Bilingual Teachers' Perceptions of Evaluator Feedback of Spanish Content Instruction
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D)
Department
Curriculum and Instruction
Date of Award
Fall 2021
Abstract
The purpose of this study focused on bilingual elementary teachers’ perceptions of evaluator feedback concerning content instruction in Spanish during the 2019–2020 academic year. The researcher concentrated on three characteristics of feedback received from evaluators: usefulness, accuracy, and evaluator credibility. Specifically, the study examined whether differences exist among kindergarten through fifth-grade bilingual teachers’ perceptions of evaluator feedback of content instruction in Spanish as measured by a modified version of the Examining Evaluator Feedback Survey (Cherasaro, Brodersen, Yanoski, Welp, & Reale, 2015). The survey included 16 Likert type questions, eight multiple-choice questions, and two open-ended response questions.The survey indicated that 71.4% (N = 85) of participants perceived their evaluator as not fluent in Spanish while 28.6% (N = 34) perceived their evaluator to be fluent. Participants who perceived their evaluator to be fluent in Spanish showed higher scores for each feedback characteristic. Findings suggest that bilingual teachers’ perceptions of their evaluators’ feedback on content instruction in Spanish may be influenced by teachers’ perception of their evaluator’s proficiency in Spanish. The researcher found that participants’ perceptions of evaluator feedback in the areas of accuracy, usefulness, and evaluator credibility were consistent across grade levels, suggesting similar evaluator perceptions. The researcher also analyzed responses from the open-ended survey question using Glaser and Strauss’ (1976) constant comparative method. Five categories emerged during the open coding phase: (a) English-only observations, (b) evaluator’s Spanish fluency, (c) program, (d) pedagogy, and (e) English Learners (ELs). The most frequently mentioned category that emerged was evaluator’s Spanish fluency (49.5%). Based on the findings, the researcher concludes that evaluators rarely conducted classroom observations, if ever, when the language of instruction was in Spanish. Participants stressed the importance of evaluators being fluent in Spanish to provide unbiased and effective feedback. Finally, participants recommended that evaluators develop a deep understanding of bilingual education programs, second language acquisition, and best practices proven to work effectively with English learners.
Advisor
Jacqueline Riley
Subject Categories
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Education
Recommended Citation
Garza-Garcia, Lizabeth Gloria, "Bilingual Teachers' Perceptions of Evaluator Feedback of Spanish Content Instruction" (2021). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 531.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/531
