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Building academic vocabulary for English language learners through professional development: a gap analysis

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Building academic vocabulary for English language learners through professional development: a gap analysis

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Content Running head: BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 1

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – A GAP ANALYSIS

by

Sarah Magana Zepeda

______________________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2017

Copyright 2017 Sarah Magana Zepeda
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 2
ABSTRACT
Academic vocabulary is a fundamental component of reading comprehension. English
language learners require specific strategies to develop language proficiency in academic content
areas. Teachers and school districts can bridge the gap through professional development
trainings that are targeted and measurable to support language acquisition. The purpose of this
study was to investigate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational supports that classroom
teachers require in order to build academic vocabulary for English language learners. A mixed
methods research approach was used that comprised surveys, interviews, and observations.
Context analysis identified major themes in the data collection from which recommendations
were formulated. Within the context of this study the data suggests that teachers possess the
motivation to provide engagement strategies to support academic vocabulary instruction to ELLs
but lack the knowledge and skills required to make a significant impact. The findings also imply
that teachers necessitate more time to collaborate and that school district administrators are
unable to communicate expectations and offer little to no professional development opportunities
for growth. Using the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model (2016) framework, the
author analyzes the various opportunities needed for meaningful professional development
training, and implications for on-going practice and sustainability.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 3
DEDICATION
This doctorate degree in education is dedicated to the Lord my God, my Mom and Dad,
my abuelita, my sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, and my amazing husband, Dr. Ruben
Zepeda II. There are no words to express my gratitude for your unwavering support and
encouragement throughout this process. I stand tall because of your love and support. Together
we share in this achievement. I love you with all my heart!

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 4
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am extremely grateful to so many people for taking this doctoral journey with me. I
would like to thank Dr. Mora-Flores, my dissertation chair for her continued support and
encouragement. Her belief in me has been essential for my success. I would also like to thank my
dissertation committee Dr. Sandra Kaplan and Dr. Joan Tardibuono for providing me the
foundation on which I built my scholarly research practices. I am forever grateful to my
committee for helping me make my dream a reality.
It has been an honor and a privilege to be a member of the inaugural Ed.D. in
Organizational Change and Leadership Program cohort. I wish to thank my colleagues for
exposing me to situations that have allowed me to grow as a professional and as an individual.
The skills and knowledge I have developed throughout the program will continue to serve me as
I work towards making change in K-12 education while incorporating USC’s four academic
pillars into my personal and professional life. We fight on forever!
To my amazing husband, Dr. Ruben Zepeda II – all things both big and small begin and
end with the love I have for you. You have changed my life through your commitment to
education and your positive attitude. You have inspired me to never give up and never give in. I
will always remember the day you earned your doctorate degree from USC. You encouraged me
to do the same. I have a beautiful life because of you. Thank you for always being there to share
my accomplishments as well as my struggles and to help me live my dream. You are the source
of my joy. I love you more than you will ever know!
To my paternal grandparents, Jose and Emilia Magana – it was 90 years ago that you left
your small village in Mexico to migrate to the United States. You did not know what the future
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 5
would hold but you had the courage to venture into the great unknown. I am your legacy. I miss
you both beyond words.
To my parents, Matilde and Angelina Magana – you always knew I was destined to make
my dreams come true. You are my biggest cheerleaders! You have been there to inspire me and
keep me grounded. Throughout my life, you have both made great sacrifices for me. I am
thankful for your love and support. It is an honor to be the first in the family to earn a doctorate
degree. I will use my knowledge to continue to make you proud. I love you both!
To my in-laws, Ruben and Martha Zepeda – thank you for always having a kind word of
encouragement and sharing in my success. You have always treated me like your daughter and it
means the world to me. Love you both!
To my siblings and their families – Mary and Anna, Ruben and Christine, Carlos and
Debbie – thank you for supporting my endeavors. Since childhood you have always encouraged
me to move forward and achieve my goals. You have all helped shape my destiny. There were
endless times when you changed family gatherings just to accommodate my schedule. You were
always there to listen to my many stories. I am proud to be your sister. You have all taken this
journey with me. I love you all!
To my nieces and nephews – Annie, Nicholas, Jonathan, Maurine and my great niece
Kiala – dream big! The sky’s the limit and opportunities are endless. I have great expectations
for you to seize the moment and live your life to the fullest. You are my inspiration. I will always
be here for you. I am blessed to be your Aunt. Love you all to the moon and back!
I also want to thank God and Our Blessed Mother for moving forward in faith every day.
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart
leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” - Psalm 28.7
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………….…………………………2
DEDICATION…………………………………………………..………………………………...3
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……….……………………………….……………………………….4
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM OF PRACTICE…………………..10
Introduction to the Problem of Practice…………….……………………………….…...10
Organizational Context and Mission………………………………………………….....12
Organizational Goal……………………………………………………………………...14
Related Literature…………………………………………………………………..…….15
Importance of Performance Evaluation………………………………………………….17
Description of Stakeholder Groups……………………………………………………...18
Stakeholder Performance Goals…...……………………………………………….……19
Stakeholder Group for the Study…………………….…………………………………..21
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions.…………………………………………22
Methodology and Framework……………………………………………………………22
Definitions……………………………………………………………………….……….23
Organization of the Project………………………………………………………………25
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………….……………………….26
Review of Literature…………………………………………………………….……….26
Instructional Needs of English Language Learners……………………………………...26
Academic Vocabulary……………………………………………………………………27
Professional Development……………………………………………………………….29
Professional Development Funding……………………………………………………...30
School Leaders………………………………………………………….…………….….31
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 7
Gap Analysis Framework…………………………………………………………….….32
Learning and Motivational Theory……………………………………………………....33
Knowledge Types…………………………………………………………………….….34
Teacher Knowledge Influences………………………………………………………….35
Declarative Knowledge Influences…………….………………………………………...35
Conceptual Knowledge Influences…………….………………………………………...37
Procedural Knowledge Influences…………….…………….…………………………...38
Metacognitive Knowledge Influences……………………………………………….......39
Motivation…………………………………………………………………………….….41
Attribution Theory……………………………………………………………………….42
Teachers and Attribution Theory…………………………………………………….…..43
Self-Efficacy Theory……………………………………………………………………..44
Teachers and Self-Efficacy………..……………………………………………………..44
Organizational Influences………………………………………………………………..46
Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………………..49
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………51
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT..………..53
Methodology and Purpose of the Project…………...………………...…………………53
Data Collection and Instrumentation…………………………………………………….53
Surveys…………………………………………………………………………………..54
Interviews……………………………………………………………………………..…55
Observations……………………………………………………………………………..56
Participating Stakeholders……………………………………………………………….56
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 8
Survey Sampling and Criterion Rationale……………………………………………....57
Survey Sampling Strategy and Rationale…………………………………………….…58
Interview Sampling Strategy and Rationale………………………………………….…58
Observation Sampling Criterion and Rationale…………………………………………59
Observation Sampling Access Strategy and Rationale………………………...…….....60
Credibility and Trustworthiness…………………………………………………….…..60
Ethics……………………………………………………………………………………61
Limitations………………………………………………………………………………62
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS………………………………………………64
Results and Findings…………………………………………………………………….64
Participating Stakeholders………………………….…………………………………...65
Results…………………………………………………………………………………..67
Findings………………………………………………………………………………....77
Knowledge……………………………………………………………………..……….78
Motivation………………………………………………………………………………82
Organizational..…………………………………………………………………………84
Observations……………………………………………………………………............89
School Site Leadership………………………………………………………………..100
Summary………………………………………………………………………………104
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………..106
Discussion and Recommendations………………………………….………………...106
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences…………………………109
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan……………………………………....117
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 9
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….126
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………..128
APENDICES
APPENDIX A: Survey Protocol………………………………………………………141
APPENDIX B: Interview Protocol……………………………………………………143
APPENDIX C: Observation Protocol…………..……………………………………..145
APPENDIX D: English Learner Academic Vocabulary Training Evaluation………..146
APPENDIX E: English Learner Academic Vocabulary Reflection Survey………......147

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 10
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction to the Problem of Practice
California is home to many children and families of various languages and cultures.
According to the U.S. Census Report (2010), English is the majority language and Spanish is
reported as second most used language, not only in California but in the entire United States
(California Department of Education, 2012). According to the California Department of
Education (2014), approximately 43% of public school students in California live in homes
where English is not the primary language. The National Education Association (NEA, 2010),
estimated that by the year 2025 nearly one out of every four public school students will be an
English language learner. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP, 2013) the largest achievement gap between English language learners (ELLs) and native
English-speaking students, occurred in 2011 with a thirty-nine points gap. Many ELLs have a
difficult time accessing content due to unfamiliar and complex academic vocabulary and are
therefore more, likely to perform poorly on district level and state assessments. The data
suggested that classroom teachers need to provide tailored vocabulary instruction to meet the
needs of ELLs (August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005).
The implementation of the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English
language arts has placed the focus on developing language for ELLs across the curriculum. The
CCSS standards revealed the critical need for teachers to put into practice explicit direct
instructional lessons and engagement strategies providing strong academic language support.
The language demands explain that students are required to “develop the skills in reading,
writing, speaking, and listening that are the foundation for any creative and purposeful
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 11
expression in language” (Standards, p. 3). According to the California Department of Education
(CDE, 2010) these language domains are critical for students to be college and career ready.
Complex levels of language demands and academic vocabulary result in the widening of
the achievement gap between native English speakers and English learners (Butler & Hakuta,
2009; Okhremtchouk, 2014). A longitudinal study conducted by Slama (2014) followed 2,673
Kindergarten ELLs to determine the length of time it would take for students to be reclassified
into English only language programs. The results of the study indicated that over a period of
eight years, 63% were reclassified by the fifth grade. Consequently, the study also revealed that
40% of the students who were reclassified into English-only programs, scored below proficiency
levels in English language arts and mathematics beginning in the third grade. The study indicated
that students enrolled in English language development (ELD) classes for a large majority of the
day, were isolated from content-area instruction and therefore struggled in academic content
areas, after reclassification.
There are many programs and learning strategies that can be implemented to provide
academic support and academic vocabulary to English learners. Strategies used for ELLs should
support the learning process. Instructional engagement strategies such as explicit recognition of
cognates, study of morphology, and consistent weaving of content vocabulary can make
language acquisition possible (August, Carlo, Dressler, Lippman & White, 2004; Bialystok,
2007; Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2004). In addition, teachers need the knowledge in research
based vocabulary instruction to support students’ acquisition of the English language (Geokce,
2010; Mansfield & Volet, 2014). Research also suggests that teachers need targeted professional
development and training that can enhance their skill to identify the individual needs of ELLs
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 12
and differentiate accordingly (Applegate & Applegate, 2010; Connell & Klem, 2004; Guthrie,
Ho, & Klauda, 2013).
English learners represent the fastest growing population in the United States (NEA,
2010). English language proficiency is one of the most important elements required for students
to achieve academic proficiency. This study will evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational support that teachers must attain to effectively assist ELLs with academic
vocabulary development. Targeted professional development and the use of academic
engagement strategies will also be examined. The findings of this study will assist ELL teachers
and school organization stakeholders to gain understanding of the complex factors that must be
addressed to raise the academic proficiency levels required by California Common Core State
Standards (CDE, 2013).
Many ELLs experience reading and comprehension difficulties due to their lack of
vocabulary development. Teachers that have the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
support have the ability to assist ELLs in their effort to acquire language proficiency. The
literature review restates the research findings that teachers who have knowledge of instructional
practices and structured strategies can have a profound influence on ELLs (Cunningham &
Moore, 1993). In addition, teachers are motivated when they can share and collaborate with
colleagues regarding lesson structures and procedural provisions that make meaningful and
engaging connections for ELLs. School districts also have the responsibility to support teachers
with sustainable professional development that will promote language acquisition for ELLs.
Organizational Context and Mission
High Desert School District is a public-school district in San Simeon County. The
mission of this organization is to provide academic and rigorous instruction and to ensure that all
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 13
students meet English language proficiency levels. The school districts’s mission statement is
dedicated to nurturing a rich multicultural environment committed to achieving academic and
personal excellence. High Desert School District’s purpose is to support students in the
development of the knowledge and talents they will need to become active and responsible
citizens who are capable of learning and applying academic and social skills.
According to the California Department of Education (CDE, 2016), the demographics of
the student population at High Desert School District is 75% Latino or Hispanic, 15% White, and
10% other ethnicities in kindergarten through eighth grade. The student population is made up of
approximately 47% females and 53% males. In addition, 25% of the Latino or Hispanic
population is designated as English language learners. English language learners in the United
States are defined as individual students whose native language is not English. This classification
is determined by a home language survey when parents enroll their children in California public
schools. The data collected by the CDE (2016) indicates that 98% of the students designated as
ELLs at High Desert Public School District use Spanish as their primary language. The
remaining 2% of the English learner population use other languages such as Tagalog,
Vietnamese, and Arabic.
Each year public schools are required by the State of California to administer a test to
ELLs. The California English Language Development Test (CELDT) measures the aptitude of
English learners in four areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students are required to
take the test each year until they meet the specified English language proficiency levels set by
the State of California (CDE, 2015). There are five performance levels: advanced, early
advanced, intermediate, early intermediate, and beginning. Once test results are received by the
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 14
CDE, students are provided with mandated targeted instruction for a minimum of 40 minutes per
school day (CDE, 2015).
Organizational Goal
The mission of the High Desert School District administrators and staff is to encourage
every student to achieve their maximum potential by delivering the knowledge, concepts, and
academic skills necessary for student mastery of the State of California content standards. High
Desert School District teachers, will lay the groundwork for academic, professional, and personal
success by implementing instructional academic vocabulary strategies to assist ELLs in
acquiring language. By June 2019, 100% of the teachers at Sands Elementary School will
implement key academic vocabulary engagement strategies into daily lesson plans. The focus
will be to identify teachers’ abilities to help ELLs access academic vocabulary. The stakeholders
will produce a peer support system within the organization that will assist in the implementation
of strategies in a systematic method to develop the academic vocabulary of ELLs that will
provide students access to content comprehension and academic understanding (Crosson &
Lesaux, 2010).
According to the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) administered
by High Desert School District in 2016, 46% of ELL students in fourth and fifth grade did not
advance beyond the intermediate level. The low reclassification rates signal the need to engage
and focus on academic vocabulary development. Students who are not raised in English speaking
homes are at a disadvantage which can affect their reading, writing, and comprehension skills
(Colombo & Fontaine, 2009). Teachers need comprehensive vocabulary training and
professional development opportunities that will help them to engage and provide ELL students
with the assistance they need to reclassify and be successful in reading and writing (August,
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 15
Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005). This study will investigate the extent to which teachers use
instructional engagement strategies to develop ELLs academic vocabulary.
Related Literature
There have been several education policy attempts by the federal government to provide
academic equity for ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) began as a measure to raise
student achievement for all students but fell short in an effort to educate specific student
populations (Ho, 2008). According to Darling-Hammond (2007) NCLB produced data that
exposed the widening of the achievement gap for students with disabilities, those that live in
poverty, and English language learners. The initiative was a complex policy that set unrealistic
academic targets that presented challenges for students in the process of learning and acquiring
academic English (Darling-Hammond, 2007). NCLB disaggregated content data and made
individual school districts accountable. As a result, the responsibility to educate low performing
ELL students was placed on classroom teachers with little or no professional development
training (Darling-Hammond, 2007).
In December 2015, President Obama signed into law The Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA) which replaced the NCLB Act (United States Department of Education, 2015). New
legislation allocated additional resources under Title III which has targeted funding to
specifically benefit Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and immigrant youth. School
districts will be required to demonstrate that public schools are implementing programs and
professional development opportunities for teachers of ELL students. Accountability will be
measured in the form of progress towards language acquisition not mastery as stated in the ESSA
Act. The implementation of additional resources sends a clear message to individual states that
ELLs need time and linguistic exposure to develop specific language skills to become successful
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 16
in academic content areas (Echevarria & Short, 2005). This mandate requires districts to place a
high-priority on professional development training and provide opportunities for classroom
teachers to improve their knowledge of strategies for improving language acquisition for ELLs
(Barr, Eslami, & Joshi, 2012; Brown, 2007).
Research has indicted that there are many advantages to providing teachers with
instructional strategies to assist English learners (Garcia, 2003; Smith, 2004). High quality
professional development is an important factor that is needed to prepare new teachers and
refresh the skills of experienced teachers. Examining case studies and best practices will provide
the instructional tools needed to benefit not only English learner populations but all students. By
learning new techniques, methods, and strategies, teachers gain the skills that are necessary to
serve English language learner students. In addition, collaborating with other teachers also
enhances learning and lesson delivery in the classroom (Anderman, 2009).
Vocabulary development for ELLs is a fundamental prerequisite enabling students to
master content areas of study such as literature, science and social studies. Furthermore, word
learning and word development have a direct impact on reading comprehension (Bannon, Fisher,
Pozzi, & Wessel, 1990). Research has verified that ELL students experience challenges in
reading and understanding English text due to the complexity of syntax, phonemic rules of
English, and a lack of student connection with content vocabulary (Soto-Huerta, 2012;
Ardasheva & Tretter, 2013). Biemiller and Boote (2006) conducted a study with 112, K-2
students with classrooms comprised of 50% English learners over a six-month period of time.
They found that during direct instruction, students increased their academic vocabulary by 22%
when teachers applied the strategy of rereading, isolating words, relating academic vocabulary to
visual representations, used cognates, and made connections with verbal explanations (Biemiller
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 17
& Boote, 2006). This study showed the importance of implementing academic vocabulary
strategies to support ELLs overall academic achievement. When teachers gain knowledge
through professional development and receive on-going support they are able to master and
implement strategies effectively, benefiting and improving ELLs language development.
Importance of Performance Evaluation
It is important to evaluate the organization’s performance in providing instructional
strategies in academic vocabulary for ELLs for a variety of reasons. The stakeholders and school
district will gain the knowledge that is required to support ELLs attainment of a second language
which progresses over time. Cummins (1979) studied the development of second language
acquisition and found a distinction between basic interpersonal communication skills and
cognitive academic language proficiency. In his research, Cummins found a major pattern in the
attainment of a second language. Basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) are generally
acquired in a short amount of time. These skills include daily greetings and surface level fluency.
Cognitive academic language proficiency skills (CALP) take much longer to develop, as they
require a higher level of academic related vocabulary and aptitude (Cummins & Swain, 1986).
Students who are in the beginning stages of English acquisition may not be able to demonstrate
their understanding of subject matter content due to gaps in vocabulary and academic language
(Abedi, 2008; Mahon, 2006; Wolf, Farmsworth & Herman, 2008).
Providing classroom teachers research based professional development training in
academic vocabulary acquisition can enhance instructional practices and sustainability. The
evaluation process will also require consistency and reflection to determine connections or gaps
that may help or hinder successful student outcomes. The evaluation process can only be
successful if the information is reliable and valid (Clark and Estes, 2008).
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 18
Learning and embedding new knowledge requires a systematic approach to professional
development and accountability. Therefore, evaluating the organization’s approach to teacher
knowledge in vocabulary instruction and motivating teachers to collaborate and share
engagement strategies will help ELLs achieve language acquisition that provide students with
opportunities to succeed across all academic content areas (Butler & Hukuta, 2009; Solano-
Flores, 2008; Solorzano, 2008).
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The stakeholders in a public-school system are held accountable at many levels. The key
stakeholders are district office administrators, academic directors, school-site principals, site
administrators and classroom teachers. The district office administrators have the responsibility
to ensure that funding is adequate and to support the mission of the district. School districts have
a common understanding in that they need to follow the mission and vision statement according
to policies set forth by the Board of Education and the State of California. Budgets are developed
around the key purpose of the organization which is student learning.
Academic directors are responsible for ensuring that students are meeting state and
federal curriculum guidelines. They maintain a close working relationship with school-based and
district-level administrators to ensure information exchange, coordination of efforts, and general
support for the decision-making process regarding core subject curriculum (Clayton & Thessin,
2013). The academic director also uses a variety of communication techniques and tools to
maintain the appropriate flow of information, collaborative efforts, reflection and feedback. The
stakeholder benefit is that they have the ability to replicate classroom successes and transfer that
data to other school sites for their own improvement and data analysis (Goldstein, Lugo-Neris, &
Jackson, 2010).
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 19
The school site principal plays an important role as a stakeholder by helping to improve
academic achievement (Hii & Odhiambo, 2012). As the leader of the school, one of the primary
responsibilities of the principal is to shape the vision of academic success for students. The
principal creates a climate of collaboration and works toward cultivating teacher leadership at all
levels. School principals must also focus on the quality of instruction as well as provide teachers
support in executing effective lesson delivery (Bolman & Deal, 2008).
Teachers are key stakeholders at a school site. Teachers work directly with students and
parents to ensure they are meeting the needs of all students. Teachers have the task of evaluating
data and reflecting upon best practices to deliver lessons that are content based and relevant to
student success. Teachers are directly invested in the welfare and success of student performance
(Guskey, 2007).
Stakeholder Performance Goals
Table 1.1
Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goal
Organizational Mission
The mission of the High Desert School District is to provide each child with a rigorous and
relevant academic education, a safe learning environment, and the knowledge and skills necessary
for success in the 21
st
Century.

