Perceptions of Teachers towards English Language Learners (ELLs) and Content Accessibility

Teachers need training in order to be adequately prepared to serve English Learners in the general education setting. The consideration of teacher perceptions becomes important when considering designing professional development for teachers of English Learners. The purpose of this study is to examine teachers’ perceptions regarding educating students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), teacher training for making content accessible, and teacher willingness to follow through with student success in terms of English Learner achievement. The sample consisted of 79 teachers (25% male and 75% female) from kindergarten through twelfth grade in a rural county in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through a survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Study results indicated that about half of the respondents, 45% of primary teachers and 62% of secondary teachers had ever received training for teaching ELLs. Across both elementary and secondary schools, slightly more than half of the teachers (59%) indicated that they felt they had the support needed to work effectively with ELLs. Furthermore, a little less than half of the teachers (39%) felt prepared to work with ELLs. This study highlights areas of potential need in terms of teacher professional development.