Secondary Physical Educators’ Positioning of Teaching English Language Learners at Urban Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explain secondary physical education (PE) teachers’ positioning regarding teaching English language learners (ELLs) in urban schools. PE teachers may be fearful of looking inward to examine and share their beliefs and values of hidden conscripts of race, ethnicity, class, and languages. This study found that PE teachers sought ways to include ELLs socially, academically, and culturally, but that they desired more opportunities for professional development on working with ELLs. This study encourages school districts and PE teachers to implement effective, culturally relevant instructional methods, and to develop a positive learning atmosphere for all students.

Public elementary school teachers’ positioning in teaching physical education to Japanese language learners

“…Therefore, elementary teachers must engage in reflective action, which involves first identifying and then critically challenging their initial assumptions about teaching second language learners (e.g. stereotypes regarding culturally popular sports, physical attributes, and beliefs toward second language learners' national, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds) (Sato et al, 2022).…”

“…Positioning theory is, therefore, a powerful lens for examining how Japanese elementary teachers position themselves and others in educational contexts. While research pertaining to elementary teachers is ubiquitous, few studies have utilized this theoretical framework to understand positioning experiences in teaching second language learners in PE (see, however, Lamb, 2016;Sato et al, 2019Sato et al, , 2022. Further, this theoretical paradigm has not been previously utilized in regard to examining the meaning of teaching experiences among elementary teachers in Japan.…”

“…Self-positions identify the complex shifts between internal and external factors that help to describe an individual's professionalism, dispositions, and challenges. For example, teachers of JLLs may have a problem with their own self-image because of their stereotypes of a JLL's country of origin (Sosa and Gomez, 2012).…”

“…Sato, 2012; Sato and Hodge, 2016; Sato et al, 2019) and in secondary schools (e.g. Sato and Sutherland, 2013; Sato et al, 2022) in the United States. For example, Sato (2012) found that many PE teachers had difficulty teaching elementary English language learner (ELL) children.…”

An Analysis of the Values of Project-Based Learning in English Language Teaching and the Cultivating Functions it Displays

“…[3][4]. Therefore, teachers should strengthen the awareness and ability of talent training, actively explore the path and method of integrating core socialist values into college English teaching, and guide college students to internalize them ideologically and practice them through external actions [5][6]. The English course is classified among the hidden education courses.…”