Organizational Performance Goal
By June 2019, 100% of classroom teachers in third through fifth grades at Sands Elementary
School will implement academic engagement strategies into daily lesson plans for the
improvement of student vocabulary development.
School District Office Academic Director School Principal Teachers
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 20
By October 2018,
$11,500 in funding
will be allocated by
the school district for
teachers to attend
professional
development training
toward goal
compliance.
By November 2018,
the academic director
will arrange for
teachers to attend a
two-day training in
conjunction with the
organizational
performance goal.
By March 2019,
the principal will
observe all teachers to
ensure they are
implementing
vocabulary
engagement
strategies.

By June 2019,
100% teachers will
implement and utilize
academic vocabulary
engagement strategies
and share effective
results with colleagues.

Table 1.2
Summary of the Assumed Needs for Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Issues
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sources Knowledge Motivation Organization

Learning and
Motivation
Theory

Teachers need to
know how to access
a students’ primary
language in order to
use academic
strategies to make
meaningful
connections.

Teachers need to
have an
understanding of the
process by which
students acquire a
second language.

Teachers need to
know the difference
between social
language and
academic language
acquisition.

Teachers need to
know how to teach
and measure
language growth.

Teachers need to be
efficacious in
delivering direct
vocabulary
instruction to English
learners.

Teachers need
support in their
ability to engage
students to improve
academic vocabulary
proficiency.

Teachers need to
embrace new and
innovative ways to
engage English
learners.

Teachers need to set
professional goals
and work
collaboratively with
colleagues.

Teachers need to
participate in goal
setting and
instructional planning
for English learners.

Teachers need
professional
development training
that include
the evaluation of
instructional practices
specifically focused
on academic
vocabulary.

Teachers need to
participate in peer
reviews and
observations in order
to receive feedback to
improve classroom
instruction.

Teachers need to be
accountable for
student achievement
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 21

Teachers need to
know what
academic
vocabulary
comprises.

Teachers need to
identify strategies to
support vocabulary
development.

Teachers need to
understand the
impact of
vocabulary on
academic
achievement.

by using data
and aligning research
based instructional
strategies.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders will contribute to the achievement of the overall
goal of 100% of classroom teachers in Sands Elementary School implementing academic
vocabulary engagement strategies, the stakeholders of focus for this study will be third through
fifth grade classroom teachers at Sands Elementary School. The third through fifth grade level
group was selected as the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require students to
master several vocabulary acquisition areas throughout these grade levels. The vocabulary
language requirements include the ability to clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple
meaning words and phrases, understanding word relationships in content areas, and the ability to
understand figurative language. The vocabulary language skills are based on grade level content.
The stakeholders’ goal, supported by the district office, is that 100% of classroom teachers will
utilize academic engagement strategies to build vocabulary into daily lesson plans. Compliance
procedures include attending training sessions and professional learning community (PLC)
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 22
collaboration meetings. Teachers will analyze summative assessment data in core content
subjects to determine academic proficiency and English language proficiency levels.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of this project is to conduct a gap analysis to examine the extent in which
the school district is supporting teachers by providing academic vocabulary engagement
strategies and professional development to increase student comprehension for ELLs. The
analysis will focus on teacher knowledge and motivation as well as the organizational influences
that contribute to the success of ELLs. While a complete gap analysis would focus on all
stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis are third
through fifth grade teachers at Sands Elementary School. The questions that guide this study are
the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that influence
the teacher’s ability to implement instructional engagement strategies in
academic vocabulary to support ELLs academic achievement?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practices in the area of
knowledge, motivation, and organizational support that will assist teachers in
implementing explicit vocabulary instruction?
Methodology and Framework

Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework is an effective framework for academic
improvement that requires the evaluation of the culture and climate of the organization. Clark
and Estes (2008) provided a clear and effective process that can enable organizations to evaluate
and put into practice a procedure that can make significate and sustainable change for ELLs.
Educational institutions are often resistant to change due to a lack of resources, behavior, and
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 23
attitudes (Clark and Estes, 2008). Therefore, the method that is adopted must be carefully
selected keeping in mind the importance of aligning organizational culture with organizational
behavior. In addition, organizational support is needed to build knowledge, peer relationships,
and work towards a common goal to provide ELLs with academic vocabulary (Clark and Estes,
2008).
To provide ELLs with the support they need to be successful, teachers must acquire the
knowledge to incorporate academic content and strategies to instructional practices. Setting
performance goals provides a clear and specific focus on the tasks that must be accomplished in
order to reach the desired outcomes (Clark and Estes, 2008). A key component is communicating
to all stakeholders about the process and the plan to help ELLs. It is the responsibility of
leadership to continually adapt and be involved in the improvement and development process
(Clark and Estes, 2008). Schools must be flexible and ready to face the challenges of
organizational change by supporting teachers and providing engagement strategies to help
facilitate academic vocabulary development for ELLs.
Definitions
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). A computer adaptive
grade level specific test that is used to monitor student process in English language arts
and mathematics.
Cloze Worksheet. A printed passage that contains blanks within the sentences that are
deliberately omitted to test a student’s comprehension.
Differentiated Instruction. A philosophy of instruction and assessment for effective teaching
which includes different ways to learn academic content. Differentiated instruction often
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 24
includes differentiating content, process and product to provide individual learning plans
(Tomlinson, 2001).
English Language Development (ELD). A systematic instructional model designed to develop
English language proficiency for students who speak English as a second language.
English Language Learners (ELLs). Students whose native or home language is not English.
Formative assessment. An assessment or test that results in immediate feedback to determine
if the student has learned the academic content.
Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). A document developed by stakeholder groups at a
school site to determine how to allocate funding received by the state of California
(California Department of Education, 2016).
Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). A formula that determines funding levels for schools
in California (California Department of Education, 2016).
Professional Learning Communities (PLC). A group of educators that meets regularly, shares
expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic
performance of students.
Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP). Students with a primary language other than
English who were initially classified as English learners, but who have subsequently met
the school districts exit criteria for English language proficiency.
Summative assessment. A cumulative assessment or test that concludes if the student
has content mastery.
Total Physical Response (TPR). A coordination of language and physical movement.
Tracking. Students using their index finger to identify the words on the page as they read.
Transfer. Applying knowledge from primary language L1 to secondary language L2.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 25
Wait time. The period of silence between the time a question is asked and the time when one or
more students respond to that question.
Organization of the Project
Five chapters are used to organize this study. Chapter One provided the reader with the
main concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about the importance of
classroom teachers implementing high quality instructional engagement strategies that will help
ELLs acquire academic content vocabulary in the classroom. The organization’s mission, goals,
and stakeholders are also included in Chapter One. Chapter Two provides a review of literature
that surrounds the problem of practice. Chapter Three provides details as to the methodology in
the selection of participants, data collection, and analysis. In addition, Chapter Four presents the
findings on the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that influence the problem of
practice. Finally, Chapter Five provides recommendations for addressing the gap in knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences and the school district’s ability to meet its goal.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 26
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Literature
This literature examines the importance of academic content vocabulary and teacher
instructional support as it relates to ELLs. In addition, it addresses how professional
development training for teachers is necessary to target specific content vocabulary language that
ELLs need to become language proficient. Organizational influences and accountability
measures also play a role in supporting language development for ELLs. This chapter contains
an in-depth review of literature on classroom engagement among ELLs to support vocabulary
instructional strategies. It is followed by an overview of the Clark and Estes (2008) knowledge,
motivation, and organizational conceptual framework. The literature overview will solidify the
barriers that face ELLs as well as the importance of sustainable teacher professional
development for the improvement of academic vocabulary. This chapter ends with an evaluation
of gap analysis as the component directly relates to the Clark and Estes (2008) knowledge,
motivation, and organizational conceptual framework.
Instructional Needs of English Language Learners
ELLs in the United States are defined as individual students whose native language is not
English. This classification is determined by a home language survey when parents enroll their
children in public schools. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2014) reported that in
2011–2012, 9.1%, or approximately 4.4 million students fall within this demographic. According
to Calderon, Sanchez, and Slavin (2011) English language learners are the fastest growing
population in public schools in the United States. They also reported that educators have not
been adequately trained to provide effective language and academic vocabulary instruction for
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 27
students in K-12. Therefore, there is an urgency to provide adequate professional development
and ongoing training for teachers to be able to meet the academic needs of ELLs.
A comparative empirical study of various academic content area assessments found that
ELLs score significantly lower in reading and comprehension than native English speakers on
state assessments and district benchmarks (Abedi, Hofstetter & Lord, 2004). Consequently, with
the complex language demands included in state assessments, the aggregated achievement scores
of native English speakers surpassed those of English learners, thus widening the achievement
gap (Butler & Hakuta, 2009; Okhremtchouk, 2014).
Academic Vocabulary
Academic vocabulary development plays a major role in building reading and
comprehension proficiency for ELLs. It provides the foundation that allows for a gradual
increase in analyzing and comparing complex texts as required by the California Common Core
State Standards (CDE, 2013; Huntley, 2006; Silverman, 2007). Studies indicate that ELLs who
are struggling in reading attribute their limitations to the lack of sufficient vocabulary knowledge
and a lack of exposure to vocabulary and syntactic structure (August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow,
2005; Tran, 2006). Therefore, ELLs necessitate tailored vocabulary instruction that connects
with academic content creating an environment of learning language skills so that the student can
become proficient in reading and comprehension.
In a study conducted by Silverman (2007) five kindergarten teachers met for 5 half-day
training sessions to implement a 14-week curriculum program that focused on visual
representation and oral vocabulary. The classroom students consisted of approximately 60%
ELLs with the remaining 40% English only (EO). Students in the classroom participated in a pre-
test before teachers began teaching the curriculum. Specific academic vocabulary words were
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 28
targeted in the lessons. The teachers would read literature stories and include kinesthetic and
choral reading to engage students. Students would also draw pictures that related directly to the
literature. The post-tests revealed that EO students had a growth rate of 44% while ELLs grew at
a rate of 20% (Silverman, 2007). The study indicated that ELLs did not grow at the same rate
due to their low English proficiency yet it does reveal that ELLs do have the potential to acquire
the vocabulary knowledge when specific and targeted curriculum is implemented and a variety
of engagement strategies are applied.
Academic vocabulary instruction for ELLs is a key component to English language
attainment. Reading comprehension is a skill that requires specific cognitive skills and the
understanding of content and language models (Fairbanks & Stahl, 1986). ELLs need to develop
those skills to draw upon prior knowledge and make inferences to understand complex text
patterns (Alexander & Jetton, 2000). A study conducted by Faller, Kelley, Kieffer & Lesaux
(2011) researched the effectiveness of a targeted vocabulary study program. The study was
conducted in 21 classes with 476 sixth grade students with 73% of students designated as ELLs
and 27% designated as EOs. The curriculum used was targeted for use in mainstream and ELL
classrooms. Over the course of 18 weeks teachers would implement 45-minute long daily lessons
featuring engagement strategies that included the use of sketch representations, crossword
puzzles, graphic organizers, and student group collaboration. The study found that ELLs scored
gains of 8% to 15% on a standard vocabulary and comprehension test. The findings also
indicated that students were in various stages of language acquisition. Therefore, vocabulary
development is a significant component that requires consistent and structured curriculum to
tailor the academic content to meet the needs of ELL students.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 29
Furthermore, implementation of instructional vocabulary strategies for ELLs should
begin with small scales and be measurable, monitoring progress along the way. In a study (Soto-
Huerta, 2012) of 45 fourth-graders reading skills, the researcher found that students required
several types of engagement strategies to enhance their reading comprehension and build
academic vocabulary. Strategies such as oral read alouds, total physical response (TPR) to
literature, and making connections to academic vocabulary provided the students with the
cognitive ability to make connections. The results verified that ELLs require multiple
opportunities to draw meaning to read and comprehend text (Soto-Huerta, 2012). ELLs also
require time and practice to develop the newly acquired skills. New language patterns can be
adapted by hearing and comprehending messages that are slightly above the ELLs reading level
(Krashen, 1981).
Professional Development
Research has indicted that there are many advantages to providing teachers with
strategies to assist English learners. Emo (2015) conducted a study with 30 primary grade
classroom teachers with four or more years of full-time teaching experience. Emo wanted to
determine the level of training required to engage and motivate student learning. The results
yielded a higher level of student interaction but also produced a rise in teacher self-efficacy and
produced creative forms of classroom lesson delivery (Emo, 2015). High quality professional
development that is linked to accountability is essential in preparing new teachers and energizing
the skills of veteran teachers. Examining researched based case studies and best practices will
provide the instructional tools needed to benefit not only our English learners but all students. By
learning new techniques, methods, and strategies, teachers gain the skills that are necessary to
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 30
serve the student population and provide equity to English learners (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009;
August & Shanahan, 2006).
Effective professional development should consist of a structured series of trainings and
follow-up workshops aimed at promoting collaboration with colleagues. Trainings should
include research based material and proven practices to provide teachers with the knowledge
they require to support ELLs in the development of strategies for building academic vocabulary
knowledge and introducing students to language patterns. All levels of participation by teachers
and school administrators are essential for the improvement of the training structure and holding
all stakeholders jointly accountable (Corts, 2007).
A two-year study conducted in six schools by Connell and Klem (2004) examined the
motivation and teacher collaboration needed to enhance student achievement by providing
professional development in reading and writing. The study resulted in a 20% increase in
benchmark scores for students in first through third grade and modest gains of 11% for students
in grades four through six. In addition, the study found that teachers experienced an increase in
self-efficacy while working and collaborating with their professional learning community (PLC).
Professional Development Funding
In 2013, California implemented the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). According
to the California Department of Education (CDE), school districts are provided with a base grant
for each school. Schools with high concentrations of ELL or special populations receive
additional funding. Individual school sites must establish an individual Local Control
Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP is developed by all stakeholders at a school site. The
new funding formulas allow school sites to manage the finances and allocate funds where it is
most needed (California Department of Education, 2016). The funding formula’s development is
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 31
indicative of the fact that ELLs need additional academic support. Therefore, school districts
have the opportunity to provide a comprehensive funding plan that includes professional
development that will breed support for ELLs academic vocabulary.
Districts have an ethical responsibility to provide quality professional development
opportunities for classroom teachers. The challenge of providing a rigorous and quality
education for ELLs has become increasingly complicated as teachers lack the necessary
knowledge. Firestone and Shipps (2005) stated that demands on teacher accountability are
increasing due to conflicting political, bureaucratic, and professional accountability measures. In
addition, teachers need specific direction and support to develop and enhance equity and student
achievement (Firestone and Shipps, 2005). Nevertheless, the role of public schools is to support
teachers with effective research based professional developmental training that will result in
stronger academic support of all students including special populations and ELLs.
School Leaders
The school organization plays an important role in communicating and supporting
classroom teachers. According to Marzano, McNulty, and Waters (2003) school leadership has a
direct connection to student achievement. One of the primary responsibilities of the school
organization is to shape the vision of academic success for students which begins by supporting
teachers. School principals need to make professional development a priority by allocating the
appropriate funds to support academic achievement for ELLs. Leaders cultivate the culture and
focus of organizational change as it relates to teacher training. A qualitative study by Youngs
(2007) found that 75% of teachers that were assigned to school principals who provided
professional development opportunities and mentoring support had high levels of self-efficacy. A
teacher’s perception of academic language, curriculum, engagement strategies and lesson
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 32
delivery are important factors that must be analyzed and evaluated to maximize teacher
motivation and student achievement (Black, 2014;Youngs, 2007).
Every school organization interprets and facilitates change differently. Every aspect of
change is unique depending on the circumstances, individual knowledge and motivation (Clark
and Estes, 2008). It is the responsibility of leadership to continually adapt and adjust according
to circumstances that will inevitably arise (Clark and Estes, 2008). Schools must be flexible and
ready to face the challenges of organizational change.
ELLs that are unable to achieve language proficiency face many educational challenges
due to the lack of their academic vocabulary knowledge that is used daily in content instruction
(August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005). Providing students with the opportunity to achieve
academic success requires teachers and administrators to provide research based strategies and a
commitment to the accountability process. Academic equity for ELLs at Sands Elementary
School can be attained when organizational change is deliberate and consistent. Moreover, the
use of goal setting and meaningful professional development opportunities will produce engaged
students and move them towards language mastery.
Gap Analysis Framework
The Clark and Estes gap analysis framework is an effective framework for academic
improvement that requires the evaluation of the culture and climate of the organization. Clark
and Estes (2008) provided a clear and effective process that can enable organizations to evaluate
and put into practice a process that can make significate and sustainable change for English
learners. Educational institutions are often resistant to change due to lack of resources, behavior,
and attitudes (Clark and Estes, 2008). Therefore, the method that is adopted must be carefully
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 33
selected keeping in mind the importance of aligning organizational culture with organizational
behavior.
Teachers must acquire the academic vocabulary knowledge needed to incorporate content
and strategies into their instructional practices. Setting performance goals provides a clear and
specific focus on the tasks that must be accomplished to reach the desired outcomes (Clark and
Estes, 2008). Teachers set goals according to ELL language levels that are aligned with content
curriculum and state standards. The organization must then support and motivation teachers to
work towards the goals to maximize student achievement. A key component in achieving
success, is the communication of the process and the plan for helping ELLs. It is the
responsibility of leadership to continually adapt to and be involved in the improvement and
development process (Clark and Estes, 2008). Schools must be flexible and ready to face the
challenges of organizational change.
Learning and Motivation Theory
Clark and Estes (2008) identified three causes of the performance gap and factors that
need to be examined in order to determine which factors must be addressed for identifying and
achieving institutional goals that meet the needs of the organization. These factors include
stakeholder knowledge and skills, their motivation to achieve performance goals, and
organizational barriers that keep stakeholders from achieving their goal.
California schools serve many students of various languages and cultures with in the K-
12 public school system. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2014),
English is the majority language and Spanish is the second most reported language used in
California. These statistics are reflective of the children that teachers encounter in their
classrooms. California public schools currently serve the largest population of English language
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 34
learners in the country (California Department of Education, 2015). Public school teachers in the
United States face many internal and external challenges in the quest to educate all children
including English language learners. One of the top priorities is to engage students to acquire
academic vocabulary.
The concept of student engagement can include a variety of definitions. For the purpose
of this study, student engagement is defined as student involvement in academic assignments
which include effort, persistence, attention, contribution to class discussions, and on task
behavior (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000; Marks, 2000; Skinner & Belmont, 1993). According to
Marks (2000) student engagement is an essential element that promotes social and cognitive
development. Students require learning goals that will motive them to strive for mastery in a
supportive academic environment. In the case of ELLs, teachers require the knowledge and skills
to effectively implement the engagement process which would yield the desired outcome of
cognitively engaged and self-regulated learners.
Knowledge Types
According to Krathwohl (2002) there are four knowledge types that are relevant to
enhance learning outcomes: factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive. Factual
knowledge requires specific information that is needed to fully understand and interpret what is
being composed and developed (Krathwohl, 2002). This type of factual knowledge includes the
ability to successfully transfer and apply new information (Grossman & Salas, 2011). Conceptual
knowledge is a complex organized form of knowledge (Krathwohl, 2002). According to Mayer
(2011), learning is increased when tasks are organized and integrated. Conceptual knowledge
provides the learner with strategies that can build on prior knowledge. Procedural knowledge is
the process of steps or applications that provide automaticity to learn and effectively apply
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 35
content (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Procedural knowledge is also the process of how to
perform a certain task. Lastly, metacognitive knowledge refers to monitoring and the active
control of what learners think about (Mayer, 2011). Metacognition is essential for students to
develop as it relates directly to knowledge and task varibles. When implemented correctly,
teachers and students can benefit from all knowledge types.
Teacher Knowledge Influences
A teacher’s perception of language, curriculum, engagement strategies and application of
academic tasks are important factors that require analysis, evaluation, and reflection to maximize
student participation and achievement. The role of a teacher is to provide the optimal learning
environment and provide academic engagement strategies promoting learning and activating
long-term working memory for students (Mayer, 2011). In addition, teachers with a large
population of ELLs require specialized training which instructs them on how to make academic
connections with a student’s primary language (Hernandez, 2001). The following knowledge
types provide information on the importance of knowledge explanations specifically targeted for
ELLs.
Declarative Knowledge Influences
Teachers need to understand the research and make content connections that support
language acquisition through the use of primary language if they are to adequately provide
engagement strategies to assist ELL students. According to Cummins (1979) there are two areas
that ELLs need to develop in order to be considered proficient in English. The first is the
acquisition of basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS); social language that can be
obtained by daily English conversations with other students (Cummins, 1979). The other is
cognitive academic language proficiency skills (CALP). CALP requires a higher level of
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 36
academic vocabulary and critical thinking skills to filter key concepts and clues in core academic
material such as language arts literature, science and social studies (Cummins, 1979).
Students that acquire a rich vocabulary have the ability to read and form a connection
with reading materials. Studies indicate students that possess a strong vocabulary range have
better reading comprehension skills and are able to understand word relationships (Beck &
McKeown, 2007; Beck, McKeown, & Perfetti, 1982). Teachers require understanding in how to
use a tiered hierarchy system to support vocabulary development for ELLs. According to Beck,
Kucan, and McKeown (2008) there are three levels of conceptual vocabulary acquisition. The
first is Tier One words which are used in everyday speech. These are words that are used on a
daily basis and learned in the early grades. These words are usually not challenging for ELLs.
Tier Two words are words that frequently appear in written informational text. Words such as
formulate, itemize, and relative. These words are generalized and can be used across the
curriculum in many content areas. Tier Three words are domain specific and are used when
learning content knowledge. Tier Three words such as circumference, legislature, and lava are
often scaffold words due to the complexity of the context and must be taught within the relevant
discipline, as these words may be unfamiliar and difficult ELLs to read and comprehend.
Understanding Tier Three words allows students to fully understand the text (Beck, Kucan, &
McKeown 2008). Therefore, the importance of teacher knowledge to provide structured
strategies for ELLs is necessary as it is directly connected to reading comprehension and
language proficiency.
Additionally, studies indicate teachers do not have the adequate support and training that
is necessary to scaffold learning to build academic vocabulary. Studies indicate teachers lack a
framework and consistency in lesson delivery that results in low language arts test scores
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 37
(Lapkin & Swain, 2000; Hardin, 2001). Without specific factual knowledge on how to engage
ELLs in academic vocabulary, teachers are unable to maximize student learning. As a result,
students can become disengaged which can also be connected to poor student behavior (Cox,
Finn, & Folger, 1991; Fincham, Hokoda, & Sanders, 1999). Therefore, the relationship between
content learning and vocabulary engagement requires teachers to retain a high level of factual
understanding in language acquisition that can lead to effectively promoting student engagement
and participation.
Conceptual Knowledge Influences
Conceptual knowledge associated with language acquisition refers to the various
approaches and structures that relate to student engagement and learning. Research has specified
that there are many benefits to using students’ primary language to stimulate engagement
(Hardin, 2001; Hernandez, 2001). Namely, students are able to activate prior knowledge in their
primary language and connect academic content through a designed framework this includes
comparing similarities and differences in both languages (Hardin, 2001; Lapkin & Swain, 2000).
Teachers can also engage ELLs by the use of cognates to reinforce vocabulary understanding as
many English words share similar pronunciation, meaning, and spelling. Student engagement
and participation yield active learning. Cummins (1979) developed the theory of common
underlying proficiency (CUP) that validated support for teaching cognates. Cognates have the
ability to allow ELLs to gain academic language meaning that can enhance reading
comprehension and vocabulary development. The study of cognates is especially beneficial for
students that share a Latin base with English (Carlo, 2004).
Hardin (2001) studied 50 fourth grade students with Spanish as their primary language.
The students utilized specific reading engagement strategies such as think a-louds, use of
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 38
visualization, rereading, and activating prior knowledge. The researcher applied a total of 15
hours of direct reading engagement strategies. Assessments were conducted one-on-one with the
researcher. The study determined that 40% of the students used their primary language (L1) to
comprehend the content reading of the secondary language (L2). The results suggested that over
half the students that participated in the study were dependent on L1 language to make meaning
of the L2 language. The study also reinforces the strength of cognates to make meaning of words
for ELLs. The lesson delivery of cognates must be specifically taught and modeled. The process
will allow students to make the L1 and L2 connection.
Procedural Knowledge Influences
A major component to ELLs acquisition of academic vocabulary is to connect students
with their level of language needs. Studies indicate that students learn best when they are
engaged and actively participating in academic tasks that are differentiated to their individual
level of ability (Hernandez, 2001; Lapkin & Swain, 2000). The optimum learning environment
can be stimulated by several factors. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is composed of three major
themes: cultural differences, institutional, and social interactions (Palincsar & Scott, 2006).
These themes work together to reinforce individual content development through social
interaction that reinforces the development of cognition through higher order learning.
Additionally, Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the student’s
ability to perform tasks with help and tasks without help (Palincsar & Scott, 2006). The ZPD
theory suggested that teacher’s model and guide instruction within the students’ ability while
continuously advancing towards more complex tasks (Palincsar & Scott, 2006). Throughout the
process, the teacher must build and scaffold to ensure student mastery. The practice of
scaffolding to meet the language needs of ELLs should be connected to academic content and be
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 39
meaningful and useful (Dalton, Grisham, & Proctor, 2007). The process will enhance academic
vocabulary engagement and reinforce comprehension allowing students to gain language
mastery.
Teachers need to gain the knowledge to scaffold vocabulary instruction that will make
the content relevant for ELLs. Strategies such a modeling, connecting content to prior
knowledge, and using visuals provide ELLs meaningful connections that can improve reading
and comprehension skills (Anderson, Herman, & Nagy 1987). A study was conducted with 309
middle school students on vocabulary acquisition. Students were provided two different content
texts, each about 1000 words long. One of the texts, teachers provided various scaffolding
strategies including vocabulary word targeting and interaction with the text (Anderson et al.,
1985). After two weeks of study, students were given a multiple-choice comprehension test. The
findings revealed that students scored 11% higher on the text that provided scaffolding verses the
text that did not. Although the gains were modest, the study highlighted the importance of
engaging students and the importance of building ELLs knowledge through scaffolding and
contextual aids (Anderson et al., 1985).
Metacognitive Knowledge Influences
Metacognition is an important concept for teachers in the classroom. Metacognition is
defined as thinking about thinking (Baker, 2006). Knowledge about one’s self as a learner grants
the ability to understand and adjust learning. Teachers can benefit from metacognition when they
reflect and make adjustments to the learning process (Rueda, 2011). Without reflection, teachers
are not able to develop the proper scaffolding to help move students towards the mastery of
academic content. A study by Hatano, Lin, and Schwartz (2005) confirmed the importance of
adapting to the learning environment as teaching presents many different situational challenges
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 40
which are consistently changing. Teachers need to reflect and continually apply new knowledge
to existing knowledge. Moreover, teaching is a highly social task that involves active
communications (Hatano, Lin, & Schwartz, 2005). Therefore, problem solving and
metacognitive reflection must be deliberate and consistent in order for the teacher to be
considered a highly effective instructional leader.
Table 2.1

