Date of Award
8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Phillip D. Grant, Jr.
Committee Member
Dr. Edwin N. Bonney
Committee Member
Dr. Kessa Roberts
Committee Member
Dr. Greg Harrison
Abstract
South Carolina’s public schools are increasingly facing the challenge of addressing the needs of a growing number of multi-lingual (ML) learners. ML learners are increasingly marginalized in society and schools, and show lower rates of achievement within schools. Schools are faced with providing effective tier 1, universal instruction for all students, including ML learners. This quantitative study seeks to improve ML achievement through incorporation of language acquisition skills within the classroom lesson plans. It is also the goal of this study to measure teacher self-efficacy of the selected study cohort.
This study takes place in a large suburban high school in South Carolina which has been identified for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) for ML subpopulations. This study utilizes improvement science through a PDSA cycle incorporated within a Professional Learning Community (PLC) cohort of teachers. Student achievement data was collected and evaluated for improvement. Major challenges that emerged in this study was the general lack of written lesson plans and resistance to change from participating teachers. In addition, the selected teacher cohort faces high stakes end-of-course state assessments for all students. This improvement study indicated improved overall ML achievement resulting from the development of teacher lesson planning with language acquisition skills. The links to teacher self-efficacy remains undetermined.
Recommendations of this study include providing lesson plan evaluation at the teacher and administrative level; providing increased professional development regarding language acquisition and supports for ML learners; and incorporation of these strategies within regular meetings of PLCs.
Recommended Citation
Withers, Patrick R., "Lesson Plans, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and ML Achievement: A Quantitative Study of Teachers Incorporating Language Acquisition Within Lesson Plans to Improve Multi-Lingual Learner Achievement" (2026). All Dissertations. 4356.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4356