An examination of the perceptions of Spanish-speaking secondary ELL students and teachers regarding the nature of the learning experience in mainstream and sheltered instruction classrooms

Since the 1990s, the student population classified as English Language Learners (ELL) in the United States has grown significantly (NCELA, 2011; Payan & Nettles, 2008). With this growth, educators face challenges in determining best practices to prepare ELL students for mainstream classrooms, for state testing, and, most importantly, for living in an English speaking world. These challenges increase when ELL students enter the secondary level where content-specific classes are more difficult and exam driven. In response, some schools have demonstrated interest in sheltered instruction for ELL students. This study examines perceptions of Spanish-speaking ELL students and teachers related to learning experiences in the sheltered instruction and mainstream classrooms. Data collected includes interviews from purposefully selected small groups (N=14) of ELL students, sheltered instruction teachers, and mainstream teachers and test results on state assessments in literacy.;This study found that ELL students communicate favorable perceptions of teachers in mainstream classrooms and of the diverse makeup of such classes but negative perceptions related to the behavior of other students in mainstream classrooms. ELL students have favorable perceptions of the teachers, smaller classroom environment, and classroom behavior in the sheltered instruction environment but negative perceptions of the overuse of native languages among ELL students. Mainstream and sheltered instruction teachers were generally in favor of keeping students in the mainstream classroom and building on the resources for this environment. Tests scores on the state assessment of literacy were tested using the Mann-Whitney U-Test. Results indicated no significant difference between the students who had experienced sheltered instruction and those who had not. This suggests that sheltered instruction did not have a significant impact on the student learning at the cognitive level.;This study adds to the body of knowledge about best practices for educating ELL students. The study provides insight into experiences of ELL students and their teachers, which shows that sheltered instruction may have an affective impact on the student learning. To effectively prepare ELL students for the English-speaking classroom and world, educators should study effective practices associated with sheltered instruction and find ways to implement these practices in the mainstream classroom.