Appraisals in Context
Open Access DepositedThematic Analyses of EAL Teachers Working With Newcomer Elementary Students in the DMV Region
This qualitative study examined how English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region appraised their self-efficacy in supporting the social-emotional needs of newcomer elementary students. Grounded in social constructivist epistemology and guided by the Douglas Fir Group’s (2016) transdisciplinary framework for second language acquisition, the study explored how teachers construct understandings of their preparedness in the ecological and cultural contexts of their work. Using a basic interpretive qualitative design, six licensed EAL teachers participated in three in-depth interviews each, following Seidman’s (2006) series model. Data were analyzed through reflective thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006
Terry & Hayfield, 2021). Findings revealed teachers’ efficacy appraisals were shaped by contextual factors, including limited preservice preparation, lack of trauma-informed and culturally responsive training, and inconsistent institutional support. Teachers described learning through experience and collaboration rather than formal coursework, identifying professional development in social-emotional learning, family engagement, and support for students with limited or interrupted formal education as critical needs. The study concluded teacher preparation programs must integrate trauma-informed, SEL-based, and culturally sustaining competencies to strengthen EAL teachers’ self-efficacy and capacity to meet the complex social and emotional needs of newcomer youth.
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