| This ethnographic qualitative study addressed the main research question: How do art education and distance learning, incorporated in instruction and the school curriculum, assist English learners in increasing their performance level in both second language and mainstream classes? The opinions of 35 teachers from three public schools (elementary, middle, and high) in northern California were examined, using the van Kaam's phenomenological method. The methodology included a review of the literature, the analysis of data from teacher surveys, and Annual Performance Index's reports. A new theory, based on the results, explained how alternative methods of instruction for disadvantaged English learners help these learners improve their achievement to meet the minimum state standards. The most important aspects of alternative instructional methods that affect the learning process were discussed. |
