Emergent Bilingual Students' Perceptions of Academic Ability Within the Context of Arizona's SEI Instruction Era

Abstract

The present study examined the educational experiences and academic motivations of Spanish-speaking Latinx emergent bilingual (EB) youth in Arizona, including their reflections on their English language development (ELD) programming. This study used one-on-one semi-structured interviews with EB high school students and one ELD teacher. Themes related to the impacts of teacher support and connection, peer behaviors, family as significant influences, and intrinsic motivation were identified as associated with EB students’ academic behaviors. Themes answering the question of how structured English immersion and an English-only law affect students’ academic self-efficacy shone a light on the inappropriateness of ELD instruction at the secondary level, unrealistic academic demands on top of gaining English proficiency, the significant benefits of Spanish-speaking teachers, and variable teacher efficacy. Conclusions drawn from this study provide further confirmation for the inappropriateness of SEI, particularly in how Arizona has implemented this model. Students’ academic self-efficacy is impacted negatively by this context, yet EB students have found motivation and support in and out of school, demonstrating their resilience in the face of discriminatory and inequitable practices.