Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Billie Jean Holubz
Keywords
English language learners, English to Speakers of Other Languages, mathematics, instructional practices, language development
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Martin, Adrian Pearce, "Exploring Secondary Educators’ Experiences of Implementing Linguistic-Based Mathematics Instruction for English Language Learners: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7716.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7716
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of veteran educators with implementing linguistic-based instructional practices for English language learners (ELLs) in the secondary mathematics classroom. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory as it pertains to language and learning development through social exchanges with people, things, and events in a collective environment. This qualitative study took a hermeneutic, phenomenological approach which allowed the lived experiences of educators to be described, along with an interpretation of their instructional experiences with ELLs in the mathematics classroom to be made. The setting for this research was two to three public school divisions in Virginia with established secondary English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. The number of participants ranged from 12-15, with purposeful, snowball sampling used to find information-rich participants who had an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Transcriptions of all interviews and focus groups, along with the participants’ letter-writing were coded and analyzed to find themes as they related to the shared experiences of the other participants. Data analysis identified three main themes about teachers’ experiences using linguistic-based instruction for ELLs in mathematics classes, which helped to address the four research questions. The three themes that emerged were: Teachers Had a Clear Understanding of the Use of Linguistic-Based Instructional Practices for ELLs in Mathematics, Teachers Implemented Linguistic-Based Strategies, Models, and Training with ELLs in Mathematics, and Teachers Individualized Linguistic-Based Instruction for ELLs in Mathematics.
