What Is It REALLY Like Teaching English Language Learners?

This phenomenological study explored meanings in the
teaching experiences of early childhood teachers of
English language learners and implications for
culturally responsive teaching and student learning.
Cultural psychology, Furnham s folk theory, and
Bennett s intercultural sensitivity theory provided
the theoretical basis for this study. The study used
purposive, criterion sampling of 4 certified
kindergarten and 4 first grade teachers with minimum
5 years experience teaching English language
learners. Data were collected by indepth semi-
structured face-to-face interviews and analyzed
using Moustakas s modification of the van Kaam
method of analysis. Research questions targeted the
essential meaning and structure of the teacher-
English language learner relationship, teachers'
attitudes about diversity, preservice education on
intercultural sensitivity and its contribution to
educational cultural attitude, and the evidence and
degree that life history reflects educational
perspectives on cultural diversity.

Autorentext
Carlotta Kimble is an Assistant Professor in the Department ofCommunication Disorders at the University of Central Missouri.Dr. Kimble's specializations are early childhood education andteaching culturally and linguistically diverse children.

Klappentext
This phenomenological study explored meanings in theteaching experiences of early childhood teachers ofEnglish language learners and implications forculturally responsive teaching and student learning.Cultural psychology, Furnham's folk theory, andBennett's intercultural sensitivity theory providedthe theoretical basis for this study. The study used purposive, criterion sampling of 4 certified kindergarten and 4 first grade teachers with minimum 5 years experience teaching English language learners. Data were collected by indepth semi-structured face-to-face interviews and analyzed using Moustakas's modification of the van Kaam method of analysis. Research questions targeted the essential meaning and structure of the teacher-English language learner relationship, teachers' attitudes about diversity, preservice education on intercultural sensitivity and its contribution to educational cultural attitude, and the evidence and degree that life history reflects educational perspectives on cultural diversity.