| The research study utilized a qualitative methodology using multiple-case study to explore and describe how Hispanic English language learners (ELLs), who were not successful in completing high school, perceived the reasons for their failure in high school. A sample of seven Hispanic adults participated in Think-Aloud, Talk-Aloud sessions and individual interviews. Participants were asked to describe their experiences and perceptions regarding their failure to obtain a high school diploma and to describe what they felt could have been done differently to assist them in graduating high school. Psychologist Uri Bronfenbrenner, in his Ecological Systems Theory, proposed that every person and entity in a child's life played a part in the development of that child, whether the impact was negative or positive. The problem addressed in this study was that high school leaders may not have been addressing the needs of English language learners (ELLs) through support systems, enabling these students to be successful in school. The specific problem was that approximately 700,000 Hispanic English language learners in U. S. schools did not complete high school. There has been a lack of understanding about the specific experiences of Hispanic ELLs regarding their success or lack of success in school which led to these issues not being addressed. A total of 14 themes emerged from the data across data sources. A discussion of the themes and connections to the research questions were included in the report. The findings of the study provided a positive outlook for ELLs in regard to obstacles to a high school diploma and necessary support in school. Participants offered feasible suggestions for school administrators to aid in removal of the obstacles that faced these and possibly other ELLs in school. Implications of the findings, recommendations, and suggestions for further research were included in this study. |
