Date of Award
6-17-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Peter Ghazarian
Second Advisor
Bronwyn MacFarlane
Committee Members
Dana Bedden
Abstract
The rapid growth of English learners (ELs) in middle schools across Northwest Arkansas has intensified the need for instructional practices that effectively support English language acquisition while promoting equitable academic outcomes. Despite the presence of district-level English as a Second Language (ESL) policies, inconsistencies remain in how instructional practices are implemented at the classroom level. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of instructional practices that optimize ESL instruction, explore the alignment between teacher practices and district policy, and identify challenges educators face in implementing effective strategies. Guided by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, this study was conducted in a public school district in the southern United States, referred to using the pseudonym Frisco Public Schools. Participants included nine middle school ESL teachers serving grades six through eight across three campuses. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, a teacher questionnaire administered via Qualtrics, and document analysis of the district’s ESOL Handbook. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding procedures, with constant comparative analysis employed to identify emergent themes. Survey data were analyzed descriptively and used to triangulate interview findings. Five primary instructional themes emerged from the data: (a) scaffolding and structured supports, (b) use of visuals and realia, (c) sentence stems and explicit language objectives, (d) cooperative learning and peer interaction, and (e) culturally responsive teaching practices. Teachers consistently identified these strategies as essential for promoting language development and building student confidence. Analysis also revealed partial alignment between district policy and classroom practice. While policies emphasized compliance and broad instructional expectations, teachers relied more heavily on relational, interactive, and responsive strategies to meet students’ immediate linguistic and emotional needs. Additionally, teachers reported challenges including limited instructional time, student anxiety, assessment of language growth, and insufficient professional development. The findings contribute to the ESL literature by offering a grounded, context-specific framework that connects sociocultural theory with instructional practice and policy implementation. Implications include the need for instructional leadership that strengthens policy-to-practice coherence, expands targeted professional learning, and supports sustained implementation of evidence-based ESL strategies in middle school settings.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Davis, Molly Elizabeth, "Teacher Perceptions on Optimizing Instructional Practices for English as a Second Language Instruction" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1171.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1171
