ESL reading knowledge and inservice training needs of elementary level ESL teachers in Puerto Rico
Abstract
This study investigated selected characteristics of elementary ESL teachers' professional background: the relationships between years of teaching experience and teachers' perceptions of their pre- and post-needs and actual knowledge of ESL reading; the differences between the mean scores of the primary and upper elementary ESL teachers on the ESL Reading Needs Inventory (ERNI #1 and ERNI #2) and on the ESL Reading Knowledge Inventory (ERKI); and the differences between the mean scores of the subjects on the ERNI #1 and ERNI #2 (pre- and post-needs inventory). The study employed a teachers' questionnaire, and ESL reading knowledge inventory, and a needs inventory to gather data. These data were analyzed using three statistical analyses: frequencies and percentages; Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients; and t tests. The results obtained showed that primary and upper elementary ESL teachers participating in the study differed in their professional characteristics, in their perceptions of pre- and post-needs, and in their actual knowledge of ESL reading; that there were significant relationships between years of teaching experience, and the perceptions of pre- and post-needs and actual knowledge of ESL reading; that there were significant differences between the mean scores of elementary ESL teachers in their perceptions of pre- and post-needs for more knowledge of ESL reading. Based on these findings the following conclusions were reached: (a) the majority of the participants were teaching at the upper elementary level, had at least a bachelor of arts preparation, held the elementary English teaching certificate, held an English teacher position, and had an average of 9.07 years of teaching experience; (b) that years of teaching experience are significantly related to perceptions of pre- and post-needs, but are not generally significantly related to actual knowledge of ESL reading; (c) that teachers' perceptions pf pre- and post-needs are significantly related to their actual knowledge of ESL reading; (d) that primary and upper elementary ESL teachers differed in their perceptions of needs and actual knowledge of ESL reading; and (e) that teachers' perceptions of post-needs were influenced by the use of the knowledge inventory.
Subject Area
Teacher education|Bilingual education|Multicultural education
Recommended Citation
Vanga-Burgos, Louder Adriana, "ESL reading knowledge and inservice training needs of elementary level ESL teachers in Puerto Rico" (1988). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8813588.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8813588
