Date
11-13-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Sharon Farrell
Keywords
vocabulary instruction, economically disadvantaged, socioeconomic status, vocabulary knowledge, ELA, self-efficacy
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Kerri, "A Phenomenological Study of Teachers' Experiences with Vocabulary Instruction for Middle School Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6205.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6205
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe teacher experiences regarding vocabulary instruction for economically disadvantaged middle school students at rural Title 1 schools in East Tennessee. Considering vocabulary acquisition and knowledge, economically disadvantaged students face more significant challenges than their more affluent peers. The challenges economically disadvantaged students face may have profound implications for teachers. It is necessary to examine the experiences of 10 teachers to provide insight into best practices and vocabulary instruction for middle school students with a low socio-economic status (SES). To understand teachers’ instructional practices, an evaluation of teacher perceptions and experiences regarding middle school vocabulary instruction was conducted. Data were collected by an initial teacher questionnaire, teacher interviews, journal prompts, and document analysis. Data analysis followed specific guidelines, and four themes and nine subthemes were identified. The four major themes were teacher preparation, teacher knowledge of students, vocabulary implementation, and self-efficacy. The theories that guided this study were Bandura’s social learning theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, as they explain the social and cultural interactions related to teaching and learning and address the role of self-efficacy in teacher and student behaviors.
