| English language learners (ELLs) enter American schools with varied skill sets, and teachers are charged with the responsibility of meeting the academic and linguistic needs of these students. In a Georgia suburb, the ELL subgroup did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) on the standardized assessment in 2012. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory, which posits a relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the relationship between middle school teachers' self-efficacy with ELLs and their ELLs' achievement in social studies. Data were collected from 67 teachers using a modified version of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and a convenience sample of 4 teachers ELLs' scores from the 2012 standardized assessment in social studies. The survey measured 3 constructs of teacher efficacy: classroom management, instructional strategies, and student achievement. A correlational analysis examined the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and ELL student achievement. Survey responses were triangulated using data from 4 interviewed teachers from the sample, which further examined teachers' self-efficacy with classroom management, instructional strategies, and student achievement. The results indicated no relationship between teachers' sense of efficacy and the achievement of ELLs in the area of social studies. The findings did, however, suggest factors that affect teacher efficacy with ELLs. These findings may inform the efforts of educational stakeholders, who may offer professional development on differentiated instruction and communication practices that would forge a bridge between ELLs' language acquisition and content delivery, thus improving their achievement. |