Organizational Mission and Global Goal

Organizational Mission
The mission of the High Desert School District is to provide each child with a rigorous and
relevant academic education, a safe learning environment, and the knowledge and skills
necessary for success in the 21
st
Century.
Organizational Global Goal
By June 2017, 100% of classroom teachers in third through fifth grades at Sands Elementary
School will utilize academic engagement strategies into daily lesson plans to
improve vocabulary development.
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Knowledge Influences
Assessment
Learning Solution
Principle
Proposed Solution
Declarative:

(Factual):
Teachers need
knowledge on how to
connect students
primary language to
support academic
vocabulary
acquisition.

(Conceptual):
Teachers need to
know the details of
methods to connect
students primary
language to support
academic vocabulary
acquisition.

Teachers asked to
record engagement
strategies delivered
during an academic
vocabulary lesson.

Teachers asked to
collaborate, share, and
summarize best
vocabulary
engagement
strategies.

Modeling strategies
that include ‘how’ and
‘when’ to use
strategies will
increase student
engagement (Schraw
& McCrudden, 2006).

Learning is increased
when trainings
provide tasks that
promote the selecting,
organizing and
integrating of
engagement strategies
(Mayer, 2011).

Professional
development training
based on vocabulary
development will
provide engagement
strategies that include
best teaching
practices.

Training will include
modeling, role play,
and other scaffolding
techniques that will
build on prior
knowledge.

Procedural:
Teachers need to
Teachers will be
observed and asked to
Learning is increased
when practice
Instructional coaches
will help implement
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 41
understand how to
incorporate strategies
using academic
vocabulary to support
academic content
reading.

demonstrate the
academic vocabulary
strategies they are
using.
promotes automaticity
and takes less
capacity in working
memory (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).
academic vocabulary
strategies that will
automate and develop
mastery.

Metacognitive:
Teachers need to
reflect on their ability
to support ELLs by
providing
instructional strategies
related to academic
vocabulary.

Teachers asked to rate
the effectiveness of
academic vocabulary
strategies they are
currently using.
Metacognitive:
Teachers need to
know how to reflect
on their ability to
support ELLs.

A rubric will be
constructed to allow
teachers to engage in
self- reflection and
goal setting.

Motivation
Motivation plays an important role in the teaching profession. The motivation to learn
can enhance performance and thus result in greater student achievement. Teaching ELLs require
teachers to examine different types of instructional strategies that can engage and motivate
English learners (Solorzano, 2008). Gokce (2010) surveyed 386 teachers using a twenty-nine
item questionnaire. The questions focused on the academic and administrative support of
classroom teachers as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can affect teacher motivation
and effort. The results indicated that teachers require support at all levels including professional
development opportunities, recognition, and a supportive work environment.
Motivation comes from the intrinsic desire to direct behavior towards goals and specific
outcomes (Mayer, 2011). Motivation is important as it improves efficiency and increases
productivity. Motivation has the power to make learning meaningful through active participation
and is directly related to goal setting (Mayer, 2011). There are many motivational theories that
are proven effective to help teachers with student engagement. The motivational theories that
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 42
will be discussed and analyzed to assist teachers to feel efficacious and create an effective
classroom environment are attributions theory and self-efficacy.
Attribution Theory
Effective teachers reflect the characteristics of attribution theory as it relates to their job
responsibilities. Anderman & Anderman (2006) described the attribution theory as the
understanding of the desire for people to adapt to their environment, set goals, and respond with
appropriate behavior. Teachers demonstrate this theory when they collaborate with other
colleagues to support best practices (Gorozidis & Papaioannou, 2013). Therefore, working as a
PLC and sharing professional development knowledge promotes future behaviors to engage
teachers in meaningful data analysis and goal setting (Anderman, 2009).
There are three types of attribution theory: locus, stability, and controllability (Rueda,
2011). The locus of control is focused on internal or external controls - internal or intrinsic
influence on self-esteem. Success is a positive source of pride. Many teachers embrace new and
innovative changes that can motivate their external behavior (Gorozidis & Papaioannou, 2013).
Another attribution theory is stability. Stability refers to how likely causes and circumstances
change over time (Rueda, 2011). Stability is directly related to self-expectancy for success.
Spruce and Bol (2015) studied classroom practices and found that often teachers find their daily
classroom routines and learning outcomes unstable due to unattainable goals or extremely high
expectations. The study emphasized the ability to plan, monitor, and self-regulate performance.
The final attribution type is controllability. Teachers are expected to perform academic tasks and
collect formative data for the purpose of adjusting instruction to meet student needs (Mansfield
& Volet, 2014). As in any school organization, there are situations where circumstances such as
changing curriculum or lack of content training due to lack of funding is uncontrollable.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 43
Therefore, success or failure to implement curriculum programs and academic tasks are factors
that may be controllable or uncontrollable.
Teachers and Attribution Theory
Attribution theory can be communicated in many ways (Anderman & Anderman, 2006).
Teachers receive feedback from peers and administrators through observation and data
collection. When suggestions are made to teachers to improve their practices, teachers are more
likely to be motivated towards improvement if they are provided with positive support systems
and specific areas on which to improve (Mansfield & Volet, 2014). The process provides
teachers with the opportunity to change or adapt their attributional beliefs about themselves.
In addition, attribution theory can also be applied to how teachers respond to students in
the classroom (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). It is important for teachers to be able to diagnose
where a student’s academic performance begins and new knowledge must increase. This
includes the ability to analyze curriculum to determine if the content is too easy or too difficult
(Weiner, 1979). Teachers supporting English learners participate in a process of trying to master
their environment, which includes searching for causes as to why students are struggling with
content. Therefore, teachers engaged in the students learning process, need to identify and
understand the attributions of English learners. It is the role of the teacher to establish a learning
environment ensuring students opportunities for success.
Providing a stable and controlled atmosphere can lead to motivation and success (Rueda,
2011). Teachers need to scaffold lessons and convey a positive and supportive atmosphere.
Communicating expectations is an important factor in motivating students to perform at their
peak and rely on effort over ability. Furthermore, teachers of ELLs should approach language
learning content in various ways to maximize student outcomes.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 44
Self-Efficacy Theory
According to Bandura (2000) self-efficacy influences a person’s effort, persistence, and
activities. A person’s self-efficacy is directly related to the individual’s judgment of their own
performance and perceived capacities to reach a particular outcome. There are several
instructional and social influences that connect to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy suggests that people
obtain information about themselves by enactive attainment, vicarious experiences, verbal praise
and persuasion, and personal context and outcomes (Pajares, 2006). Success can raise or lower
self-efficacy but once a strong sense of self is established, adverse success may no longer have
an impact on the individual.
Teachers can gain valuable knowledge from other colleagues. Bandura (2000) states that
one must have a strong belief system to succeed in a particular task or in a given situation. How a
person approaches the goals and challenges plays a key role in the development of self-efficacy.
Observational learning highlights the shaping and reinforcement of behavior. Research by
Bandura (2000) supported the theory that people are naturally inclined to participate in
observational learning.
Teachers and Self-Efficacy
Teachers’ beliefs about their own ability and their confidence to bring about positive
change in the classroom plays an important role in self-efficacy. Barnett and McCormick (2002)
determined that teachers who have confidence in their ability to teach all students using different
learning strategies are more likely to meet their goals. Teachers build a sense of self-efficacy by
developing relationships with other teachers who work with large populations of English
learners. Schools create a supportive atmosphere when teachers are allowed to observe other
teachers or attend professional development sessions and training (Prytula, 2012). Teacher’s
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 45
beliefs about classroom learning and achievement can be bolstered through constructive and
specific suggestions related to curriculum implementation and can produce a strong, positive,
and lasting impact on teachers. Collective efficacy can also support individuals through
partnerships between veteran teachers and new teachers for the purpose of improved curriculum
and shared engagement strategies. Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy (2000) acknowledged that mastery
experiences have a long-lasting effect on teachers when they are faced with the challenge of
educating low performing student populations. In addition, teachers with high self-efficacy foster
the use of differentiated strategies and are more likely to set attainable goals for English
language learners. Therefore, teachers’ self-efficacy can be directly linked to collaboration,
professional development, and goal setting for the teachers at Sands Elementary School.
Table 2.2
Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Motivational Indicators

Organizational Mission
The mission of the High Desert School District is to provide each child with a rigorous and
relevant academic education, a safe learning environment, and the knowledge and skills
necessary for success in the 21
st
Century.
Organizational Global Goal
By June 2019, 100% of classroom teachers in third through fifth grades at Sands Elementary
School will incorporate academic engagement strategies into daily lesson plans to improve
vocabulary development.
Motivational Indicator(s)
Attributions
Self-efficacy
Assumed Motivation
Influences

How Will It Be
Assessed?

Motivational Solution
Principle
Proposed Solution
Attributions –
Teachers should feel
that they can improve
academic vocabulary
strategies for English
learners.

Observations –
provide immediate
and accurate feedback
while building a
supportive and safe
learning environment.
Interviews -
What would you say
Provide feedback that
stresses the process of
learning, including the
importance of effort,
strategy, and self-
reflection (Anderman
& Anderman, 2009).
Teachers will build a
strong PLC team that
will support and
identify skills or
knowledge that are
lacking. Teachers will
establish a mentoring
program.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 46
is your biggest
strength supporting
ELLs with academic
vocabulary?

Self-efficacy –
Teachers need to have
confidence in their
ability to incorporate
engagement strategies
using students
primary language
(L1).

Written survey:
How do you feel
about your ability to
incorporate academic
vocabulary strategies
for English learners?
(strongly disagree –
strongly agree)
Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners have positive
expectations for
success (Pajares,
2006).
Teachers will
participate in
professional
development trainings
and be supported by a
district coach to
provide accurate
feedback and set
attainable goals.

