Professional Development for Teachers Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Perceptions

The purpose of this qualitative study, "Professional development for teachers working with culturally and linguistically diverse students: A qualitative study of teacher perceptions," was to investigate general educators' perceptions of existing professional development activities in order to identify program attributes they perceive as likely to facilitate their success in meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse and exceptional students and to recommend elements for inclusion in professional development offerings. The study sought to answer the research question, "What content do teachers perceive a professional development program should include in order to prepare them to effectively meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students?";The study used a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory methodology, founded upon phenomenological and case-based research, in order to describe teachers' perceptions and to interpret them within the context of the specific teaching environment and professional development activities of their school site. In conducting the study, the researcher identified eligible participants through questionnaires; conducted interviews with participants; and collected information from school administrators in order to gather information about the professional development activities at the school. In addition, the researcher reviewed available documents concerning professional development activities and instructional planning support made available to teachers at the school site. Data analysis consisted of coding responses, member checking with participants, and identification and analysis of themes across each data set. Data from the study indicated that participants felt a range of professional development content would be helpful in preparing them to address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students, including topics such as students' backgrounds, prior experiences, and previous schooling; classroom management (which included several sub-topics or relevant issues); linguistic accessibility of instruction; and curriculum and content. Based on the data, it can be concluded that, while specific content was referenced as important to the teachers in the study, the presence of elements such as follow-up, opportunities to put theory into practice and apply new concepts, and informal mentoring, support, and networking activities also played a significant role in teachers' experiences and perceptions of professional development. Recommendations for additional research and practice are included following the discussion of data.