Parent and teacher attitudes toward bilingual education.

Abstract

The amount of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States has steadily increased over the past several decades and continues to grow (Nieto, 2004; Ovando, Collier, & Combs, 2006). This increase in ELLs has driven many to contemplate how to best address the learning needs of these growing numbers of students (Slavin & Cheung, 2005). While there are currently several existing models for teaching ELLs, many researchers have promoted the effectiveness of bilingual education as a means for teaching these students (Besel, Glass, Montoya-Tannatt, & Bachelor, 1982; Lindholm-Leary, 2001; Rolstad, Mahoney & Glass, 2005). However, there is still a need for more research regarding the attitudes and beliefs of the teachers and parents of these students regarding bilingual education, particularly in areas where bilingual education is not yet offered and yet is often required via a policy change. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the attitudes and beliefs of parents and teachers regarding bilingual education being implemented in their school district, before a new law mandating it is enforced. The participants of this study included parents and teachers in four elementary and middle schools in a large, urban district in Western New York. A paper-based Likert-scale survey was used to collect data from teachers and parents. Results indicated that parents and teachers are generally supportive of bilingual education and its principles and that the creation of bilingual education programs is warranted in the future. This study intends to add to the existing literature and research in this area.