Undercover Advocates: Secondary Teachers Empowering English Learners in Mainstream Classrooms

Abstract

This study examines the experiences of nine secondary content teachers who report high self-efficacy in working with English learners (ELs) in mainstream classrooms. As the number of ELs in US schools grows, many content area teachers feel unprepared to support these students effectively. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of culturally responsive pedagogy and teacher self-efficacy, this phenomenological study focuses on mathematics, science, and social studies teachers in Florida public schools. The research employs in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore teachers' perceptions and lived experiences. Significant themes that emerged from the analysis include (a) undercover advocacy, (b) ethic of care, and (c) leveraging student achievement data. A common thread woven through all narratives was the integration of students' native languages through translation and translanguaging practices while leading with empathy. Participants created more equitable learning environments for ELs in mainstream classrooms through multifaceted, often covert, advocacy efforts. Implications for teacher preparation programs and school districts are discussed, including professional development initiatives to cultivate teachers' asset-based ideologies toward ELs and improve their pedagogical practices. Recommendations for state and national policymakers include modifications to ESOL certification requirements. This research informs efforts to foster mainstream teacher preparedness and efficacy in working with linguistically diverse student populations.

Received: 22 January 2025 | Revised: 4 March 2025 | Accepted: 14 May 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support this work are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Author Contribution Statement

Carla Huck: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Visualization, Project administration.