Eighth-grade English language learner (ELL) students' perceptions of teacher expectations in relation to classroom motivatio

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe, interpret, and share the results of how perceived teacher expectations relates to eighth-grade English language learner (ELL) students' motivation to learn in the classroom. As the number of culturally diverse students, particularly ELL students, continues to grow in the U.S. educational system, little is known about how ELL students' perceptions of teacher expectations relate to their motivation to learn in the classroom. Current literature on this topic focused on native English-speaking (NES) students' academic achievement and the need to improve teacher preparation programs in order better to prepare teachers of ELL students for the challenges of 21st-century classrooms. Six eighth-grade ELL students who had been in the U.S. schools for three years or more at the time of data collection participated in this phenomenological study to share lived experiences of perceived teacher expectations in relation to their motivation to learn in the classroom. Data were collected through audiotaped interviews and field notes. The interviews were transcribed verbatim for data analysis and interpretation purpose. The findings indicated that although perceived teacher expectations related to student motivation to learn in the classroom, other factors such as family experiences and a desire to earn good grades and exit the ESL program were stronger motivational factors. The results also suggested that regular reminders of academic expectations by teachers promoted a longer lasting classroom motivation among students than did inconsistent reminders. Some recommendations for future research, based on the study limitations, included conducting the same study with a larger sample size and with ELL students at the high school level rather than the junior high level. It also would be interesting to conduct the same research with the same participants when they reach the twelfth-grade to find out how their perceptions of teacher expectations changed over the years.