Pre-Service Administrators' Experiences with Effective Research-Based Learning Strategies for English Language Learners

Due to the increase of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the State of Texas, it is essential that educators are equipped with research-based strategies to ensure students' academic and linguistic growth. The objective of the study was to evaluate pre-service administrators' knowledge of the latest research-based learning strategies and educational approaches to teaching ELLs. Preservice administrators were asked to complete a pre- and post- open-ended narrative response survey during a blackboard module lesson related to research-based learning strategies. Through textual analysis, researchers counted the number of items that were deemed critical content knowledge needed for quality ELL instruction. Identified ELL content were labeled ELL content units (CUs). CUs were then totaled per pre-service administrator for both pre- and post-survey narrative responses. A parametric t-test was utilized to compare pre-service administrators' ELL CUs between pre- and post-survey narrative responses. The researchers discovered significant growth of ELL CUs with a large effect size between the pre-service administrators' pre- and postsurvey narrative responses. The growth in ELL CUs occurred as a result of the direct class instruction using ELL research-based best practices.