Date of Award

Spring 5-6-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in School Leadership

Department

Center for Leadership & Learning

College

College of Education

Committee Chair

Dr. Sarah Gordon

Second Committee Member

Dr. Tennille Lasker-Scott

Third Committee Member

Dr. Tammi Davis

Program Director

Dr. John Freeman

Dean of Graduate College

Dr. AJ Anglin

Abstract

A SHARED LANGUAGE: AN EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL INTERACTION EXPERIENCES OF HISPANIC ELL STUDENTS IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Tricia Dawn Tice

Arkansas has one of the fastest-growing Latino populations in the country (Garcia Mont, 2015; Brown & Lopez, 2013). The Northwest Arkansas corridor has the largest concentration of Latinos to date due to the area being host to some of the largest companies in the United States (Garcia Mont, 2015; Brown & Lopez, 2013). Hispanic immigration into Arkansas has greatly increased since the late 1980s (Monroe, 1999). As a result of the area growth, public schools have seen tremendous increases in the Latino student population. Considering Northwest Arkansas schools have consisted of mostly Caucasian English speaking staff and students, Latino students moving in to Northwest Arkansas educational institutions have struggled to make verbal, social, and emotional connections which have adversely affected their ability to academically perform and feel a sense of belonging. The data utilized in this qualitative, phenomenological study was collected using the constant comparative method to identify common themes. Findings in the study relate to a) interactions with teachers, peers, and administration; b) teacher support; c) student efficacy; d) impact of the family; e) teacher/student interactions; and f) importance of a connection to school. Findings may inform teacher professional development, hiring practices and recruitment techniques, and purposeful parental involvement plans. The theoretical support for this study was Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017).

Keywords: Arkansas, Latino, Northwest Arkansas, Hispanic, immigration

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