The Importance of Quality Foreign Language Programs in Public High School Education.

摘要

America has never placed a premium on teaching or learning foreign languages. Currently, less than half of all U.S. high schools offer a foreign language program and many are of poor quality. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research study approach was to describe what school leaders and teachers experience as barrier and facilitator factors that impact the quality of foreign language (FL) programs at the high school level. Quantitative data was collected via an online survey to gain a deeper understanding of why certain high schools offer quality FL programs and others did not. Survey scores were processed and analyzed using logistic regression. All participants were from the Jefferson County School District in the southeastern region of the state of Alabama, United States. A Web-based, modified survey instrument from prior research was used in this study. A total of 50 participants in this study included high school FL teachers and high school administrators. A logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship the barriers, facilitators, and quality FL programs. Results indicated that several barriers decreased likelihood of having quality FL programs. Specifically, those with the largest magnitude of effect included agreement that FL curriculum should be less rigorous (Odd ratio [OR] = 0.05; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.22, 1.13; p = .09) and that external circumstances of the administrator were obstacles (OR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.15, 1.20; p = .11). When these two variables were included in an adjusted, multivariable logistic regression model, both were marginally significant (.10 > p > .05). Other survey results showed that no barriers indicated by teachers were significantly related to quality FL programs in univariable or multivariable analyzes. However, likelihood of quality FL programs was notably lower by 75% for every one-point increase in agreement that teachers do not work together to enhance their lesson plans in multivariable analysis (OR = 0.25; CI 0.03, 2.05; p = .20). Recommendations for future studies include conducting specific mixed methods or qualitative research on existing quality FL programs in U.S. schools, as well as extending this research to a larger sample population to include multiple school districts, regular education teachers, and various academic levels of FL programs.