacher Education, 71(1), 91-107. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2017.12.013

Merriam, S., & Tisdell, E. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons.

Mooney, A., & Hickey, C. (2016). “Knowing the rules of the game”: Rural sporting biographies and their influence on physical education pedagogy. In A. K. Schulte & B. Walker- Gibbs (Eds.), Self-studies in rural teacher education (pp.123- 138). Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319- 17488-47

Pettit, S. (2011). Teachers’ beliefs about English language learners in the mainstream classroom: A review of the literature. International Multilingual Research Journal, 5(2), 123-147. doi:10.1080/19313152.2011.594357

Pulinx, R., Avermaet, P., & Agirdag, O. (2017). Silencing linguistic diversity: The extent, the determinants and consequences of the monolingual beliefs of Flemish teachers. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 20(5), 542- 556, doi:10.1080/13670050.2015.1102860

Reeves, J. (2006). Secondary teacher attitudes toward including English-language learners in mainstream classrooms. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(3), 131–143. doi:10.3200/JOER.99.3.131-143

Richardson, V. (1996). The role of attitudes and beliefs in learning to teach. In J. Sikula, T. J. Buttery, & E. Guyton (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 102-119). New York: Macmillan.

Sharkey, J. (2018). The promising potential role of intercultural citizenship in preparing mainstream teachers for im/migrant populations. Language Teaching Research, 22(5), 570–589. doi:10.1177/1362168817718577

Somé-Guiébré, E. (2016). Mainstreaming English language learners: Does it promote or hinder literacy development? English Language Teaching, 9(1), 33-40. doi:10.5539/elt.v9n1p33

Taylor, A., Bell, L., & Gerritsen, R. (2014). Benefits of skilled migration programs for regional Australia. Journal of Economic and Social Policy, 16(1), 1–23. Retrieved from https://epubs.scu.edu.au/jesp/vol16/iss1/3/

Thomas, W., & Collier, V. (2002). Reforming education policies for English learners means better schools for all. The State Education Standard, 3(1), 30–36. (The journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, Alexandria, VA.) Retrieved from https://www.thomasandcollier.com/articles

Thompson, K. (2015). English learners’ time to reclassification: An analysis. Educational Policy, 31(3), 330-363. doi:10.1177/0895904815598394

Torff, B., & Murphy, A. (2018). Placement of former English language learners in middle schools: General education or dual language? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. doi:10.1080/13670050.2018.1494697

Townsend, R., Pascal, J., & Delves, M. (2014). South East Asian migrant experiences in regional Victoria. Journal of Sociology, 50(4), 601–615. Retrieved from https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journal/journal-sociology

Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). ‘Not in my classroom: Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160. Retrieved from https://www2.nau.edu/nabej-p/ojs/index.php/njrp/index

Downloads

Published

2019-12-19

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Supporting EAL students in regional education contexts: “It creates a huge workload and often times disappointment”. (2019). TESOL in Context, 28(1), 45-64. https://doi.org/10.21153/tesol2019vol28no1art906
Share |

Similar Articles

1-10 of 54

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.