A study of the effects of professional development related to foreign language and culture instruction in elementary classrooms.

Abstract

Acceptance and understanding emerged as a finding related to the impact attending the foreign language institutes had on elementary teachers. This acceptance and understanding included the teacher's acceptance of the cultural background of students and student's acceptance and understanding of other students. Another finding related to impact included that integrating foreign language and culture into the curriculum was adaptable to any subject and grade.

This study is a qualitative case study with a single-case embedded design. The focus of this study was the two-week professional development institutes, Empowering Professionals, Yes! and Border Crossings, provided by Title VI grants. The institutes were held during 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.

Sources of data for this study included evaluation questionnaires completed by participants of the professional development institutes. This data were reported as group data. Other sources of data included interviews and observations.

This study found that materials used by elementary teachers to integrate foreign language and culture into the curriculum were curriculum guides provided to participants of the institutes, multicultural stories, videos, and music tapes. The use of the materials varied and included using the materials as a teacher resource to provide background knowledge and as classroom activities.

Findings related to techniques used by elementary teachers to integrate foreign language and culture into the curriculum included activities which included arts and crafts, games, and computer games to enhance language development. Including foreign language into the curriculum using daily calendar activities was also a funding. Materials used to help integrate foreign language and culture into the curriculum included teacher resource materials, tapes, CD, and arts and craft activities.

Recommendations to school districts and teacher preparation programs are made in this study. Also recommended are topics for further study.

Participants of the institutes who had attended the institutes a minimum of two years and were elementary teachers teaching in Oklahoma City Public Schools were the population of this study. The sample drawn from this population was selected using purposeful selection. Five participants in the sample were interviewed and classroom observations were conducted.