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A collective case study of the implementation process of the Nebraska Foreign Language Frameworks by six teachers
Abstract
The Nebraska Foreign Language Frameworks (Frameworks), based on the Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century, was published in 1996, and school districts statewide have started to implement standards-based instruction. However, very little is known about the implementation process of the Frameworks . The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the process of implementing the Frameworks in an urban Midwestern school district. The study took place during the fall and spring semesters of the 1998–1999 academic year. The participants—two elementary, two middle school, and two high school teachers—taught French and Spanish. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations of the teachers' classrooms, and examination of lesson plans submitted by the teachers. The findings provide evidence that the six teachers implemented the Frameworks in their classrooms and that the implementation process differed among the teachers depending mainly on experience and involvement in the development of the Frameworks. All six teachers considered themselves at the beginning stages of the implementation process and expressed the need for additional time to fully implement the document. Among the five goals or five Cs—Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities—Communication was the easiest to implement while Communities presented the most challenges. Connections was implemented especially in depth by the elementary teachers due to their interdisciplinary teaching. The major factors hindering implementation of the Frameworks were time, scheduling, large numbers of students, and lack of technology including limited access to computer labs. Factors that would enhance implementation were hands-on-experience in-services and graduate classes focusing on the Frameworks. The teachers learned from the implementation and also underwent several changes such as setting clear objectives focusing on the learner and planning with the outcomes in mind; creating thematic units addressing as many of the five Cs as possible; and using a variety of assessments including portfolio and their own rubrics. This study provides a model and significant information concerning the implementation process of the foreign language standards as it is based on the experiences of real teachers teaching in their classrooms. Follow up studies as well as language and level specific studies would provide educators and administrators with a greater understanding of the issues concerning the implementation of the foreign language standards.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching|Language arts|Linguistics
Recommended Citation
Sarroub, Georgia Janavara, "A collective case study of the implementation process of the Nebraska Foreign Language Frameworks by six teachers" (1999). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9958398.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9958398