Encountering Spaces of Resistance When Implementing Research-Based Strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs)

This article discusses research findings from follow-up studies onthe effects of purposeful programming designed to prepare educators who participated ineither of two professional development federal grants funded by the U.S. Department ofEducation (REALL 2007 and LEAD 2012) to address the needs of English Language Learners(ELLs). The qualitative data gleaned through focus group interviews and responses toquestionnaires collected in these studies describe both educators’ sense ofself-efficacy (Bandura, 1994) and their students’ transformations as they experiencesuccess. The longitudinal data collected over a 6-year period include narratives ofresistance encountered by the grant participants in spaces such as schools, districts,and the broader community, and how these challenges were approached