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Dissertation
All teachers are language teachers: a grounded theory study on the language attitudes of secondary subject-area teachers
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Mar 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011296
Abstract
Using grounded theory methods, this study explored the language attitudes and critical language consciousness of secondary subject area teachers who work at a suburban school district located in the northeast region of the United States. The purpose of this study was to bridge the existing gap in literature relating to language attitudes which focuses on teachers outside the United States, elementary school teachers, ELD teachers, and pre-service teachers. Critical language consciousness is the awareness and reflections on dehumanizing personal and social realities constructed about language that manifest through instructional practices. Iterative coding using a constant comparative method of data collected from intensive interviews, memos, and teacher-created instructional materials were used to ground a theory about the sampled teachers' beliefs about minority English varieties, non-English languages, and standard academic English and how they connected to student learning. This study found that the participants had high levels of critical language consciousness when describing their student-centered instructional practices. Their confidence and self-described effectiveness to support culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students diminished, however, when faced with systemic barriers, like standardized assessments, that create additional hurdles to learning. The findings from this study may be used to refine professional development and leadership strategies aimed to improve the academic outcomes of historically marginalized students in the United States.
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Details
- Title
- All teachers are language teachers
- Creators
- Sania Ali Mirza
- Contributors
- Vera J. Lee (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- 195 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022168256004721