Organizational Influences
Organizational change requires all stakeholders to set goals, build mutual understanding
and establish accountability measures to ensure instructional engagement strategies are in fact
supporting ELLs. A gap analysis is crucial for any type of change or innovation to take place.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) there are three causes of performance gaps. The first
performance gap is human knowledge and skill. School leaders must have sufficient knowledge
and the right skill set to analyze data and support organizational goals to provide students with
the support they need to acquire English. Teachers must be supported with professional
development and training that is effective and sustainable to meet the achievement goals. The
second performance gap is motivation. It is essential that leaders are motivated to attain a clear
understanding of the measures needed to provide students the opportunity to succeed. Finally,
the third performance gap is the organizational process and tools should be in direct alignment to
the organizational structure to reach the intended goal (Clark & Estes, 2008).
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 47
Clark and Estes (2008) disclosed that over time, many organizations develop a hidden
culture that is resistant to change. Often it is a result of attitudes, behavior or lack of resources
(Clark and Estes, 2008). Therefore, the gap analysis method that is adopted by school leaders
must be carefully selected while keeping in mind the importance of aligning organizational
culture with organizational behavior. In addition, the framework must prepare stakeholders for
sustainable change to reach the desired goal.
Setting performance goals produces a clear and specific focus on the tasks that must be
accomplished to reach the desired outcomes (Clark and Estes, 2008). Butkevich, Gouleta,
Roache, and Shore (2003) studied 125 educators of culturally diverse students. The purpose of
this study was to examine the extent to which teachers collaborated and used data to meet student
literacy needs. The survey indicated that 74% of educators benefited from collaboration and goal
setting which focused on proficiency in reading and writing. In addition, 76% of the educators
wanted additional professional development to assist them with data collection options and best
practices to support the analysis of student results.
Organizational change necessitates teachers working together to construct mutual
understanding relating to academic content. According to a study by Prytula (2012) professional
learning communities (PLC), offer teachers the opportunity to learn strategies and share best
instructional practices. PLC groups offer teachers the ability to self-evaluate and self-monitor
goal setting to enhance student performance while heightening awareness of their ability to
provide access to the curriculum (Prytula, 2012). Working together can also lead to promoting a
school culture that is data driven and collaborative.
Another area of accountability in education is student achievement. According to Elmore
(2002) there are many advantages to providing teachers with quality professional development in
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 48
order to assist students in standards based curriculum. Elmore (2002) explained that the majority
of professional development opportunities are conducted as learning activities in isolation with
no connection or consequence to a long term sustainable organizational goal for student
achievement. ELLs need specific academic vocabulary instruction that is targeted towards their
individual level of ability. High quality and sustainable professional development is essential to
prepare new and veteran teachers. Such trainings can only be effective when tied to key
accountability measures that can produce data to improve student learning and motivation (Berne
& Wilson, 1999). By targeting key content performance issues and disaggregating data,
administrators and teachers can link student performance and build capacity when connected to
specific long-term goals. Additionally, the results and assessments gathered can be used to
support academic content improvement models (Marzano, McNulty, & Waters, 2003).
Targeted professional development opportunities can also help develop instruction
producing a profound impact, shifting a traditional system of training to a more transparent and
collaborative system of organizational accountability (Elmore, 2002). Professional development
trainings must be purposeful and should support a shift in school culture. Schools need to move
away from outdated and ineffective professional development practices and focus on data-driven
models (Hamilton, Marsh, & Pane, 2006).
School districts all over the country face instructional accountability challenges related to
ELLs. According to Elmore (2002) schools and districts are the agencies that are responsible for
the academic outcomes of all students. Furthermore, Elmore (2002) stated that the role of
teachers and administrators requires continual learning and a long-term commitment to student
achievement. Educational outcomes and teacher accountability must be aligned with measures
that are directly linked to goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 49
Organizations have the task of implementing instructional policies that will support
ELLs. Transparency, disclosure, and collaboration are key elements in the mission to strengthen
school organizations. Schools must establish clear goals and expectations in order to improve
assessment results and evaluate the progress of the goals and expectations (Clark & Estes, 2008).
School districts face many complex instructional challenges to assisting ELLs. Nevertheless, by
using data efficiently and imposing change based on the data, teachers and administrators gain
the ability to effect change which will benefit student achievement and facilitate academic
vocabulary acquisition. School districts can also improve teacher motivation by supporting PLCs
and providing opportunities for professional growth.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework in a study represents the structure, beliefs, and concepts that
explain the course of study. According to Maxwell (2013) a conceptual framework can be a
written or graphic narrative of the particular variables in the study. It serves as a guide that
follows the researcher’s point of view and provides a systematic method to identify gaps and
theories based on the research questions.
English language learners are a growing population in public schools. The achievement
gap between English learners and native English speakers is evident in the data reported annually
by the California Department of Education (2016). Public school teachers in the United States
face many challenges to providing academic content instruction to English language learners.
The purpose of this study is to focus on how teachers deliver academic content vocabulary
lessons to English learners. The study will also explore the impact school districts have on
providing instructional support and training to teachers in the classroom. The conceptual
framework for this study will focus on providing teachers knowledge, motivation and
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 50
organizational support through the implementation of professional development training to assist
English learners in language acquisition.
In the case of ELLs, teachers necessitate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
support to effectively implement academic vocabulary engagement strategies. Teachers must feel
that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out the academic goals for ELLs. A
teacher’s perception of academic language, curriculum, engagement strategies and lesson
delivery are important factors that must be analyzed and evaluated to maximize student
achievement and language acquisition.
Self-efficacy is an individual’s judgment regarding their performance and or capacities to
reach a perceived outcome (Bandura, 2000). Teachers require a strong sense of self-efficacy
when faced with the challenge of educating ELLs. In addition, teachers with high self-efficacy
foster the use of differentiated engagement strategies and are more likely to set attainable goals
for ELLs. Therefore, teachers’ self-efficacy can be linked to effective instructional practices.
School administration plays a critical role in communicating and supporting teachers.
According to Marzano, McNulty, and Waters (2003) school leadership has a direct connection to
student achievement. School district administration needs to make professional development a
priority by allocating the appropriate funds and implementing accountability measures to support
academic achievement for ELLs. School leaders set the curriculum priorities, expectations, and
accountability measures for teachers and students. In addition, expectations and accountability
measures must be put in place to ensure sustainability for all stakeholders.
ELLs face external environmental factors that often do not support their efforts to acquire
academic vocabulary. Lack of exposure to oral and written English at home and in the
community in which they live, may not produce the language supports that students need to
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 51
master language proficiency. Cognitive academic language proficiency skills (CALP) involves a
higher level of academic related vocabulary and aptitude (Cummins & Swain, 1986) which is
rarely found in a home setting. Additionally, there is an element of social literacy and language
acculturation that ELL students must learn to develop a bicultural frame of reference
Summary
Developing academic vocabulary for ELLs requires a combination of strategies and goal
setting that is beyond the scope of a general education classroom. Teachers gain content
knowledge from areas such as language arts, social studies, and science so that ELLs can
develop a meaningful connection to academic content (Pintrich, 2003). Knowledge is factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Gaining knowledge begins with requesting teachers
to record how they are using engagement strategies to deliver content vocabulary. Teachers must
then collaborate and share best practices based on data collected from ELL lessons and activities
that support a students ability to deepen their understanding in the content area. Successful
strategies should be incorporated to support content reading to promote learning transfer
(Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Teachers must reflect on their ability to self-reflect, self-
regulate, and adjust their instruction when appropriate. Motivation also plays a key role in
supporting ELLs. Teachers need to feel that they are confident and capable of incorporating
engagement strategies (Buffel, DeBacker, Kindekens et al, 2014). PLC communities, teacher
mentoring programs, and district literacy coaches can encourage and build a sense of community
among stakeholders. It is essential that the school district allocate the time and resources to
empower teachers through on-going professional development opportunities that are relevant and
differentiated based on ELL language levels (Mezirow, 2000). The findings of this study will
delineate how academic vocabulary contribute to the language and comprehension success of
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 52
ELLs through a systematic approach that require teachers and school administrators to embrace
targeted and sustainable professional development.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 53
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology and Purpose of the Project
The purpose of this case study is to evaluate the extent to which classroom teachers are
using engagement strategies to teach academic vocabulary to English language learners. In this
study, student engagement is defined as student involvement in academic assignments including
effort, persistence, attention, oral contribution to class discussions, and on-task behavior.
Teachers play a vital role in providing English learners with meaningful lessons and activities
that allow students to connect academic content with prior knowledge while providing language
support. The following questions will guide this study:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that influence
the teacher’s ability to implement instructional engagement strategies in
vocabulary to support ELs academic achievement?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practices in the area of
knowledge, motivation, and organizational support that will assist teachers in
implementing explicit vocabulary instruction?
Data Collection and Instrumentation
Qualitative research is used to gain understanding and insight into exploratory research.
Qualitative research can be used to increase the knowledge of a topic using a systematic process
(Creswell, 1994; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The methods I have selected to use in this case study
examine how teachers use instructional engagement strategies to improve vocabulary for English
learners. These strategies include: surveys, interviews, and observations. These three methods
were selected as they are common in qualitative research and support the use of triangulation.
Triangulation will ensure the validity of the study by using different types of data collection
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 54
methods (Biklen & Bogdan, 1998; Maxwell, 2013).
The strategy used for sampling will be snowball network sampling. This strategy consists
of locating a leader within the organization that fits the criteria for the study (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). To begin observation of primary teachers, written consent must be obtained from school
district administrators. Administrator consent permits the observer to be invited into the
classroom. With permission from the school district and site principals, a letter in English and
Spanish will inform parents of the study. Observations can be conducted after the interviews
have taken place. In addition, observations will occur during direct instruction lessons.
Surveys
The researcher has chosen to use purposeful sampling as the research questions are
specific to reading development in academic content areas for English learners. The sampling
consists of the teaching staff at Sands Elementary school which includes kindergarten through
sixth grade teachers as participants. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) the sample size
should be determined based upon the questions that are being asked and the data that is being
collected. In order to effectively use surveys in a qualitative study, the questions developed must
be focused and free of bias as bias can affect the validity and reliability of findings (Marshall &
Rossman, 1999; McEwan & McEwen, 2003).
The sampling strategy utilized in this study is purposeful. Purposeful sampling is used in
qualitative research to identify and gather specific information needed to gain in depth
knowledge about a topic (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). The small sample size was selected in order
to investigate the possible gaps in teacher knowledge and motivation as it pertains to English
learner academic vocabulary content knowledge. Participants have completed a short answer
survey that reveals their personal level of knowledge, self-efficacy, and district training support
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 55
in providing academic vocabulary engagement strategies to ELLs. The survey was completed
prior to the classroom observations.
Interviews
Interviews grant the researcher the opportunity to tap into specific events or actions as
seen through the eyes of the participant. Asking the right questions during an interview can lead
to concrete descriptions with details that provide the researcher within depth information about
the topic (Maxwell, 2013). Teachers will be invited to participate in one-on-one interviews. The
interviews will be unstructured with open-ended questions producing opinions from subjects that
can enhance the data collection (McEwan & McEwen, 2003). Interviews were conducted at a
location convenient for the participant. Teacher interviews were recorded to accurately capture
all responses. The interviews provided the researcher with opportunities to build relationships
with the participants and allowed the participants to feel comfortable while the researcher
conducted classroom observations. The interview questions will be approved in advance by the
school district to comply with full disclosure and avoid any possible ethical dilemmas (Glesne,
2011).
According to Patton (1987) recording the interview allows the interviewer to have less
need for relying on handwritten notes. The recorded interviews can be transcribed and coded at a
later time. In addition, the study utilizes the respondent’s validation strategy. The participant
responds to questions and the researcher summarizes or restates the information provided by the
participant to ensure accuracy. This method helps to ensure accuracy (Merrian & Tisdell, 2016).
The protocol is necessary to ensure the validity and reliability of the interview questions
(Patton, 1987). A total of ten teachers who are currently teaching in grades three through five,
were be asked to participant in the study. The interviews were conducted prior to classroom
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 56
observations and provided the researcher with the opportunity to build a relationship and rapport
with the participants. Building relationships allows the participants to feel comfortable and
candid when the researcher conducts the classroom observation. This element is vital for the data
collection to be considered authentic (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016). The interview questions were
approved in advance by the school principal and the school district to comply with full disclosure
and avoid any possible ethical dilemmas.
Observations
Observations enable the researcher to learn more about the activities of the participants in
a natural setting. They set the context for the study and offer the researcher exposure to the
routines of the participants. Another important aspect of observation is the nonverbal
communication which takes place in a natural setting. These types of nuances cannot be obtained
in a survey or interview. Developing a holistic understanding of what is being studied can
produce rich data (Maxwell, 2013). Ten teachers of third through fifth grade students were
observed during a direct instruction lesson or activity.
Participating Stakeholders
Teachers play an influential role in implementing curriculum that meets the needs of
students. Moreover, teachers have direct access to students daily and require knowledge,
motivation and school district support to strengthen student achievement for optimal academic
performance (Baker & Gersten, 2000). The impact of vocabulary instruction and the use of
cognates can provide meaningful connections for students once teachers have the knowledge and
skill set to implement a structured pattern of language convention (Compton, Elleman, Lindo, &
Morphy, 2009). Therefore, the primary stakeholder for this study is the classroom teachers as the
research is focused on their knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences to support
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 57
ELLs in building academic vocabulary. The researcher selected ten classroom teachers employed
by the High Desert School District. The criteria for selection includes:
 teachers with four or more years teaching full-time in the classroom
 teachers are from Sands Elementary School
 teachers have at least 40% designated ELLs in the classroom
 teachers currently teaching in third through fifth grades
 all teachers have a clear multiple subject credential
 all teachers utilize the same English language arts curriculum program adopted by the
school district
Survey Sampling and Criterion Rationale
Purposeful sampling was used as the research questions were specific to
vocabulary development in academic content areas for English learners. The sampling
consisted of ten, third through fifth grade teachers. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) the
sample size is determined based upon the questions that are being asked and the data that is
being collected. The criteria selected will guide the study in providing data to be used to answer
the research questions in building academic vocabulary for ELLs.
Teachers selected have no less than four years of teaching experience. Teachers
that have four or more years in the classroom have been exposed to students with various ability
levels and different types of professional development training and experience with different
organizational support measures. In addition, they must have a student population with at least
40% designated ELLs in their classroom. All teachers at the school site will complete a short
answer survey prior to classroom observations. The survey will reveal the level of self-efficacy
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 58
as it pertains to knowledge of English learner engagement strategies. In order to effectively use
surveys in a qualitative study, the development of the questions must be focused and free of bias
(McEwan & McEwen, 2003). The questions were developed in accordance with the conceptual
framework that includes the concepts of teacher knowledge, teacher motivation, and
organizational influencers.
Survey Sampling Strategy and Rationale
The sampling strategy that was utilized in this study is purposeful and follows the
protocol for data collection to ensure reliability. Purposeful sampling is used in qualitative
research to accurately identify and gather specific information needed to gain in depth
knowledge about a topic. Ten teachers with four or more years of experience from Sands
Elementary School were recruited based on the number of years of full time teaching experience.
The teachers were also required to be currently teaching in grades third through fifth. The small
sample size was selected in order to gain an in-depth investigation of the possible gaps in teacher
knowledge and motivation as it pertains to ELLs academic content vocabulary knowledge. With
the permission of the principal, teachers were invited to participate during the staff designated
PLC time.
Interview Sampling Strategy and Rationale
Teachers participated in one-on-one interviews. The interviews were unstructured with
open-ended questions for the purpose of producing opinions from subjects that could enhance the
data collection (McEwan & McEwen, 2003). Interviews provided the researcher with the ability
to experience events or situations through the perspective of the participant. Asking questions
that are directly related to the study can provide the reseracher with relevant information about
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 59
the topic (Maxwell, 2013). Interviews were conducted at a convenient location that was
comfortable for the participant.
Teacher interviews were recorded by two different devices to accurately capture all
responses. According to Patton (1987) recordings allow the interviewer to rely less on
handwritten notes and focus more on the responses of the those being interviewed. The recorded
interview can later be accurately transcribed. Interviewees followed a script that promoted a
semi-structured interview with the focus on questions that pertained to academic vocabulary
development for ELLs.
Observation Sampling Criterion and Rationale
Teachers were observed during a direct instruction language arts lesson or activity,
directly related to academic vocabulary development. It is important to conduct field
observations and take field notes as they allow the researcher to understand the context of the
area of study (Patton, 1987). In addition, observations allowed the researcher to experience the
routines of the participants in a natural setting. According to Maxwell (2013) the ability to
understand the complete environment during an observation can produce rich data.
The duration of the observations by the researcher were no less than 30 minutes
but no more than 45 minutes. During this time, the researcher requested to observe a direct
instruction lesson or activity related to an academic content area. Observational approaches
allow the researcher to observe classroom activities that the subject may not reveal in an
interview or report on a survey (Christensen & Johnson, 2015).
Each teacher will be observed twice within a two-month period of time. The two-month
window provided the researcher with the opportunity to increase the validity of the study and to
better understand the system in which the teacher uses engagement strategies to support
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 60
academic vocabulary for ELLs. According to Patton (1987) observations disclose nuances that
can enhance the research and subject matter.
Observation Sampling Access Strategy and Rationale
The strategy used for sampling was the snowball network sampling. This strategy
consisted of locating a leader in the organization who fits the criteria for the research study and
requesting access to participants who could be eligible to contribute to the study (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). The researcher was able to network with the director of student services at High
Desert School District who recommended the researcher speak to the principal at the school site
that has the largest number of English learners in the district. Sands Elementary School also
happens to be the largest school at High Desert School District with 1,200 enrolled in the 2016-
2017 school year. To begin the observation of classroom teachers, written consent was obtained
from school district administrators. The consent permits the observer to be in the classroom.
With permission from the school district and site principals, a letter in English and Spanish
informed parents of the ongoing study. Observations were conducted after the interviews took
place. In addition, observations occurred at a time when a direct instruction lesson or activity
related to an academic content area were planned.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
To increase the credibility and trustworthiness of the study, the researcher employed
several strategies. These strategies included rich data, respondent validation, long-term
participant involvement, and triangulation (Maxwell, 2013). To glean rich data from the
interviews, the researcher focused on conducting interviews in a location that was comfortable
for the interviewee. The location was important as it allowed the interviewee to be open and
candid with the interviewer. The interview process provided data that generated a detailed
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 61
picture of the type of academic vocabulary instruction taking place in the classroom through the
eyes of the teacher (Maxwell, 2013). Interviews are then transcribed verbatim which represented
details that can produce rich data (Maxwell, 2013). Another strategy to ensure credibility and
trustworthiness is respondent validation or member check (Merrian & Tisdell, 2016). The
respondent validation strategy occurs during an interview. The participant responds to questions
and the researcher summarizes or restates the information provided by the participant to ensure
accuracy. This method helps to affirm accuracy and correctness (Merrian & Tisdell, 2016). Long
term participant involvement offers the researcher complete data through long term and repeated
observation (Maxwell, 2013). Repeated observations allow the researcher to see different views
expressed in an interactive environment. The benefits to the long-term participant involvement
strategy enables the researcher to observe the teacher during direct instruction and while students
engage in independent practice. Triangulation ensures validity of the study by using different
types of data collection methods (Creswell, 1994; Maxwell, 2013). In addition, the researcher
must be reflective and ensure that all data is collected using methods that support and accurately
measure the problem of practice.
Ethics

As a qualitative researcher, my goal is to explore the meaning and understanding of how
public-school teachers use engagement strategies to promote the acquisition of academic
vocabulary for ELLs (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). To do this, it is important to make ethical
choices when conducting this study. According to Glesne (2011) participation is voluntary and
informed consent is necessary. Participants must also be aware that all discussions and surveys
collected will be kept confidential and participants can withdraw from the study at any time
without penalty. Data collected was stored in a secure location and destroyed once the data was
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 62
transcribed (Glesne & Peshkin, 1992). To ensure the safety of the participants I have submit my
study to the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) and followed
the rules and guidelines regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of the participants in
this study.
In compliance with IRB guidelines, all the participants will sign consent forms, and I will
remind them that this study is voluntary, and their identity will be kept confidential.
Confidentiality is extremely vital for my study therefore; I will respect the participants’ wishes if
at any time they decide to withdraw or terminate their participation in the study. Prior to the
interviews I will obtain permission to audio record the interviews, and provide the participants
with transcripts of the interviews to allow them the opportunity to ensure I have not changed
their words. I will refrain from providing any incentives so as not to pressure participants. At the
conclusion of the study, I will send participants a thank you card with a small monetary gift card
as a token of my appreciation for participating in the study. This will serve as a way to thank
participants for their time and for sharing their experiences.
Limitations
My study focuses on classroom teachers and on the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational factors that influence their ability to implement engagement strategies to support
ELLs in building academic vocabulary. Although this research was carefully planned, I am
aware there will be some limitations. The limitations to this study are:
1. This case study will represent a very small percentage of the English language learner
population at High Desert School District as they have twenty-four campuses with over
5,000 students designated as ELLs in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 63
ELLs are representative of various English language proficiency levels. Therefore, the
findings cannot be generalized.
2. The focus of this study is based on general education teachers in third through fifth
grades and does not take into account the district policy that designates specialized
instruction to teach English Language Development (ELD) standards.
3. This study is limited to ten classroom teachers in third through fifth grades due to time
constraints and the number of observations needed to collect data.
4. Interview and survey questions are exclusively the perspective of teachers as the primary
stakeholder. Therefore, the views of the school district and school board members will be
revealed through the insight of the teachers as the primary stakeholder.
5. The organization viewpoint was limited to one interview with the school site principal as
the acting agent of the school district.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 64
CHAPTER FOUR
Results and Findings
The first three chapters of this dissertation presented a problem related to ELLs and the
perceived gaps in reading and comprehension due to the inability to connect academic
vocabulary within content lessons. In addition, this study looked at teachers as the main
stakeholder group and evaluated the contributing factors to their ability to apply knowledge,
motivation, and organizational factors required by teachers to support academic vocabulary for
English language learners (ELLs). Although there is adequate data (California Department of
Education, 2017) demonstrating the ELLs’ need for consistent instructional support in accessing
and using academic vocabulary, much of the research does not specifically focus on how to
provide professional development for teachers through a structured and sustainable training
model. The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis examining and evaluating how
High Desert School District’s support of its teachers in providing academic vocabulary
engagement to ELL students through a professional development training program that is
sustainable and ensures accountability and on-going evaluation.
This study analyzed the type of knowledge teachers require to assist English learners in
attaining academic vocabulary in content areas. According to Grossman and Salas (2011),
knowledge and skills can be transferred and utilized in the workplace when there is a consistent
training model for teachers. Collaboration among trained teachers increases effectiveness and
value, as well as builds self-efficacy (Clark & Estes, 2008). Additionally, this study looked at the
levels of teachers’ motivational needs in aiding ELLs with engagement and instructional
strategies that focus on academic vocabulary development. Lastly, this study examined the type
of organizational support teachers need from school district administrators to create and maintain
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 65
a climate of collaboration and accountability to increase language acquisition and comprehension
skills for ELLs (Barnett & McCormick, 2002; Brief, Guzzo & Schneider, 1996). Furthermore,
the literature review outlined the importance of building academic vocabulary for ELLs to
strengthen reading and comprehension. Acquiring these skills are vital to keep pace with the
assessment rigor required by the State of California with the CELDT and CAASPP testing
administered each school year to students in third through twelfth grade (CDE, 2017). The
literature also implied that using cognates to support a students’ first language (L1) has a direct
connection to vocabulary development that transfers to a students’ acquisition of a second
language (L2) (August, Carlo, Dressler, Lippman & White, 2004; Hardin, 2001).
The study was guided by the following research questions:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that influence
the teachers’ ability to implement instructional engagement strategies in
vocabulary to support ELLs academic achievement?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practices in knowledge,
motivation, and organizational support that will assist teachers in
implementing explicit vocabulary instruction?
Participating Stakeholders
The primary stakeholder group for this study are classroom teachers that serve
students in kindergarten through sixth grade at one site, Sands Elementary School. The school is
in a low socio-economic area and has the highest percentage of ELLs in the district. Sands
Elementary is also the largest school in the High Desert School District with an average of 1,200
in daily attendance. The study was based on a purposeful sample. The quantitative survey was
distributed to all classroom teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade at the beginning of their
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 66
PLC meeting. Each teacher voluntarily filled out the survey form at the end of their PLC meeting
and placed it in my teacher box located in the staff lounge. All surveys distributed included an
envelope to ensure anonymity. A total of 30 classroom teachers participated in the study and
completed the survey. Thirteen teachers met the criteria and were eligible to be interviewed and
observed in their classrooms. After further verification, a total of ten teachers were eligible and
volunteered to participate in the study as indicated in Table 4.1. The final breakdown of
participants included 3 third grade teachers, 3 fourth grade teachers, and 4 fifth grade teachers.
All teachers met the stated criteria that included four or more years teaching full-time in the
classroom, the possession of a clear multiple subject credential from the State of California,
utilized the same English language arts curriculum adopted by the school district, and have at
least 40% designated ELLs in their classroom.
Table 4.1
Demographic Profile of Teacher Participants
Volunteer
Teacher
Gender (M or F) Grade Level Ethnicity of
Teacher
Years Teaching
Participant 1 M 5 Caucasian 6
Participant 2 F 5 Caucasian 8
Participant 3 F 3 Latino 12
Participant 4 M 4 African American 16
Participant 5 F 3 Caucasian 23
Participant 6 F 5 African American 7
Participant 7 M 4 Caucasian 21
Participant 8 F 3 Caucasian 18
Participant 9 F 5 Caucasian 20
Participant 10 F 4 Latino 16

