Cultural Reproduction: English as a Second Language in Rural Texas Schools

This research examines cultural reproduction in rural Texas schools as it relates to teacher choices in continuing professional education (CPE). The research questions were developed after a pilot study was conducted in a rural Texas elementary school. It is hypothesized that the teachers' habitus, being White and middle-class, has more of an influence on their choice of CPE than the individual pedagogical needs of their students. Based on observations and interviews with teachers, patterns were recognized establishing a lack of reported agency in choosing CPE that increased their ability to serve English as Second Language (ESL) students, communicate with the parents of ESL students, and establishing positive attitudes towards ESL in general.

This research utilized a mixed methods research design that is quantitative dominant with discourse analysis of open-ended questions from the sole instrument of this research, a survey of Texas teachers. Findings of this research were mixed; however, Latino participants from low childhood income households consistently returned statistically significant findings concerning positively oriented attitudes towards ESL education. There is also a statistically significant finding that rural and non-rural participants do not share the same attitudes towards ESL education.