Social, Emotional, Ethical, and Academic Education, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There is a great need for highly qualified teachers and counselors who will use strategies to meet the needs of ELL students’ academic achievement, as well as socio-emotional needs. These teachers can employ relevant pedagogy along with their understanding of the numerous challenges that ELL students face in the classroom and other educational settings. To meet the needs of ELL students, both teachers and administrators must pay close attention the programs and curriculum being used because both of these affect the school’s climate. The research was conducted Freeport High School and Valley Stream High school. At Freeport 48 percent of the students were female and 51 percent were boys. The greatest percentages of students were in grade nine. Nevertheless, the largest populations of students in this school were of Hispanic origin. According to the data the researchers found, about 60 percent of the students were Hispanic, about 30 percent were African-American, and Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and multi-racial each accounted for about 1 percent of the population. At Valley Stream 47 percent of the students were female and 52 percent of the students were male. The largest population of students were in grade six. Again, the highest populated ethnic group represented were Hispanics with 32 percent. However, the second largest population was White with 31 percent. African-Americans represented 20 percent, Asians represented 14 percent, and no one identified as Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, or multi-racial. The researchers wanted to see if ELL students received the same services that other students did in order to achieve a well rounded education. The socio-emotional well being of a child weighs heavily on their academic performance. Several studies show that students who experience traumatic events tend to underperform in the classroom (Stein et.al, 2005). Many students who immigrate into America are exposed to more traumatic events compared to their peers (Rodriguez Urrutia-Rojas, 1990).   Efforts must be made to close the achievement gap among those who are native English speakers and ELL students. The research findings suggest that there should be a balance between the social, academic, and family life of ELL students in order for them to be successful. However, that balance does not seem to exist at the two schools that the research was conducted on. Hopefully, this analysis will help schools shift their approach to addressing the needs of ELL students.

Methods

All information was collected using questionnaires. A total of 10 ELL students and 10 non-ELL students were given questionnaires. Students were given the questionnaires either in English or Spanish. Spanish Participants were read the questions in Spanish by the researcher. Students were picked at random out of ESL classrooms and English only classrooms. Each ELL student was given the following questions:

1. How long have you lived here?
2. Who do you live with?
3. Do you feel like you have anyone to talk to at home?
4. Do you feel like you have anyone to talk to at school?
5. Are you able to talk to any of your teachers about problems you may be experiencing?
6. Do you receive counseling?
7. If yes, is your counseling in your native language?
8. If no, do you think you would benefit counseling?

Results

Of the students who participated in the study 2 of the 10 Ell students receive counseling. One receives counseling in L1 and one in L2. Eight of the ten ELL students do not receive counseling. However, three reported that they believe they would benefit from counseling. Yet, three reported that counseling might be beneficial to them. Overall, the majority of ELL students surveyed did not receive any form of counseling. Of the non-Ell students, results indicated that they were 3 times more likely to receive counseling than Ell students. The majority of non-ELL students believed that counseling was or may be beneficial to them. Nevertheless, ELL students self-reported that they have difficulty transitioning to a new place; many felt lost when the teacher was introducing materials, and were having difficulty at home because members of their immediate family were in other countries due to immigration issues.  Two of the students should signs of high levels of anxiety, depression, and social stress. Consequently, they were at risk of internalizing problems at home and school. One discrepancy was that a female student who was a native of Portuguese said she had been placed in a Spanish speaking class because Portuguese was not offered.

Limitations

The study sample was very small. Only ten students from each group were used. There wasn’t a control group. Also, the only form on data was collected using self-reporting. Self-reporting is often faulty when the participants are aware of the purpose of the questions. Also, no teachers were given the opportunity to give input. The study was conducted over a period of days, so some results or feelings toward the subject may have changed as the school year progressed.

Correlations to Literature

The school districts must work towards creating and maintaining an environment that embraces cultural diversity. Likewise, teachers must create the same environment in their classes. In order to meet the socio-emotional and academic needs of ELL students, teachers must have access to proper trainings. For example, fostering a sense of belonging is one of the primary needs of ELL students. They desire a sense of trust with other students and teachers. These aspects are key components in building a relationship that will embrace and build social-emotional and academic needs of ELL students (Cohen, 2006). If students are unable to form a trusting relationship with their teachers, they may feel unmotivated to learn academically or embrace another culture that is different from their own. To ensure that this takes place, teachers must reinforce their appreciation of cultural diversity. This can be accomplished by encouraging ELL students to use their native language in class. They can use it as a teaching experience. With co-teaching between a general education and ELL teacher, great strides can be made. Together, the teachers can incorporate the ELL students’ world, family relationships, and experiences in the classroom (Delores, 1997). When this is effectively incorporated, teachers are using the student’s strengths and experiences in the classroom. The students will have an opportunity to learn from each other by connecting their experiences to the class curriculum. According to the information collected by the researchers, it might be wise if ELL students are sought out by counselors because they are not asking for help. However, with the statistics found nearly 8 of every 10 ELL students are in need of help. Chances are great the ELL students have come from a culture that is very different from the cultural beliefs, traditions, and family values that are represented in mainstream American culture. ELL students are facing many challenges; for one, they are learning a new language. While learning this new language, they are also learning and becoming acclimated to a new culture and school environment (Rodriguez et al, 1990). The teacher’s job is to help those students transition as smoothly as possible. After the research, the researchers believe several aspects can be altered in order to help ELL students’ transition into a new culture and learning environment. First, teachers should offer one-on-one assistance to ELL students. The research has suggested that they are not likely to ask for help. By offering help, teachers are breaking the ice and intimidation that the students may be feeling. Another way to help ELL students is by assigning them a peer partner. This classmate can help the students with class assignments, as well as other common issues like finding their next class. Finally, to make the classroom ELL friendly, the teacher could label objects in the room with both the ELL students’ language and in English. This concept will give the students a sense of belonging and ownership of their classroom environment.

References

Berger, Christian, Alcalay, Lidia, Torretti, Alejandra, & Milicic, Neva. (2011). Socio-emotional well-being and academic achievement: evidence from a multilevel approach. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 24(2), 344-351. Retrieved December 01, 2015, from http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php? script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-79722011000200016&lng=en&tlng=en.

Cohen, J., (2006). Social, Emotional, Ethical, and Academic Education: Creating a Climate for Learning, Participation in Democracy, and WellBeing. Harvard Educational Review, 76(2): 201-237.

Delores. C.S. (1997), Coping With A New Society: The Unique Psychosocial Problems of Immigrant Youth. Journal of School Health, 67: 98–102. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1997.tb03422.x

Rodriguez, N. P., Urrutia-Rojas, X., & Denny, N. R. (1990). Undocumented and Unaccompanied: A mental-health study of unaccompanied, Immigrant children from Central America. University of Houston.

Wong, K. (2008). School counseling and student achievement: The relationship between comprehensive school counseling programs and school performance. Dissertations available from ProQuest. Paper AAI3322290.