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 67
Interviews were conducted face-to-face and recorded by two devices for accuracy and
dependability. Participants were asked to answer ten open ended questions. Three interviews
were held before school, one interview was held during the preparation period and the remaining
six were held after school. Each recording began with the purpose of the interview and was
coded with the date and time. Recordings were transcribed within 48 hours of the interviews. All
participants requested that the interviews be conducted on campus in their individual classrooms.
The length of each interview lasted between 35 to 48 minutes. Each interviewee was offered a
copy of their interview after the transcription was completed.
Results
Teachers need knowledge to be effective leaders and curriculum experts in the classroom.
They play a critical role in providing opportunities to support language development and
engagement. The acquisition of English takes time and practice as students benefit from rich and
varied language experiences (Calderon, Sanchez, and Salvin, 2011; Lara-Alecio and Parker,
1994). Teachers need to know how to select materials and design activities that will engage
ELLs in new and interactive forms of expression to optimize content literacy (Adger, 2002).
Teachers must also be able to adapt and refine the adopted language arts programs that are
mandated by the state and the individual school districts to meet the needs of their students.
Declarative knowledge is a critical component in providing vocabulary development because the
teacher must distinguish and recognize student abilities and accommodate different language
levels in the classroom to benefit language acquisition (Freedson-Gonzalez, Lucas, and Villegas,
2008).
Teacher participants were asked if they specifically plan engagement strategies to
promote academic vocabulary. Isolating academic words is important as it leads to better
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 68
comprehension scores and generates a larger vocabulary that will allow students to make
connections in various content areas (Anderson & Freebody, 1983). In addition, teachers must
have the ability and knowledge to gather resources that will make the lessons and activities
meaningful. Table 4.2 indicates that 57% of the respondents plan strategies to engage and
promote academic vocabulary. The results also showed that teachers have the knowledge
required to assist ELLs with vocabulary and textual difficulty, as well as incorporate a structure
to adjust instruction to fit the needs of ELL students. In addition, metacognition is an important
concept for teachers in the classroom. Metacognition is defined as thinking about thinking
(Baker, 2006). Knowledge about one’s self as a learner grants the learner the ability to
understand and adjust learning. Teachers can benefit from metacognition when they reflect upon
and adjust the learning process (Rueda, 2011). Without reflection, teachers are not able to
develop the proper scaffolds needed to move students towards mastery of academic content.
Therefore, declarative knowledge plays a major role in how teachers examine and apply specific
strategies for ELLs.
Table 4.2
Survey Results for Declarative Teacher Knowledge
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I plan
vocabulary
engagement
strategies
specifically
for English
learners.
17%
(n=5)
40%
(n=12)
36%
(n=11)
3%
(n=1)
3%
(n=1)
Conceptual knowledge is the information that is needed to accomplish a particular task.
Teachers that work with ELLs need training that will support their academic vocabulary
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 69
acquisition. Trainings will provide teachers with a network of knowledge linking vocabulary
development with reading comprehension. Teachers must also have the ability to transfer their
knowledge and apply it to new academic contexts that will provide students with strategies that
can be retained and used in other content areas (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). One example
would be cognates which are academic words that are similar in the Spanish language. Cognates
offer ELLs a familiar way to make vocabulary content connections (Bartolome, Langer, Lucas &
Vasquez, 1990). As recorded in Table 4.3, 96% of respondents shared that they have participated
in professional development opportunities related to English learners. This is consistent with the
district’s strategic plan to provide professional development to support teachers as the
demographics reflect that 25% of students at Sands Elementary School are designated ELL.
Research indicates that professional development yields the best results when teachers are
trained to concentrate on a clear goal that is attainable, measurable, and linked to curriculum that
is focused on student engagement (Gallimore, Hiebert, & Stigler, 2002). In addition, the results
indicated that teachers understand the value of professional development and view the trainings
that are directly related to ELLs and language attainment as highly important.
Table 4.3
Survey Results for Conceptual Teacher Knowledge
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I have
participated in
professional
development
opportunities
related to
English
learners.
60%
(n=18)
36%
(n=11)
3%
(n=1)
0%
(n=0)
0%
(n=0)

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 70
Procedural knowledge is the process and the teacher’s ability to be able to collect data in
a systematic way in order to effectively apply content to assist ELLs (Schraw & McCrudden,
2006). The results in Table 4.4 indicate that 100% of teacher respondents either strongly agree,
or agree, in regards to their ability to collect data to measuring lesson effectiveness. Although the
response pattern indicates high procedural knowledge, the data from the CDE (2016) indicated
that teacher respondents do not have the necessary procedural knowledge to provide academic
vocabulary instructional or engagement strategies. According to the CELDT (2016) statistics
Sands Elementary School has the largest student population of ELLs in the district and the
lowest Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) rate with only 12% RFEP in 2015-2016
school year.
Table 4.4
Survey Results for Procedural Teacher Knowledge
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I am able to
measure the
effectiveness
of my lessons
by collecting
data.
43%
(n=13)
57%
(n=17)
0%
(n=0)
0%
(n=0)
0%
(n=0)

Motivation is an internal process that individuals possess which allows them to move
towards a particular goal (Emo, 2015). Therefore, motivation must be self-directed while staying
focused on the purpose. Evidence of teacher motivation can take many forms. Teachers rely on
school districts to facilitate the acquiring of new knowledge through professional development
trainings. PLCs also reinforces the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to transfer ideas
and strategies to differentiate instruction (Sandholtz, 2002). Additionally, motivation requires
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 71
self-efficacy to process ideas, reflect, and adjust instruction to meet the needs of ELLs.
According to Barnett and McCormick (2003) effective motivation is based on a balance between
the need for a goal and an individual’s autonomy. Therefore, motivation is a key factor required
for intrinsic gratification which allows a teacher to witness the language progress of ELLs. The
following are the survey results as they pertain to main stakeholder motivation.
Helping students to become successful is part of what attracts people to teaching. Success
is a motivator and many teachers teach to find meaning and personal value in the work they are
doing in the classroom. Attribution theory focuses on the awareness that teachers are strongly
motivated by intrinsic factors (Atwater, Dionne, Spangler, & Yammarino, 2004). Teachers are
personally motivated by positive outcomes and feel good about themselves, knowing that they
have the capacity to change their teaching practices to assist ELLs (Vockell, 2008). Table 4.5
shows that 84% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement “I reflect after
each lesson and make adjustments to help English increase vocabulary content knowledge.” The
survey results indicate that reflecting after each lesson provides teachers at Sands Elementary
School with a sense of intrinsic satisfaction that encourages empowerment and self-efficacy
(Benabou & Tirole, 2003).
Additionally, classroom teachers understand the importance of taking the time to self-
reflect and adjust lessons to improve student achievement. Reflection on daily lessons is key to
providing differentiated instruction and accommodating for varied learning approaches for ELL
students (Tremmel, 1993). Self-reflection guides teachers through a process of making sense of
their own teaching and differentiating methods that will assist ELLs in reading and
comprehension. Lesson reflection can be used as a tool to check for student content
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 72
understanding and prepare teachers to accelerate the level of rigor that is necessary for language
acquisition (Ahmadi & Gilakjani, 2011).
Table 4.5
Survey results for Attribution Theory
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I reflect after
each lesson
and make
adjustments
to help
English
increase
vocabulary
content
knowledge.
17%
(n=5)
67%
(n=19)
13%
(n=5)
3%
(n=1)
0%
(n=0)

One aspect of social-cognitive theory represents self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997). Behavior
expectations determine if actions will be initiated, how much effort will be expended, and how
long effort can be sustained when faced with challenges. According to Bandura (1997), self-
efficacy makes a difference in the way people feel, think, and act. A strong sense of one’s own
competence has the ability to enhance the cognitive process and ultimately the quality of
decision making goals. Self-efficacy also has influence over the motivation process as it can
improve or impede the desire to choose to perform more demanding tasks. Once action has been
taken, highly self-efficacious people are willing to invest additional effort over those who have
low self-efficacy (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2004).
Teachers need to believe that they are capable of effectively implementing academic
vocabulary instruction for ELLs. They must also be able to identify best teaching practices to
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 73
help ELLs acquire academic vocabulary and have confidence in their ability to demonstrate and
model lessons. The survey results shown in Table 4.6 indicate that 84% of respondents rated
themselves as having high self-efficacy (strongly agree or agree) in their ability to implement
academic vocabulary engagement strategies during direct instruction lessons. The results specify
that teachers possess a high sense of self-efficacy that can be attributed to their daily interactions
with ELLs. Additionally, Table 4.7 reveals that teachers take pride in seeing ELLs become
successful in language proficiency and their ability to positively influence the lives of students
(Butler, 2007). All the teachers surveyed indicated they strongly agree or agree that student
success is a motivating factor when working with ELLs.
Table 4.6
Survey results for Self-efficacy Theory
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I feel I am
effective in
implementing
vocabulary
engagement
strategies
during direct
instruction.
24%
(n=7)
60%
(n=18)
6%
(n=2)
6%
(n=2)
0%
(n=0)

Table 4.7
Survey results for Success as Motivation
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I take pride in
seeing
English
76%
(n=23)
24%
(n=7)
0%
(n=0)
0%
(n=0)
0%
(n=0)
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 74
learners
succeed.

According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) organizations must show employees the
value of training programs that are well-designed and promote the transfer of learning into
improved job performance. Teachers need consistent and continual training to ensure target
goals, identify gaps in academic content, promote collaboration among colleagues, and build
knowledge and motivation to support best teaching practices. Combining these factors offers
ELLs the assistance they require to attain language proficiency. School districts and school site
administrators play an important role in providing support to classroom teachers. Organizations
that lack procedures and resources often create barriers that can hinder performance goals (Clark
& Estes, 2008). Therefore, opportunities for developmental training, professional growth goals,
and a structure that includes vital feedback is imperative. Table 4.8 shows that 84% of
respondents collaborate with their colleagues to share best teaching practices in vocabulary
development.
Table 4.8
Survey Results for Teacher Collaboration
Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I collaborate
with my
colleagues to
share best
teaching
practices in
vocabulary
development.
30%
(n=9)
54%
(n=16)
6%
(n=2)
9%
(n=3)
0%
(n=0)

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 75
Teachers require clear expectations and training to provide ELLs assistance with
academic vocabulary. Table 4.9 indicates that 43% of classroom teachers surveyed strongly
agree or agree that the school district and site administrators provide clear expectations for ELLs
academic vocabulary instruction. Yet 33% of the respondents are neutral which means teachers
were unable to answer the survey question either way. Additionally, 22% would disagree or
strongly disagree with the statement on whether the principal clearly defines the expectations for
ELL vocabulary development.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) setting goals and adopting expectations combined
with ongoing evaluation of lesson application can improve performance and contribute to
program sustainability. Additionally, organizations that directly contribute to teacher motivation
and job performance will yield a higher level of language proficiency as teachers are provided
with clear and well-developed goals and expectations (Clark & Estes, 2008). The survey data
indicates that the school district or site administrator lacks a clear understanding of what is
expected to be taught and implemented in the classroom by teachers to improve academic
vocabulary for ELLs. School site leadership is a central component to building academic
programs that lead to student achievement (Copland, 2003).
Table 4.9
Results for Organizational Expectations
Q8 Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
The principal
clearly
defines the
expectations
for English
learner
13%
(n=4)
30%
(n=9)
33%
(n=10)
13%
(n=4)
9%
(n=3)
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 76
instruction.

Professional accountability relies heavily on the assumption that teachers recognize the
needs of their students and are able to provide differentiated instruction (Kirby & Stecher, 2004).
According to Firestone and Shipps (2005), teachers have the charge to build upon their own self-
efficacy as educators and set goals for student learning. In addition, many English learners are at
varied stages of language acquisition. Therefore, goal setting and benchmarking are necessary to
evaluate the process that drive academic performance (Solorzano, 2008). Accountability on
behalf of stakeholders and their attitude and willingness to enhance their knowledge base can
influence goals at school sites and lead to student achievement (Dowd, 2005). Table 4.10
indicates that 76% of survey respondents are held accountable for the success of ELLs. In
addition, 17% or five teachers remain neutral and were unable to answer the survey question
either way. Two teacher respondents or 6% disagree with the statement.
Table 4.10
Results for Accountability
Q9 Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
I am held
accountable
for the
success of
English
learners in my
classroom.
40%
(n=12)
36%
(n=11)
17%
(n=5)
6%
(n=2)
0%
(n=0)

Providing teachers with the strategies they need to deliver meaningful instruction to
students is critical. The main purpose of the public-school system is to meet the instructional
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 77
needs of students at all academic levels which includes training in strategies that assist ELLs
with academic vocabulary. This concept is made possible by the leader’s ability to influence and
encourage teachers to participate in professional development that is meaningful and measurable
(Swanson, 2015). School administrators must acknowledge their efforts and encourage teacher to
establish authentic curriculum that will enhance student engagement through district supported
trainings. Table 4.11 indicates that 37% of survey respondents strongly agree or agree that the
district provides the professional development related to vocabulary growth. On the contrary,
43% of respondents disagree or strongly disagree and 20% remain neutral. The results indicate a
disconnect related to the type or focus of professional development for ELLs when it is
specifically related to vocabulary development.
Table 4.11
Results for District Professional Development
Q10 Strongly
Agree
(n=)
Agree
(n=)
Neutral
(n=)
Disagree
(n=)
Strongly
Disagree
(n=)
The school
district
provides
professional
development
related to
ELL
vocabulary
development.
20%
(n=6)
17%
(n=5)
20%
(n=6)
37%
(n=11)
6%
(n=2)

Findings
In addition to the quantitative results revealed in this study, qualitative methods were also
utilized for the purpose of providing a detailed account of classroom teachers’ experience as it
relates to providing instructional strategies and lesson support to develop reading comprehension
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 78
through academic vocabulary for ELLs. Qualitative data was collected to capture information in
a natural setting. Findings are presented with the assumed factors of knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences.
The knowledge influences are studied through the lens of the types of knowledge
teachers need to possess in order to identify strategies to support ELLs attainment of academic
vocabulary. Motivational influences which include attribution and self-efficacy theory, are
examined in order to reveal the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors teachers have on the
success of building academic vocabulary for ELLs. Lastly, this study discusses the
organizational impact of site administrators and the school district in respect to the role that they
play in professional development opportunities. The findings presented will provide the factors
that play a major role to the attainment of language proficiency for ELLs.
Knowledge
A common theme that appeared repeatedly was that teachers lack a mutual understanding
of what it means to engage ELLs and how to deliver and implement engagement strategies.
Participant One responded in general terms by saying “In my classroom, I frequently use a
random name generator to ensure student focus and engagement. I use a whole-class points
system where the class can earn points toward a prize. I will also randomly call on students to
answer questions verbally.” When I asked again about academic vocabulary engagement
strategies Participant One replied “Yes, that is what I do every day.” Participant Eight gave a
similar answer “I use ClassDojo a lot. Students get points for things like whole class
participation and individual activities.” Participants One and Eight both offered responses that
engage students in the learning process but not necessarily geared towards ELLs academic
vocabulary development.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 79
Participants Four, Five, and Six provided a different perspective on academic vocabulary
engagement strategies. They follow the district adopted language arts program. The program
provides a consumable student workbook that includes many components of language grammar
and vocabulary. There are activities in the workbook and the teachers assign students to work
individually, in small peer groups, and in small groups with the teacher. The teachers determine
the student make-up of each small group by evaluating the program assessments. Students then
receive differentiated instruction as determined by language level. Participant Four and Five both
agreed that there is not enough time to focus on academic vocabulary. Participant Four shared
“There are so many areas I want to cover but there is never enough time.” Participants Two,
Seven and Nine provide all their students with a vocabulary journal. The teacher posts the
vocabulary words on the board and each student is required to search the internet for the
definitions. They may also choose to draw a picture to go with the word, and the student must
produce a sentence using the word. The teachers shared that they use this specific strategy as it is
a recommendation in the district adopted language arts program. Participant Nine felt that
students should learn to “find their own answers” and continued by saying that “I am not afraid
of technology and students need to embrace it too. What better way then to have them use
Google and look words up.” Participant Two added more detailed information regarding her
vocabulary engagement strategy by stating:
We were working on vocabulary journals the students were to complete the work
on their own. When I told them I would take volunteers to come to the Smart Board to
write their definitions they immediately raised their hands. When I informed them that
they would have to complete the journal first they quickly got busy. Once I started
calling on students to come up they are eager to see if they did it correctly. If the student
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 80
didn’t they would choose a helper to come to the board. They were all raising their hands
excitedly saying, “Me, me, me!”
Participant Ten had a different approach to helping ELLs understand academic
vocabulary from the content lessons. She uses total physical response (TPR) when introducing
the words for the first time. She explains that students “need whole body movement to help them
retain information especially when they are learning new words.” She also sets-up work stations
throughout the classroom. One of the workstations included various activities that relate to the
academic vocabulary words and phrases related to the content reading material. Activities
include matching words to pictures, acting out the words, using a highlighter to identify words in
a passage and playing BINGO where students would give an oral definition using vocabulary
words. Participant Ten described her workstation as “fun, engaging and effective.” She goes on
by saying “students look forward to working together and the assessments show that many
students can connect the vocabulary to the weekly readings.” She is careful to form groups of
students at all ability levels. At the end of each language arts unit, students design posters that
incorporate the vocabulary words and write a summary.
Although the range of participant teacher tenure experience ranged from 6 years to 23
years in the classroom, the teachers did not have the same level of awareness or understanding of
the importance of academic vocabulary for ELLs. In addition, ELLs are not receiving
differentiated instruction according to the responses of the interviews. Direct instructional
lessons are being delivered as would be intended for a general education classroom. Teachers are
not able to demonstrate or articulate their vocabulary content knowledge well enough to expose
ELLs to the academic language they need in order to be proficient.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 81
Additionally, teachers interviewed revealed that they feel low benchmark assessments
were due to their own lack of knowledge and not the students’ lack of ability. Teachers
understood the importance of time and planning for lessons. All but one participant indicated that
they use their PLC time to lesson plan with their particular grade level. Participants Three, Four,
Seven, and Eight had similar responses when asked if they felt that low benchmark scores are
partly due to their efforts in planning and delivering academic vocabulary instruction. They all
agreed that as educators they are role models and are directly responsible for creating a safe
learning environment. Participant Three said “I know that I am responsible for the academic
success or failure of English learners because I don’t think they go home and speak English.
Their families most likely do not speak English so this might be the only place students can
practice.” Participant Seven shared that benchmark data indicates success and challenges and
said “The language arts units that provide activities with review and repeat often are ones that
kids understand. After that, it is my job to extend when time permits.” Participant Five stated that
her role as a teacher and educator necessitates the sharing of information and that at the
beginning of each school year she tries to get parents involved by holding a workshop to help
parents understand their own role in supporting their child. She believes that “It takes a village to
help students be successful.” Participant Ten takes full responsibility in educating ELLs. She
said “Their parents are putting all their faith in us as teachers. Many ELLs come from home
countries where the teachers are held in high regard. They expect us to teach their children how
to read and write.”
On the contrary, several participants had a different view of the responsibility of ELL
learning. They felt that ELLs should be held accountable at all levels. Participant One stated:
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 82
There are days when I am standing in front of the room and students are just not listening
or paying attention. I think they need to take some responsibility for their own learning. I
can’t learn for them. As English learners they need to work harder than the average kid.
Participant Two shared a similar concern:
I can plan all day but if the students do not want to pay attention, I can’t force them. I
then have to explain through a translator at parent conferences why their child is failing.
It’s because they are not doing the work.
Motivation
Helping students become successful is part of what attracts people to teaching. Success is
a motivating factor for many teachers. They teach in order to find meaning and personal value in
the work they are doing in the classroom. Attribution theory focuses on the awareness that
teachers are strongly motivated by intrinsic factors (Atwater, Dionne, Spangler, & Yammarino,
2004). Teachers are personally motivated by the positive outcomes of being able to feel good
about themselves and knowing that they have the capacity to change their teaching practices to
assist ELLs (Vockell, 2008). Throughout the interview process, 90% of the teachers shared a
personal story about what motivated them to pursue a teaching career. Participant Two shared:
I went to church one morning and they needed some help in Sunday school. One
of the church staff members asked if I would be interested in assisting because
they were short on help. At the same time this occurred I was getting ready to
transfer to a university and still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career. After
my experience with the children at Sunday school I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
Participant Six also had a similar experience and stated:
When I was a teenager, I use to work with my cousins. They would come over to
my house and I would help them with their homework. They were in elementary
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 83
school. They would ask me questions and I would enjoy helping them. That is
what made me want to go into teaching.
Teachers need to believe that they are capable of effectively differentiating academic
vocabulary instruction for ELLs. It is important to be able to identify best teaching practices to
help ELLs acquire academic vocabulary and have confidence in their ability to demonstrate and
model lessons. Three of the participant are veteran teachers and have been in the classroom for
over 20 years. They all had a similar response to the question regarding self-efficacy and
academic vocabulary. They shared that they have been with the district for many years and that
their self-efficacy comes from years of doing the same task repeatedly. “In this job, you have to
have self-efficacy because it is just you and the students. You have to motivate yourself and
show that you are capable” said Participant Five. Participant Seven shared, “As a teacher, you
need to believe in yourself because the students are depending on you.”
Participants Three, Five, and Nine all spoke about the advantages of collaborating during
their PLC time. They all agreed that working together to share strategies and plan differentiated
instruction gives them a feeling of community and commonality. During the interviews, they
spoke of the importance of setting goals for what they expect from themselves and for students.
Participant Five said “I am so grateful that I have a strong PLC group. They listen and help me to
focus when I get off track with the content.” In addition, Participant Three explained:
Sometimes I plan a lesson and it looks good on paper. I then share it with my PLC team
and they give me suggestions to improve the lesson. I am not an expert with ELLs so I
am willing to take any advice to help the kids. It is great to get support on a teachers
level.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 84
Participant Ten gave credit to those who mentored her as she was developing as a teacher. She
shared:
I had a great master teacher. The feedback I received has helped me to grow into self-
efficacy. I always try to listen and learn. To me self-efficacy means you never stop
growing. You can always find ways to improve. You need to be a lifelong learner and be
open to new ideas to help students.
Collaboration and receiving timely feedback promoted self-efficacy among teachers. The
interview responses confirm that collaboration can enhance confidence and build relationships
that will translate into student learning. Teachers can improve their lesson delivery when a
positive support systems is present (Mansfield & Volet, 2014). Furthermore, feedback from
peers can also positively influence and motivate teachers to receive constructive suggestions and
set goals. Feedback can also improve performance through the transfer of attitudes and actions
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Organizational
According to the interviews, many teachers shared that although they have had
professional development training it is not sustainable or incorporated into daily lessons.
Participant Four expressed his displeasure in the process by saying “I attend the workshops but
there is no follow-up. The district jumps from one training to another and one content to another.
They do not give us enough time to implement before the next training. It always seems to be
done so haphazardly.” Participant Five has been a teacher at Sands Elementary School for 23
years and voiced a similar concern “Years ago I attended an all-day training titled Unpacking the
ELD Standards. The consultant was on campus for a quick refresher during the school year and
there was a shorter follow-up at the end of the school year. That was it.” Participants One and
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 85
Two said they have never been offered a professional development training for ELLs but said
that they would be eager to attend if it was offered during PLC time. Participants Three, Six, and
Eight said the professional development training they received was from the textbook publisher.
That was the only training offered. Participants Three added “The district is requiring us to use
the district adopted language arts program so I follow the guidelines the best I can. The issue for
me is time especially when the district is pressing us to raise math scores. I wish I had more time
to allocate for academic vocabulary.” Participant Six had a similar answer and said “If the
district selected this program for ELLs then that is what I will use until I am told otherwise. Our
PLC switches for designated ELD time and I am currently teaching the English only student
group.” Participant Nine revealed that the district has a system called PD Express and it offers
various trainings and workshops for teachers. It is on a voluntary basis but the classes are limited
to 30 per session and there are over 1,400 teachers in the district. She also said, “Most trainings
are directed towards technology and not so much academic enrichment.” Participant Seven and
Ten had a different perspective. Participant Seven said when he has a few extra minutes he
“searches the internet for additional sources to help ELLs.” Participant Ten said she uses her own
time and resources to attend workshops and conferences. She went on to say “This is my
profession. I need to keep up to date just like a doctor or any other professional career. If the
district can’t provide it, I need to search for ways to improve my teaching.”
Furthermore, several teachers expressed concern that there are still wide gaps in
accountability, communication, and implementation of ELL strategies district wide.
Participant One shared:
We are about to adopt a new language arts curriculum. It would be extremely helpful if
there was a professional development training that gave us an overview on how to use the
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 86
new curriculum with English language learners. Sometimes it feels like consultants come
in and give us a lot of information but fail to address exactly how these strategies get
implemented in a classroom. A professional development training on exactly how this
new curriculum will work with English only students and how it works with English
learners would be extremely beneficial.
The teachers that have participated in professional development trainings explain that it provides
structure and helps them to understand how to use various strategies. Participant Eight said:
The workshop trainer was very good at putting us in the place of an English learner and
showing us how they approach new English vocabulary. She gave us many examples of
how the structure of Spanish differs from English and how this knowledge can help
teachers help Spanish speaking students acquire vocabulary.
Participant teachers also shared that they see the importance of professional development
trainings but the district has too many other priorities. One teacher said, “The district offered
technology trainings, PBIS Behavior training, AVID training, and the list goes on and on. We
should focus on academic workshops. Everything else should be secondary.”
Participant teachers also expressed their disapproval with the lack of guidance towards
goal setting for ELLs. Participant Ten said, “I have never been given any goals set for ELLs
except for CELDT testing information. I check the internet for resources. Los Angeles Unified
has a lot of helpful information online.” Participant Two explained, “We are given CELDT
student scores in January and that’s it.”
Participant Nine shared:
I have a very good relationship with my principal. She is personable and I can talk
to her about anything but there is so much to cover in the language arts
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 87
curriculum. When it comes to English learners, she refers me to the language arts
program.
Several teachers also shared during the interviews that expectations are different depending on
grade level and language level. Participant Four wants to see more models and teacher training
guides. He explained “It would be great to have a rubric or guide to refer to when planning
lessons”.
Several teachers shared that there is very limited communication regarding ELLs and
virtually no accountability to improve CELDT scores. Participant One, Six, and Seven also
shared that they teach vocabulary with the entire class and do not plan lessons to isolate
academic vocabulary for ELLs. Participant Two explained:
To me, it seems that there is an under-current of ELL’s academic progress being
important to the district. The district provides a hastily assembled E.L.D. pacing guide
that is supposed to prepare E.L. students for English proficiency. These accountability
measures are buried on the district website.
The interview responses revealed several factors 1) there is no performance goal, 2) the
objectives are not clear, and 3) there is a lack of knowledge transfer. The absence of a clear
performance goal makes the job knowledge inadequate and highly disorganized (Clark & Estes,
2008). Teachers are unable to apply knowledge and skill as the goal is unclear or non-existent. In
addition, there is no objective to use as a performance measure. Teachers require an objective
and models to help guide them through the process of assisting ELLs (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Lastly, training programs are irrelevant if trainings and workshops cannot be applied to
daily lessons. Many transfer problems are a result of unclear expectations and a lack of
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 88
accountability. Setting clear expectations will provide teachers the understanding they need to
make connections with the new knowledge they are learning.
The lack of time came up throughout all participant interviews. Teachers expressed that
the demands, including the lack of time to plan and deliver lessons for multiple subject teachers
are challenging. Participant One’s perspective is in sharp contrast to Participant Ten. He said that
he does reflect mentally in his head, but never writes anything down. He said “There is no time.
We are expected to do so much in such a short time already. I think about it for 10 seconds and
then I need to move on. I don’t really have time to reflect more than that.” All ten teachers
shared that time plays a role in their inability to reflect in a systematic way on all content areas.
Participant Five said “I only reflect when I see a large percentage of ELL students receive a low
score on a benchmark assessment. Then I go back and look to see what I need to do to help them.
Sometimes I pair them with a high English only student.” Participant Nine and Ten shared that
the only time they can reflect on lessons is during designated PLC time. The district employs an
early dismal every Wednesday throughout the school year. Teachers have one hour a week to
collaborate with their PLC grade level team. Participant Nine said:
I only have time to reflect and share my data with my PLC group during PLC time.
Many times, I am the only one that shares. There are too many other content areas that
need to discussed. The principal sets different requirements each week too. It is hard to
cover all that they expect us to.
Participant Ten shared a system she developed for herself as she is very aware of the importance
of reflection. She stated:
I keep a written notebook. After every content lesson I quickly jot down 3 areas I
experienced as positive such as student oral and written performance, students
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 89
using academic language or students using complete sentences when orally responding. I
then also jot down 3 areas I think I need to improve on. Maybe additional modeling or
more explicit frontloading, things like that. I also write the student names that look like
they were struggling during my checking for understanding time. I use my notes when I
pull small groups and keep the notebook for the next time I teach that concept. I use this
notebook for all my students including ELLs. I start a new notebook every school year
with my new class.
The research indicates that at Desert Sands Elementary School there is no clear understanding of
what reflection is or how it can be used. Additionally, the lack of time to properly plan for
academic vocabulary instruction and reflect is limited due to the content and planning demands
on teachers.
Observations
Observation data was collected over a period of six weeks during English language arts
and aligned with research question one. Ten teachers in grades third through fifth participated.
The Observation Protocol (APPENDIX C) was utilized for each classroom observation.
Observations are useful to the researcher as they provide a method for checking for nonverbal
expressions of feeling they highlight how the participants interact with students during lesson
delivery, activities, and projects (Kawulich, 2005). Observations also create a contextual aspect
helpful to the researcher for increasing validity and generating a hypothesis. Furthermore,
observations allow the researcher to become familiar with how the environment is organized and
interpersonal interactions based on those circumstances (DeWalt & DeWalt, 2002). The data
findings and themes are reported by grade level. The findings are grouped by grade level. The
duration of the observations lasted from 28 minutes to 41 minutes and occurred during a
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 90
language arts direct instruction lesson. Eight out of ten teachers provided me with a seating chart
that indicated which students were ELLs.
Table 4.12 indicates the strategies observed during the lesson across the ten third through
fifth grade classrooms.
Table 4.12
Language Strategies Observed During Observations
Strategy Description Research Connection
Choral Reading Reading aloud in unison with a
whole class or group.
Silverman, 2007
Soto-Huerta, 2012
Graphic Organizers A visual display that demonstrates
relationships between ideas, facts,
or concepts.
Alexander & Jetton, 2000
Faller, Kelley, Kieffer &
Lesaux, 2011
Visuals / Posters Items that supplement written or
spoken information to provide a
better understanding of the concept.
Hardin, 2001
Silverman, 2007
Tran, 2006
Kinesthetic A learning style that is developed
by using whole body motion and
fine motor skills.
Soto-Huerta, 2012
Partner share/peer group Cooperative learning strategies in
which students are supported by a
partner or a group.
Faller, Kelley, Kieffer &
Lesaux, 2011
Vocabulary Journals A record of original work that can
be used as a reference guide.
August, Carlo, Dressler, &
Snow, 2005
Small Groups Teachers work with 3-5 students to
focus on a specific content area.
Hernandez, 2001

The third-grade PLCs were all in Unit 6 of the district adopted language arts program.
Participant Three, Eight, and Five were teaching a lesson from the district adopted language arts
program as the main topic. Students sat in their seats facing the overhead screen. Each teacher
began the lesson by placing ten vocabulary words on the board. The act of placing the
vocabulary words on the board is a recommended strategy that is found in the language arts
reading program. The vocabulary words are kept on the board throughout the language arts unit
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 91
and teachers are to point and refer to the words during the weekly lessons and activities. The
third-grade PLC worked closely together and engaged in a collaborative working relationship
using data to drive instruction.
During the observation of Participant Eight, students were instructed to write the content
vocabulary words in their journals before reviewing them. Once all students had finished
recording the words, she asked them to take out their highlighters and begin to highlight each
root word. The teacher used the word sadness as a model. All students highlighted the word sad
in their journals. After two additional models, students began working on their own. The teacher
walked around to support student participation. During the exercise, an ELL boy sitting toward
the middle of the room kept looking at the paper of the student sitting next to him. The teacher
noticed and gave him a few more prompts before he could complete the assignment on his own.
Students who finished and knew the routine, started scanning the textbook for definitions. Some
students would flip their textbook to the back pages, while other students used the story clues to
write the definitions. All students were engaged and working quietly. According the seating chart
indicating where ELLs were sitting, it was apparent the ELL students took much more time to
complete the assignment. The duration of this activity took approximately 13 minutes.
The next step of the lesson was for the students to read the vocabulary words in isolation
and the teacher would then orally discuss the meaning of each word. Students then turned to the
story associated with the vocabulary words and the class began choral reading with the teacher
leading. Throughout the choral reading activity, I observed three ELLs who were not actually
reading. They seemed to be pretending to read. They were carefully tracking words or using their
finger to identify the words on the pages as the teacher led. The teacher stopped during certain
parts of the text and selected students to give the definition of the vocabulary words. According
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 92
to the seating chart that indicated where ELL students were seated, no ELL students were
selected to give an oral definition. After the lesson, I asked the teacher why she did not select any
ELLs to orally give the vocabulary definitions. She replied “I selected students that I knew could
give the class the correct answers. Students all need to hear the right definitions.”
Participant Three had the vocabulary words on the board when I arrived for the
observation she told me that this was their third day into the unit. She began the lesson by using
kinesthetics. Students began by reading the words and clapping the syllables. They repeated the
process several times. All students were engaged and participating. The teacher then put the
students into small groups and explained to the class what they would do during the allotted time
frame. One group would be working together to use the comprehension game board. The game
board consisted of dice and questions related to the story unit. Another group would utilize a
graphic organizer that required students to collect story clues to find the main idea of the story.
The other side of the room would use their vocabulary journals to write the words, draw a
picture, and write a sentence using the vocabulary words. The teacher encouraged all groups to
work together within their groups.
The teacher then called students to work with her in small groups of three and four
students. She instructed the students to read one paragraph at a time while she facilitated a
discussion regarding the content and vocabulary. She orally gave students clues to help them
make connections with the content. Depending on the group, the teacher also had students draw
the main ideas, writing keys words, or writing complete sentences. I walked around as students
worked together and found the group that was playing the comprehension board game was very
loud and competitive. Two of the five students were ELLs. When it was their turn, they read the
question and an English only student would shout out before they could reply. The ELL student
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 93
took it in stride, although they did not have the opportunity to fully engage in the comprehension
game as the student group was not trained in how to use wait time to give their classmates a
chance to think before answering.
The final third grade class observed was Participant Five’s classroom. Participant Five
started the lesson by passing out a blank piece of paper to each student. She placed students into
groups of two and three. She instructed the students to fold the paper into four squares and then
gave each group a different vocabulary word. Students were asked to place their assigned
vocabulary word in the middle of the paper. She then explained to the students how to represent
the vocabulary word four different ways. She modeled pictures, phrases, complete sentences,
definition, and linking words. Students were encouraged to work with their group.
During the observation, I noted that students began working immediately which indicated
to me that students were familiar with the activity format. In some groups students would work
as a team and readily shared the information. There were several ELL students that would use
the computers to look up the words. Six of the ELL students on my chart started drawing the
pictures first. Students were very open and shared with me what they were drawing and writing.
As the students worked I asked the teacher to explain the objective for this particular lesson
activity. She shared:
Students work best in groups and support each other when new material is introduced.
This is our second day and my objective is to provide multiple exposures in different
contexts. That way they have a better chance of remembering the words and how they
are used in the story. It also helps all students to be actively engaged.
The lesson activity took approximately 20 minutes. The teacher provided each group with 30
seconds to talk about the word that was assigned to their group. My chart indicated that 4 ELL
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 94
students were the presenters of their groups. At the completion of the lesson, the teacher
collected the completed graphic organizers. She later told me she puts them on the bulletin
boards to give students the opportunity to reference them during the language arts unit.
Participants Four, Seven, and Ten are all fourth-grade teachers. The content of the lesson
unit was amphibians. The teachers informed me that during my visit they may not all be
following the language arts unit. Their goal was to try and connect the science standards due to
time constraints. Participant Seven also said “Non-fiction is hard for ELLs that is why we are
going to use resources from language arts and science text.”
Participant Four started his lesson by writing a sentence frame on the board. It read
“Amphibians are __________ and can ___________.” He began posting pictures of frogs,
salamanders, newts, and toads and explained what the animals do and why they are considered
amphibians. He then began listing the characteristics on the board. I observed the teacher talk for
almost eight minutes. Many of the students were looking around, and two students had their
heads down. The teacher was unable to provide me with a seating chart to distinguish ELL
students. In the next part of the lesson, the teacher asked students to get out their language arts
workbook. He placed a copy under the magnifying camera and began filling out the worksheet
pages with the students. The workbook included several vocabulary words such as tetrapod,
caecilian, and endoskeleton. The teacher guided the students using several models and then
asked them to complete the assignment on their own. The workbook provided sketches and
clues. Several students looked up the vocabulary works in the back of the text. As I walked
around, many students including English only students worked slowly. Many students were
unengaged and began to talk to one another. The conversations I heard did not involve the
lesson. Students were talking about lunch and what games they were planning to play at recess.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 95
Just before it was time to go to lunch, the teacher asked for the students who had completely the
workbook pages to raise their hands. I counted six out of thirty-one students that had completed
the assignment. At the end of the lesson the teacher explained, “Usually the first day of a unit is
hard for the students. They’ll get it by the end of the week.”
Participant Seven started the lesson by using anchor posters to categorize the various
characteristics of amphibians. He introduced the vocabulary words one by one and had students
turn to their partner to orally repeat the words. After discussing the various animals, he asked a
series of questions and used equity sticks to select the students. Students were sitting in five rows
of six students per row. During the questioning period, the seating chart indicated that he called
on 6 ELL students. He guided students to answer in complete sentences by orally providing them
the sentence starter and when they were unable to answer the teacher would say “Ask your
partner to whisper it in your ear.” ELL students would then repeat the response their partner
would say. In addition, when students would be uncertain of the answers, the teacher would point
to the anchor poster and softly mouth the words. The environment was supportive and students
were familiar with the procedure.
The next part of the lesson included a journal. Each page had room for two words. The
students were to use the computers or the text to complete the journal page. For each vocabulary
word the students were required to write the definition, a sentence using the words, find the
synonyms and antonyms, and draw a picture. Students had the opportunity to work as a group or
individually. The teacher explained that the vocabulary journal would be used at the end of the
week to write a summary about the main idea of the unit. As students worked, the teacher called
small groups up to help them complete the journal pages. The teacher commented, “I wish I
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 96
could spend more time working with academic vocabulary with all content areas. There is just
never enough time.”
I observed Participant Ten on the last day of the unit lesson. The teacher explained that
the class had already completed the vocabulary activities from the language arts program earlier
in the week but she planned a lesson using trade books she had borrowed from the school library.
She started the class by reading a student leveled reader book on frogs. She had a whole group
discussion with the class about the characteristics of amphibians and had students read the
vocabulary words as she wrote them on the board. She asked questions about the content and had
students pair up and share their responses. She then randomly called on a few groups to share
their findings with the class. Two of the four students selected to share were ELLs. She allowed
wait time and pointed to parts of the book to help the students answer the questions. She asked
the question “What is unique about amphibians?” The ELL student did not understand the word
unique. He shook his head and the teacher rephrased the question and said “What is special about
amphibians? The ELL student could accurately provide the information. This part of the lesson
lasted approximately 12 minutes.
After the whole class discussion, the teacher asked each student to select three vocabulary
words from the board and gave them each a piece of construction paper. The teacher then
directed the students to fold the paper and make a trifold. She explained that each side would
contain a vocabulary word. Students were directed to write the word, draw a picture, and write a
sentence that pertains to the trade books they would be using to find the information. Students
began working immediately. As I walked around I found that ELL students had selected the easy
reader books. The leveled readers had lots of pictures but very little content information. The
teacher stated, “Students enjoy the foldable projects. It helps them to be creative and all students
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 97
have the ability to participate.” Students were excited to explain what they were going to write
on their foldable. One ELL student said, “This is the best part of today.” While students were
working, the teacher pulled together small groups and reread the main article from the language
arts text book with each group.
Participants One, Two, Six, and Nine teach fifth grade and all volunteered for the study.
When setting the schedules for the observation visit, Participant Nine asked to speak with me.
She informed me that the fifth-grade teachers have very different personalities and do not get
along. She explained, “You may not see the same content as we can never agree about what
objectives or strategies should be taught. I just wanted to you know so you won’t be too
surprised.”
Several participants had similar routines in place. The topic of the main text was fossils.
Both teachers chorally read with all students. Participant One had the classroom set up in rows
where all students were facing forward. There were no posters or vocabulary words written on
the board. Student work was not on display in the classroom. During the topic reading the
teacher stopped at the vocabulary words and orally used the vocabulary words in different
contexts. One of the words the teacher used as a model was ‘surveyed.’ He broke the word apart
and explained that a survey is a way to collect information by asking questions to get
information. When they returned to the textbook the word surveyed in the passage was used in
the form of investigating or inspecting.
Once the choral reading was over, the teacher passed out a cloze worksheet. A cloze
worksheet features a passage that contains blanks within the sentences that are deliberately
omitted to test a student’s comprehension. When working with a cloze worksheet, students must
have the skills in order to use context clues to fill in the blanks. Students worked on their own.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 98
The teacher walked around and helped students who had their hands raised. I noticed many ELL
students were slowly filling out the form. There were several students looking at other students’
papers. As I was leaving, the teacher mentioned to me that this particular unit was hard as one of
the objectives was to decode Greek words. He explained, “These words are hard for English
speakers. My English learner students struggle with the vocabulary words for every unit.”
Participant Two also began the lesson by choral reading with the students. She would
stop to point out the picture representation of the content and vocabulary. The next part of her
lesson included students working in small groups and completing a journal assignment. She had
students write the vocabulary words and then two or three sentences that related to the meaning
of the words from the story. She allowed students to work in small groups. She also allowed
students to use the computers to look up the definitions. I observed students working with a
partner. Students were using Google to find the vocabulary words and copying the sentences
Google had as models. As students worked, the teacher pulled small groups up to work with her.
According to the seating chart, the only students that she called on were ELLs. At the end of the
lesson I asked if she was aware that many students were not producing their own sentences in
their journals, she replied, “Yes, I know but it keeps the students busy while I am in small groups
and it is better than turning in no work at all.”
Participant Six started the lesson with a game. Students were placed in 5 groups and
according to the seating chart, she included ELLs in all groups. She then gave each group a
vocabulary picture card with the word, its definition, and word’s context. Each group had four
minutes to work together and complete the pages from the consumable workbook. Each group
selected a leader. The leader would guide their peers on what was needed to fill in the blanks.
When the timer went off, the vocabulary picture cards rotated until the workbooks were as
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 99
complete as possible. The majority of the class was engaged and moving very quickly as they
knew they were being timed. Many ELL students tried to keep up but the 4 minutes was not
enough time for students to complete the workbook. Many had only partial answers written.
When the activity was over, ELL students looked relieved. I kept tally marks of students who
finished and only 3 of 17 ELLs were able to complete the assignment accurately. I asked the
teacher what happens to students who did not complete the vocabulary workbook pages. She
explained,
This game is fun for the kids. Students who do not finish have an opportunity to finish
later in the week. I like to see the kids working in groups and helping each other. Today
was just the introduction. Tomorrow we will use the vocabulary words in sentences and
by Friday they will write 2-3 paragraphs on fossils.
My chart indicted that the leaders in each of the five groups were students who were proficient in
English and did not include ELL students.
I observed Participant Nine on the last day of the unit lesson on fossils. The teacher
explained that all students had completed the vocabulary journal pages and that students were in
the writing stage of the unit. The teacher began the lesson by giving directions to the students
regarding expectations for what should be included in the paragraphs. She focused on grammar,
sentence structure, and the use of the vocabulary words to write a three-paragraph summary. She
provided topic sentence starters for each paragraph. According to the ELL seating chart, all ELL
students used the computers for assistance to complete the paragraph writing.
During the observation, I noticed students looking up vocabulary words and copying the
sentence from Google’s content definition. Some students were working together, while other
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 100
students attempted the writing assignment on their own. I asked the teacher her thoughts
regarding my observation. She explained:
Yes, I know students copy but it is better to copy than to not turn in any work. Before I
received my computers, students were only turning in one or two sentences. It is good
practice for them to try and find the information for themselves. That is my goal for all
my students.
As students worked to complete the writing assignment, the teacher called up small groups of
three and four students and reread the text on fossils. They focused on visuals and the teacher
asked the group, oral questions in regard to the content. All students in the groups called upon
were ELLs. Groups were made up of three to four students and several could not keep up with
the reading pace and would move their lips with no sound. During oral questioning, only one to
two students would participant depending on how the questions were framed. Many times the
teacher had to point to sections of the text for clarity and also had students orally repeat the
vocabulary words by segmenting each sound. The teacher spent between 12-15 minutes with
each group.
School Site Leadership
One of the central duties of a school site principal is to improve teaching and learning.
Principals must advocate for professional development that will inspire teachers to delivery
effective content lessons and to promote instructional leaders among school staff. Teachers need
to acquire pedagogical content knowledge in order to prepare them to facilitate and lead students
to a deep understanding of subject matter content (Bauer & Brazer, 2013). In the case of ELLs,
the principal must also cultivate a positive school culture that encourages acceptance and
recognizes the accomplishments of all students. Communication among all stakeholders requires
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 101
a clear message, specific goals, continual follow-up and consistent feedback (Ediger, 2014).
Instructional leadership is key to school improvement which includes the support for ELLs in
academic vocabulary instruction (Plessis, 2013). Therefore, one of the main responsibilities for a
school principal is to facilitate teacher growth through collaboration and reflection.
Sands Elementary School has a daily average attendance of approximately 1,200 students
and has the second largest population of ELLs in the district. The site principal has been
employed with High Dessert School District for over twenty-five years. She began her career as
a teacher and moved into school site administration nearly ten years ago. She volunteered to be
interviewed for this study. The principal wanted to be able to speak freely and recommended that
we meet for lunch at a local restaurant as an alternative to meeting in her office at the school site.
I asked the site principal to describe what the school or district offers in the area of
preparation for implementing academic vocabulary strategies for English learners. She started by
explaining that several years ago, the district trained teachers using the Sheltered Instruction
Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model. They had a representative from each school participate in
the workshops and wanted to implement a trainer-of-trainer’s system. She said many of the
teachers that participated has no previous understanding of the specific needs of a second
language learner. She went on to say:
The SIOP professional development trainings take a year or more and needs coaching,
lots of observations, and quite a bit of collaboration. It is a long process and teachers
were overwhelmed with other curriculum requirements. Research indicates that the
program is highly effective but very time consuming. It just did not meet the needs of our
very large district at the time. We currently use the district adopted language arts program
and teachers use the unit guides to help English learners.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 102
The site principal went on to say that for the 2017-2018 school year, the district adopted a new
language arts curriculum that incorporates strategies for ELLs. The new program works in
tandem with the English Language Arts and English Language Development Framework that
was adopted by the California Department of Education in 2014. All teachers in the district are
expected to attend the training workshop offered by the publisher.
The next question was related to teacher observation in the classroom and I asked, “How
often are you able to observe teachers with a focus on vocabulary instructional strategies?” The
site principal explained that ELD is a big focus in the district. She says she gets the opportunity
to walk classrooms several times a week but admits that the academic vocabulary that she sees is
focused on the whole class rather than just ELLs. She says, “I see vocabulary words on the board
and in student journals so I know teachers are working to connect the content language.” She
added that she shares the duties of classroom observations with the assistant principal. When I
asked about teacher expectations specifically for ELLs and academic vocabulary, the site
principal said she sets the expectations during staff meetings and holds teachers accountable to
ensure that they follow the language arts program. She also said she works with PLCs to
reinforce academic language for ELLs using data driven methods. She clarified that during her
walk throughs she observes teachers working in small groups, students working together using
interactive journals, and charts that depict the content with pictures, words and phrases. She then
mentioned again that the newly adopted language arts program includes 30 minutes a day of
embedded academic vocabulary. She went on to explain that when the text book adoption
committee was evaluating various publishers, one of the criteria was to select a program that
included access to academic vocabulary to specifically target ELLs.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 103
The next question was related to data collection. I asked, “How do teachers use data to
assess academic vocabulary?” The site principal explained:
First, ELD goals are developed with the leadership team. Once the goals and objectives
are determined, lessons and strategies are developed using the English language arts
district adopted program. Teachers administer formative assessments throughout the
school year and once data is collected we hold data meetings to analyze the information.
The results determine what skills students will need to acquire language.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) communication is needed for stakeholders as it helps people
adjust their knowledge and motivation to accomplish goals. Therefore, I wanted to find out the
process in which she conveys the information to the teaching staff. I then asked her how she
communicates the goals and objectives to the teachers. She replied, “There is one grade level
PLC representative at the leadership meetings and they relay the goals and objectives during
their designated meeting time on Wednesday afternoons.”
The final question was, “What do you see is needed for teachers to incorporate academic
vocabulary strategies?” She was quick to say, “is it skill or is it will?” The site principal
explained to me that 95% of the teaching staff are unable to relate to second language learner
students. Sands Elementary School has the most veteran staff in the entire district. She also said
it is challenging to provide training to teachers who may not interested or motivated to learn
anything new. She said:
Teachers spend many hours planning. Some just don’t know how to implement lessons
designed for English learners and other I think just don’t want to. The teachers need to
understand where the students are coming from. You cannot help students learn unless
you have cultural proficiency. When I see strategies such as readers theatre and other
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 104
engagement activities it just means students are participating. It does not necessarily
mean that you are meeting the content needs of each child.
She also said that time is a major factor. Many teachers only want to plan during PLC time or if
professional development is offered, they want to be paid. The site principal went on to say that
the district is investing in several programs that promote the embracement of diversity, creating a
nurturing environment, and building relationships with students and parents.
Summary
The themes that presented themselves based on research question one was varied and
complex. The data also revealed that teachers are unclear as to how to organize their knowledge
of academic vocabulary strategies. In addition, the collection of data and the ability to make
adjustments to increase academic vocabulary proficiency is in-consistent from teacher to teacher.
Many teachers rely solely on vocabulary journals and consumable workbooks provided by the
language arts textbook publisher. Teachers depend on their own motivation and self-efficacy to
attend voluntary professional development workshops when offered. Collaboration for many
teachers is their only source of support if the team has goals and are working to share ideas and
strategies.
The lack of time was a constant theme running throughout the observations. Multiple
subject teachers are under pressure to teach various content areas and learning to utilize teaching
strategies specifically to increase academic vocabulary is challenging.
Evidence gathered from the study indicates a lack of organizational measures supporting
teacher knowledge and motivation. There are few professional development opportunities
available to increase teacher knowledge for each grade level. The one consistent theme evident
throughout the observations teacher reliance upon the textbook publisher to provide consistent
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 105
training. The publisher provides few strategies and many are not specific to academic
vocabulary. In addition, the expectations for teachers of ELL students are unclear and there is no
evidence of effective communication among teachers or administration. Teachers receive data on
ELL language levels but no training on how to establish or implement instructional support
systems. The administrator also suggested that teachers may have the skills to support ELLs with
academic vocabulary strategies but it may be that teachers lack motivation. The findings of this
study indicate the level of complexity existing between the teachers and the district is significant,
with the communication gap ultimately impacting instruction for ELLs.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 106
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion and Recommendations
The purpose of this study is to identify the degree in which knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences impact teacher stakeholders and their ability to provide engagement
strategies to build academic vocabulary for ELLs. In Chapter 4, the results and findings of the
surveys, interviews, and observations were reported and analyzed. This chapter will present a
proposal that will enable teachers and the school district to advance towards 100% stakeholder
implementation of academic vocabulary engagement strategies into daily lesson plans. The plan
will support stakeholders to produce a peer support system within the organization that will assist
in the implementation of strategies through a systematic method that includes collaboration and
professional development training. The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model (2016)
guides the training framework to provide stakeholders with foundational principles that connect
attitudes, knowledge, and skills to the desired outcomes and goals.
This chapter will analyze and discuss the various findings of the study based on a mixed
method of research tools utilized. It will also include a summary of knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences that can provide assistance to classroom teachers to facilitate effective
change for ELLs in academic vocabulary. The guiding principles for the evaluation and
implementation process will be based on the four levels of the training model which includes
results, behavior, learning, and reaction that was developed by James and Wendy Kirkpatrick
(2016). This process can be applied to maximize and demonstrate the value of effective training
programs that are performance driven and focused on results.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 107
The quantitative and qualitative data uncovered several major themes in teaching
academic vocabulary to ELLs. The most common theme was time. All the teachers interviewed
repeatedly disclosed that although academic vocabulary is important for ELLs, they do not have
the time to research and write lesson plans that are explicit towards content vocabulary. PLC
collaboration is limited to one hour each week and there are many other subject areas and test
assessments that are mandated by the district. In addition, many strategies that are currently
being utilized in the classroom are derived from the English language arts textbooks which are
currently outdated and do not correspond to the Common Core State Standards (CDE, 2017).
The process of learning requires time and a commitment to practicing the skills teachers need to
be effective in the classroom.
Throughout the study teachers cited time as a factor in planning and delivering lessons
for academic content vocabulary. According to the participant interviews, their decision to adapt
and modify instruction is primarily guided by district mandates connected to the district adopted
language arts program offered by a publishing company. Teachers shared that they are faced
with district and state mandated assessments. Of the teachers interviewed, 90% stated that if they
had more time, they could develop a procedure that would connect with an ELLs prior
knowledge and academic content. Several participant teachers use the ELL strategies
recommended in the textbook which some teachers expressed may not be the most effective
methods but due to limited planning time, is the only viable option. A possible solution would be
to work with the publisher and allow a lead teacher to offer additional strategies and provide
active learning activities. Teachers training teachers can be an effective professional
development model as teachers can relate to building consistent measures and goals among their
PLC grade level teams.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 108
Teachers that participated in the study had a strong sense of self-efficacy and dedication
to assisting ELLs with academic content as 96% (strongly agree or agree) of teachers responded
that they have attended trainings that apply to ELL students. During classroom observations,
many teachers supported ELLs by using photos, graphic organizers, and sentence frames. These
strategies enhance the learning environment yet very few teachers engaged specifically with
academic vocabulary that included activities or study in morphology or cognates that allow
students to use their first language to make content connections. Teachers expressed that there is
a lack of professional training that explains how to apply a procedure or system to use a students’
first language when learning academic vocabulary.
Teacher participants stated that they do not have a system in place for purposeful
reflection. Purposeful reflection focuses on specific areas and is an important factor which can
lead to more innovative lesson planning, effective curriculum design, and ultimately an increase
in student achievement. Teachers can also build a sense of community by encouraging each other
to ask questions and problem solve based on a specific content area or strategy. Scheduling time
to reflect with purpose and focusing on questions and not feedback has the potential to improve
the practice of analyzing information to increase classroom effectivity.
The school district plays a major role in providing guidelines and holding teachers
professionally responsible for delivering high quality lessons for ELLs. The data reveals that
there is a lack of understanding between teachers and school administrators. Only 43% of the
teachers surveyed reported that the principal gave clear expectations. The interview with the
principal also confirmed that the school district has not been consistent with trainings or updated
curriculum materials. The principal disclosed that teachers were resistant to additional training as
the average tenured teacher has 22.5 years at Sands Elementary School. The qualitative data
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 109
reveals a gap between teachers and administrators as it relates to ELLs and what it means to
provide academic engagement strategies for ELLs.
Many participant teachers shared that they do not know how to navigate the curricula as
the only professional development training they have received was through the textbook
publisher. The site principal disclosed during the interview that teachers were resistant to change
yet, nine out of the ten participant teachers stated that they would be eager to learn new strategies
and were willing to make instructional decisions that would help ELLs to acquire academic
vocabulary knowledge. Implementing a procedure for sharing strategies and ideas for the
purpose of increasing student achievement through teacher lead collaboration would benefit
students and motivate teachers. As an organization, the school district should empower and train
teachers to make instructional decisions that can benefit all students.
Principals who are instructional leaders promote the learning process by engaging and
supporting classroom teachers. Principals must create an environment in which collaboration and
teaching practices are incorporated into the school culture. A focus on student learning includes
the principal attending professional development workshops and working with teachers to
support the implementation of curriculum in the classroom. Administrators that partner with
teachers through modeling, data analysis, and curriculum development has the capacity to
encourage student academic success and advance staff professional growth.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Studies indicate that teachers do not have the adequate support and training that is
necessary to scaffold learning to build academic vocabulary for English language learners
(ELLs). The research indicates that teachers lack a framework and consistency in lesson delivery
that results in low reading and comprehension benchmark scores (Lapkin & Swain, 2000;
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 110
Hardin, 2001). Without specific factual knowledge on how to engage ELLs in academic
vocabulary, teachers are unable to maximize student learning. As a result, students can become
disengaged often leading to poor student behavior (Cox, Finn, & Folger, 1991; Fincham,
Hokoda, & Sanders, 1999). Therefore, teachers require knowledge support from colleagues that
include understanding the “how” and “when” to increase student engagement (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006). Clark and Estes (2008) stated that to reach a goal, people need to be
provided with information in the form of a job aide. A job aide is a tool that is able to measure
student outcomes such as rubrics, guided samples, or assessments. Teachers must obtain a high
level of implementation that includes the opportunity to practice skills and transfer factual
knowledge (APA, 2015). A job aid would provide a level of information that is necessary to
attain the goal of academic vocabulary proficiency for ELLs.
Conceptual knowledge is explicit or implicit understanding of principles that are
interrelated to a knowledge domain. Research specifies that learning involves interpreting
specific concepts and the relationships between those concepts (Glaser, 1984; Hardin, 2001;
Hernandez, 2001). Research indicates ELLs benefit when their primary language is utilized.
Students can take advantage of initiating prior knowledge to make connections through the
similarities through spelling, sound, and meaning of certain words. Cognates provide language
connections that can support both languages (Hardin, 2001; Lapkin & Swain, 2000; Schwartz &
Sunderman, 2008).
Teachers need specified training to make sense of the material if they want to engage
ELLs and support their development of academic vocabulary acquisition. Trainings help teachers
to make sense of the material and helps them to utilize strategies rather than to just memorizing
different approaches (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Cognates, which are English words that are
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 111
similar in spelling, pronunciation, and meaning to Spanish language words, can often provide a
natural way to reinforce vocabulary understanding. Providing teachers with the opportunity to
connect new knowledge to prior knowledge will support conceptual learning (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006). In addition, training has a high impact on teachers when guided practice and
corrective feedback is utilized (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Connecting ELL students with their level of academic language requires a teacher with
knowledge and skills to promote content academic vocabulary. Studies indicate that teacher
knowledge is increased when practice promotes automaticity when delivering lessons (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006). Teachers require specific knowledge to scaffold vocabulary instruction to
make the content applicable and relevant for ELLs. Therefore, teachers must provide concrete
examples consistently throughout content instruction (Auginis & Kraiger, 2009). Strategies such
as modeling, linking content to prior knowledge, and using visuals provide ELLs with
meaningful connections that can improve reading and comprehension skills (Anderson, Herman,
& Nagy 1985). A job aide is essential as it provides the teacher with reminders on how to apply,
implement, and meet goals to assist ELLs (Clark & Estes, 2008). Additionally, job aides can
serve as a form of self-help tools that can be used on the job.
Metacognition plays a critical role in teaching and engaging ELLs. Metacognition
provides the opportunity for the learner to engage in self-assessment (Baker, 2006). Knowledge
about one’s self as a learner grants the ability to understand and adjust learning (Clark & Estes,
2006). Teachers can benefit from metacognition when they reflect and make adjustments to the
learning process (Rueda, 2011). Without reflection, teachers are not able to develop the proper
scaffolds required to move students towards mastery of academic content. Research by Hatano,
Lin, and Schwartz (2005) acknowledges the significance of adjusting instruction to the various
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 112
language levels as the learning environment is consistently changing. Teachers need a job aide
such as a rubric to self-evaluate and adjust instruction to reflect the fluctuations that occur in a
classroom setting (Clark & Estes, 2008). One strategy to enforce metacognition would be to
collaborate with colleagues and talk out loud to access strengths and weaknesses (Baker, 2006).
Therefore, by using job aides and self-assessment tools, metacognitive reflection can be an
effective tool to set goals for ELLs that are attainable.
Teachers feel that they lack the skills needed to provide academic vocabulary strategies
for English language learners. Effective teachers resemble the characteristics of the attribution
theory as it relates to their responsibility to promote language for ELLs. Anderman & Anderman
(2009) explain that attribution theory is the understanding to provide accurate feedback that
identifies the skills or knowledge the individual lacks and stated that specific skills and
knowledge can be learned. Teachers validate this theory when they work in partnership with
other colleagues to support best teaching practices (Gorozidis & Papaioannou, 2013). Teachers
must build relationships that enable the sharing of feedback within the community of learners
(Pintrich, 2003). Moreover, teachers often experience the same professional development
trainings but do not share the same beliefs regarding the achievement or failure of academic
tasks due to lack of control in the content area. Therefore, being able to identify skills that need
to be learned is vital as a motivational influence. Pintrich (2003) also supported the theory of the
importance of effort, strategies and potential self-control of learning. In addition, building
supportive and caring personal relationships is important for a community of learners.
Attribution theory can also pertain to how teachers respond and engage students in the
classroom (Anderman & Anderman, 2006). It is necessary for teachers to have the knowledge
and skills to diagnose a student’s academic performance and adjust instruction. This includes the
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 113
ability to analyze curriculum if the content is too simplistic or too challenging (Weiner, 1979).
Teachers that support ELLs participate in a process of trying to master their environment which
includes searching for causes as to why students are struggling with content. Therefore, if
teachers can help students in the learning process, their motivation is increased. In addition,
teachers need feedback that stress the process of leaning, including the importance of effort,
strategies, and potential self-control of learning (Pintrich, 2003). According to a study by Prytula
(2012) professional learning community (PLC), offered teachers the opportunity to work
together and share their knowledge of best instructional practices. The study found that by
collaborating, teachers gained new knowledge and used job aids such as a self-evaluation rubric
to set goals for student performance while heightening awareness of their capability to access the
curriculum (Prytula, 2012).
Teachers lack confidence in their ability to incorporate engagement strategies using

student’s primary language. According to Bandura (2000) self-efficacy influences a person’s
choice of effort, persistence, and activities as well as the ability to succeed. Self-efficacy is a key
component in how an individual approaches challenges, tasks, and sets attainable goals. There
are several instructional and social influences that can be connected to self-efficacy. Provide
instructional support or scaffolding early on, building in multiple opportunities for practice and
gradually remove supports (Pajares, 2006). Success can raise or lower self-efficacy but once a
strong sense of self is established, adverse success may no longer have an impact on the
individual. Therefore, building a collaborative team of administrators and teacher coaches that
includes models that promote self-efficacy is essential to individual teacher motivation (Parjares,
2006).
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 114
According to Pajares (2006) school administrators must make it clear that individuals can
acquire additional knowledge. Teachers can gain valuable knowledge from other colleagues
through collaboration. Bandura (2000) also states that an individual must have a strong belief
system to succeed in a particular task or in a given situation. Observational learning such as
imitating and modeling highlights the strength of individual behavior. Bandura (2000) promoted
the theory that people are inclined to participate and engage in observational learning. Teachers
need an environment where they are supported and encouraged to set attainable goals and receive
positive feedback.
Table 5.1

Summary of Motivational Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Motivation
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*

Validated
Yes, High
Probability, No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Attributions –
Teachers feel that
they lack the
skills necessary to
provide academic
vocabulary
strategies for
English language
learners.

HP Y Provide accurate
feedback that
identifies the
skills or
knowledge that
the individual
lacks, along with
communication
skills and
knowledge that
can be learned
(Anderman &
Anderman, 2009).

Provide feedback
that stresses the
process of
learning,
including the
importance of
effort, strategies,
Teachers will
collaborate with
their PLC to
provide specific
feedback and
encourage the
process of gaining
new academic
knowledge to
support English
learners.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 115

and potential self-
control of learning
(Pintrich, 2003).

Building
supportive and
caring personal
relationships in
the community of
learners (Pintrich,
2003).

Self-efficacy –
Teachers lack the
confidence in
their ability to
incorporate
engagement
strategies using
student’s primary
language (L1).

HP Y Make it clear that
individuals are
capable of
learning what is
being taught
(Pajares, 2006).

Use models that
build self-efficacy
and enhance
motivation
(Pajares, 2006).

Provide
instructional
support
(scaffolding) early
on, building in
multiple
opportunities for
practice and
gradually remove
supports (Pajares,
2006).

Provide teachers
with self-
evaluation rubric
to set goals while
heightening
awareness of their
capability access
to the curriculum
Build a
collaborative team
of administrators,
coaches, and
teachers that will
enhance self-
efficacy by setting
attainable goals
and positive
expectancies.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 116
(Prytula, 2012).

To develop mastery, individuals must acquire skills, practice integrating them, and know
how and when to apply what they have learned (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). According to
Clark and Estes (2008) performance enhancements such as professional development trainings
must be developed with a specific goal that is attainable and transparent through accountability
measures. In addition, the organization or school district must provide job aids to guide and
develop the skills needed to reach student goals. The evaluation and assessing of progress
monitoring will assist teachers with knowledge and skills to support and sustain the desired
outcomes. Data driven professional development trainings models can offers a systematic
process that can promote instructional improvements (Hamilton, Marsh, & Pane, 2006).
Professional development trainings must also be purposeful and should support a shift in
school culture and accountability. According to Elmore (2002) schools and districts are directly
responsible for the academic outcomes of all students including special populations such as
ELLs. Furthermore, Elmore (2002) stated that the role of school administrators and teachers
require continual opportunities to participate in targeted professional development trainings as it
would directly influence the teaching and learning that goes on daily in the classroom.
Table 5.2

Organizational Influences
Assumed
Motivation
Influence:
Cause, Need, or
Asset*

Validated
Yes, High
Probability, No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
District
administrative
HP Y Organizations
with a high level
District
administrators
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 117
leaders must
demonstrate a
willingness to
work in
partnership with
teachers to
create an
environment of
collaboration
and trust.
of cultural trust
tend to retain
highly motivated
and employees
(Colquitt, Scott,
& LePine,
2007).

Organizational
culture is created
through shared
experiences
(Schein, 2004).

will participate in
academic
language
strategies by
supporting
teachers through
observation and
feedback, and
schedule
consistent time
for meetings.
Teachers need to
participate in
goal setting and
instructional
planning for
English learners
that aligns with
the priorities of
the organization.

HP Y Adults are
motivated to
participate when
they see the
relevance of
information to
their own
circumstance
(Knowles,
1980).

Setting
performance
goals produce a
clear and
specific focus on
the tasks that
must be
accomplished to
reach the desired
outcomes (Clark
& Estes, 2008).
Communicate
orally and in
writing the
strategic plan and
review the
progress towards
the language
goals during
PLC meetings.

Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The model that will guide this implantation and evaluation design is the New World
Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model recommends that the
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 118
evaluation of an action plan begin with attainable and measurable goals. The model recommends
starting the process at level four to ensure maximum results. There are four levels which include
level one, reaction; level two, learning; level three, behavior; and level four, results. When the
organization begins with level four, the focus is placed on targeted outcomes and can guide
strategic training and support accountability. It also provides the organization and all
stakeholders a clear vision with measurable goals. In addition, level four can produce the criteria
and planning that is required in advance to achieve the required results. The New World
Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) takes a unique approach as it emphasizes
the design of training programs to ensure that measures and observations are implemented and
on track for success. Furthermore, the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) provides a process
of evaluation to enable problems or obstacles to be addressed and fixed early to reduce negative
impact.
The purpose of this project is to conduct a gap analysis to examine the extent in which
the school district is supporting teachers to provide academic vocabulary engagement strategies
to ELLs in the classroom. The analysis focuses on teacher knowledge and motivation as well as
the organizational influences that contribute to the success of ELLs. While a complete gap
analysis would focus on all ELLs, for practical purposes the stakeholders in this analysis are
third through fifth grade teachers at Sands Elementary School. The proposed solution is to
provide professional development training for classroom teachers that will specifically target
academic content vocabulary. The result would produce an increase in reading fluency and
comprehension for ELLs.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 119
Table 5.3 shows the proposed level four: results and leading indicators in the form of
outcomes, metrics, and methods for both external and internal outcomes for teachers of English
learners.
Table 5.3
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcomes Metric(s) Method(s)
Leading Indicator
External Outcomes

1. Increase state test scores in
reading comprehension for
English learners.
Number of practice
assessments administered to
English learner students.
Review practice data monthly.
2. Participate in state
sponsored English learner
trainings.
Number of teachers that
complete state training.
Bi-weekly check in with
teachers who completed state
training.
Leading Indicator
Internal Outcomes

3. Increased teacher
knowledge to connect
students’ primary language to
academic content vocabulary.
Feedback using a short survey
completed by participants.
On-line strategy aides that
include short surveys.
4. Increased teacher reflection The number of positive and
negative reflections.
Analyze data to improve
training format using pre and
post reflections.

The primary stakeholders are classroom teachers that have a large population of English
learners in their classrooms. Their focus is to apply strategies to support English learners yield a
higher level of academic content vocabulary proficiency. First, teachers must be able to apply
engagement strategies in daily lessons. Second, teachers need to identify measurable goals for
students. Last, teachers need to collaborate and share their findings and student data within their
professional learning community or PLC. The specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of
these outcomes appears in Table 5.4.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 120
Table 5.4
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for New Reviewers
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. Provide targeted
strategies that connect
with students’ primary
language.
The number of
strategies that are
introduced.
1a. The instructional
administrator shall
visit classrooms and
conduct observations
by using tally marks.
1a. Every two weeks.
1b. PLC group leaders
will review tally mark
data related to
language strategies.
1b. PLC Group
leaders will report to
instructional
administrator
monthly.
2. Review data for
implementation.
Number of times
strategies are
implemented.
2a. The PLC group
leaders will collect
data and look for
strategies that need
improvement.
2a. PLC group will
meet with
participating teachers
every 6 weeks.

Teachers need organizational support from the district office, school site administrators
and PLC groups to implement what they have learned during professional development training.
It is essential to recognize and reward teachers for going above and beyond in assisting English
learners with academic vocabulary development. Rewards should be established to encourage
and identify teachers who enhance the learning environment.
Table 5.5 indicate the recommended drivers to support critical behaviors of participating
teachers.
Table 5.5
Required Drivers to Support Participating Teachers
Method(s) Timing Critical Behavior Supported
Reinforcing
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 121
Job aid that includes a list of
engagement strategies.
Ongoing 1, 2
Job aid lesson plan template to
be used as a checklist.
Weekly 1, 2
Encouraging
Collaboration among PLC
groups to reflect on lesson
delivery and implementation.
Weekly 1
Feedback from instructional
administrator.
Monthly 2
Rewarding
Certificate presented at the
awards dinner.
Quarterly 1, 2
Teacher names listed in the
district newsletter.
Monthly 1, 2

These strategies can be used to ensure and enforce the objective for teacher stakeholders.
The organization can create a culture of collaboration that can result in shared practices and
increased self-efficacy. Accountability is vital and can be performed by providing frequent
checks to monitor progress and adjust when necessary to increase performance towards the goal.
Performance assessment can also be implemented through PLC groups and through observations.
Following the completion of the recommended solutions, teacher stakeholders will be
able to:
1. Recognize the academic vocabulary required to make language connections.
2. Correctly apply the language strategy that applies to the content area of study.
3. Work collaboratively to build lesson plans that connect with the performance goal.
4. Plan and self-monitor lesson delivery to include content vocabulary instruction.
5. Value the time to reflect and share findings with colleagues.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 122
The learning goals listed in the previous section can be achieved with a professional
development training program that investigates research based practices to support English
learners in the attainment of academic vocabulary to support content knowledge. The teacher
stakeholders will develop the skills that will support the teaching of academic vocabulary based
on content in all core subject areas. The teacher stakeholders will be trained on a variety of
strategies that will directly impact lesson delivery. It will also include a collaboration component
that will build collaboration and self-efficacy. The program will have several components that
include PLC partnership, Google classroom modules, and face-to-face workshops. The total time
for completion is six hours a month over an eight-month school year (48 hours).
Demonstrating teacher knowledge as it pertains to academic content vocabulary is
necessary to ensure that the goals for English learners are clear. Evaluating how teachers apply
knowledge of strategies in the classroom is important. Assessing the importance of how teachers
utilize the training can also indicate their level of confidence and self-efficacy. As such, Table
5.6 lists the evaluation methods and timing for these components of learning.
Table 5.6

Components of Learning for the Program

Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks using real language
scenarios.
Face-to-face PLC meetings during trainings.
Knowledge checks through multiple choice
questions.
Asynchronous audio and video modules.
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Observations during lesson delivery. Monthly classroom visits by school site
administration.
Presentation of student work or activity. During face-to-face PLC meetings.
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Collaboration with peers. During the workshops and PLC meetings.
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job”.
Discussions throughout the process with PLC Throughout the course of implementation.
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 123
team.
Reflection survey. After each training.
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Create a list of students with individual
language goals.
After PLC meetings.

An important element of measuring the effectiveness of training programs is to solicit
feedback from training participants. Professional development workshops provide an opportunity
to connect with the content material and gain self-efficacy to implement the recommended
academic vocabulary strategies. Feedback also gives the training instructor the ability to improve
and modify the material for future use. As such, Table 5.7 lists the components to measure
reactions to the program.
Table 5.7
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Active participation in discussions and
activities.

During workshops and face-to-face PLC
meetings with participating teachers.
Module evaluations. Immediately following the workshop.
Relevance
Written reflection upon completion of lesson
delivery.
Two days after lesson delivery.
Participant survey. Two weeks after each module.
Customer Satisfaction
Discussions during workshops and PLC
meetings.
Immediately following the workshops and PLC
meetings.
Module evaluations. Two weeks after each module.

During the workshops, the instructor will check for understanding of academic
vocabulary content by requesting that teachers orally share their understanding and how they
plan to implement the new knowledge into their lesson plans. Teachers will also be observed in
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 124
the classroom by school administration and complete a survey as to their level of application to
reach the language goals for English learners.
During level one, the workshop instructor will check for reaction before moving on to the
next strategy. At that time, teachers will also be able to ask clarifying questions to gain additional
knowledge and reaffirm procedures necessary to make the content relevant. Level two will
include knowledge checks using classroom applications related to academic content vocabulary
(Appendix A).
Approximately two weeks after the training, school administrators will collect the list of
individual student language goals from the PLC lead in each grade level. Six weeks later, a
reflective survey using the lesson evaluation tool will be distributed to each teacher participant.
The lesson evaluation will be used to measure the level of implementation that is being used in
the classroom during content lesson delivery. The lesson evaluation will be reviewed by school
administration and reexamined with the PLC teams to ensure that the language strategies learned
during the training is being applied to content lessons in the classroom.
The English Learner Academic Vocabulary Training Evaluation Survey (Appendix A) is
aligned with The New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016). The information gathered will provide
the professional development trainers the necessary data to assess the degree to which each of
the four levels are being implemented. Level one is a measurement of training satisfaction. It will
provide evidence of participant engagement and relevance to job correlation. Level two is the
knowledge, skill, confidence, and commitment to the training. Level three focuses on the
behavior of the participant and how they apply the information on the job. Lastly, Level four
indicates the goals and desired outcomes. The evaluation surveys are vital to the professional
development trainers as they provide credible data to make modifications or adjustments to the
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 125
program. Ultimately, the desired targeted outcomes can be obtained by tracking progress and
building a culture of accountability and collaboration.
The leading internal indicator is measured by how the teacher stakeholder can connect a
students’ primary language to academic content vocabulary. The teachers will engage in bi-
weekly PLC meetings and check-ins to ensure that they are utilizing the on-line strategy aides
that were described and modeled during the training. A short survey will be distributed and
analyzed to improve language strategies and to modify for accountability. Table 5.8 is an
example of a survey question would indicate that 92% of the teachers agree that they understand
what they have learned and can apply it to daily lesson plans.
Table 5.8
Survey question

The professional development program for teachers that specifically targets academic
content vocabulary for English learners is a new program model. Therefore, the program has the
54%
38%
[PERCENTAGE]
3%
Academic Vocabualy for English Learners Training
I understand what I have learned and can apply it to daily
lesson plans
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 126
potential to create a community of teachers that have the knowledge, skill, and commitment to
improve academic vocabulary for English learners. The organization must be ready to monitor
and adjust best practices to reach the desired outcomes. Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that
organizations that provide resources to teachers can shape the values of the goals and provide
support that can improve student performance. School district administrators must be
accountable for supporting classroom teachers by encouraging and reinforcing language
strategies. In addition, PLC groups also play an important role in sharing knowledge to improve
instruction for ELLs. The training program will thrive if all levels of The New World Kirkpatrick
Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) are implemented with consistency and fidelity to
maximize procedural and knowledge outcomes.
Conclusion
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
support that teachers as the main stakeholder must attain to effectively assist ELLs with
academic vocabulary strategies. The data reveals that a gap does exist due in part to the lack of
time commitment that is being allocated for teacher to plan and receive specialized professional
development training in content vocabulary strategies. Moreover, qualitative data suggests that
there is a lack of mutual understanding between teacher and administrators as to what the
expectations are for ELLs. Therefore, selecting the correct training model is necessary to meet
the organization goals and desired outcomes.
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) presents a framework that encourages
practitioners of training and evaluation to focus on a four-step plan. The process includes level
one, reaction; level two, learning; level three, behavior; and level four, results. According to the
New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016), the organization must be
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 127
able to identify and target specific outcomes or results to accomplish the goal. The school district
can be successful when they can see the end as the beginning with a clear path on how to achieve
the results by starting the process of examining the training, support, and accountability
procedures. The terms must be measurable and transparent so that all stakeholders can see the
value in the training.
Applying the New World Kirkpatrick Model would provide the school district the
opportunity to provide a clearly defined goal that would measure participant satisfaction and
engagement. Application of language strategies used in the classroom would be applied and
evaluated for effectiveness. The degree to which teachers obtain the knowledge, aides, attitude
and motivation towards the information would be based on their engagement with their PLC
groups during the training and after teachers return to their classrooms to implement the
strategies. It is also important to reinforce and provide support and encouragement for the
progress as the goal is to move ELLs into language acquisition and proficiency.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 128
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BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 141
APPENDIX A
Survey Protocol
Teacher Survey of Vocabulary Engagement Strategies for English Language Learners
This survey asks you to respond to statements about vocabulary engagement strategies in your
classroom. The information you provide will help with a case study regarding how teachers use
vocabulary engagement strategies to support English language learners.
Should you have any questions, you can contact me at smzepeda@usc.edu. Thank you for your
thoughtful responses.
Sarah M. Zepeda, Internal Review Board (IRB) approval number 5606193.
Teacher Survey
Please indicate the grade level you are currently teaching ___________
Please indicate the number of years you have been a full-time teacher___________
Engagement strategies are defined as student involvement in academic assignments which
include effort, persistence, attention, oral contribution to class discussions, and on task behavior.
Instructions: Read the statements below and circle your response.
1. I plan vocabulary engagement
strategies specifically for English
learners.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
2. I have participated in professional
development opportunities related
to English learners.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
3. I am able to measure the
effectiveness of my lesson by
collecting data.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
4. I reflect after each lesson and
make adjustments to help English
increase vocabulary content
knowledge.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
5. I feel I am effective in
implementing vocabulary
engagement strategies during
direct instruction.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
6. I take pride in seeing English
learners succeed.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
7. I collaborate with my colleagues
to share best teaching practices in
vocabulary development.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
8. The principal clearly defines the Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 142
expectations for English learner
instruction.
Agree Disagree
9. I am held accountable for the
success of English learners in my
classroom.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
10. The district office provides
professional development related
to ELL vocabulary development.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 143
APPENDIX B
Interview Protocol
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. My name is Sarah Zepeda and I
am a doctoral student from the University of Southern California. Our conversation is
confidential and the information will be coded with false names to protect your anonymity. I
would like to ask some questions about yourself and your classroom.
1. What interested you in becoming a teacher?
a. Tell me a little bit about your teaching experience?
2. How would you describe yourself as a teacher?
3. What types of engagement strategies do you use in your daily lessons?
a. Can you give me an example?
4. Tell me how you incorporate academic vocabulary for English learners in content areas?
a. How do you collect your evidence of effectiveness?
b. What are some of the causes for English language learners’ success?
c. What are some of the causes for English language learners low benchmark scores?
5. What would I hear and see if I were to observe a lesson in your classroom related to
academic vocabulary development?
a. How do you feel about your ability to implement academic vocabulary?
6. Are there other teachers you collaborate with to share lessons or strategies?
a. If so, in what ways is it beneficial?
7. Tell me about your relationship with your site administrator(s).
a. How do they support your knowledge of serving English learners?
BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 144
8. How often are you provided with professional development to assist English language
learners?
a. Would you share with me what a professional development workshop looks like?
9. What type of support would you need from colleagues or school administrators?
a. Can you describe the ideal scenario?
10. How are directives and accountability measures related to English language learner’s
academic progress communicated by school or district administrators?

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 145
APPENDIX C
Observation Protocol
Teacher Name:
School:
District:
Date of observation:
Time In:
Time Out:
Grade:
Total # of Students:
# of ELLs:
Content of Observation:
(Researcher will take verbatim notes)
Reflection immediately following observation:
A. Is classroom organized according to students’ English proficiency levels?
B. Is teacher linking new concepts to students’ personal experience?
C. Does the teacher provide models or demonstrations for academic vocabulary
engagement?
D. Does the teacher structure opportunities for English learner students to engage with each
other?
E. Does the teacher encourage physical movements by the students?
F. Does the teacher use hands on materials /realia or other visuals?

G. Does the teacher use gestures/facial expressions to clarify new academic vocabulary?

(Adapted from Stanford.edu/CQELL, 2012)

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 146
APPENDIX D
English Learner Academic Vocabulary Training Evaluation
Participating Teacher Name __________________________ School Site________________
Rating Key: 4=strongly agree 3=agree 2=Disagree 1=Strongly Disagree

Indicate Rating Comments
The training held my interest.
What I learned can be
implemented into my daily
lesson plans.

The strategies can be applied
to all academic content areas.

I am clear on how to
implement academic
vocabulary strategies.

I have the necessary
knowledge to implement
academic vocabulary
strategies.

I feel confident that I can
apply what I have learned.

I am committed to helping
English learners build
academic vocabulary.

I anticipate that I will receive
support from the district
office.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 147
APPENDIX E
English Learner Academic Vocabulary Reflection Survey
Participating Teacher Name __________________________ School Site________________
Rating Key: 4=strongly agree 3=agree 2=Disagree 1=Strongly Disagree

Performance Indicate Rating Comments
What I learned in the training has
allowed me to implement
strategies for English learners.

I was able to incorporate
academic vocabulary
strategies in my daily lessons.

I use the job aids to enhance
my lesson delivery.

I am able to see academic
progress in English language
learners.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Zepeda, Sarah Magana (author)

Core Title Building academic vocabulary for English language learners through professional development: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 11/21/2017

Defense Date 11/21/2017

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic vocabulary,English language learners,Knowledge,language acquisition,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organizational,professional development,professional learning communities,school leaders,self-efficacy theory,Teachers

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Mora-Flores, Eugenia (committee chair), Kaplan, Sandra (committee member), Tardibuono, Joan (committee member)

Creator Email smzepeda@att.net,smzepeda@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-458460

Unique identifier UC11268453

Identifier etd-ZepedaSara-5930.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-458460 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ZepedaSara-5930.pdf

Dmrecord 458460

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Zepeda, Sarah Magana

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA