Description
An abstract of the dissertation of Ginelle Johnson for the degree of Doctor of Education
in Leadership, Learning, and Community
Presented on July 28, 2022
Title: Examining Teacher Preparedness, Training, and Self-Efficacy to Teach
Refugee Students
Abstract Approved:
Name: Marcel Lebrun
Dissertation Committee Chair
The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers feel prepared or have had
training to teach refugee students in New Hampshire high schools. Refugee students
continue to enter schools with complex needs that can affect their overall success in
schools. Through a quantitative study, the relationship between preparedness, training
and a teacher’s self-efficacy was conducted. Survey participants included 98 teachers
from five schools in New Hampshire that have higher numbers of refugee student
enrollment. Results revealed that a majority of teachers feel they are not prepared to meet
the academic needs (70%) and social emotional (79%) needs of refugee students in their
secondary mainstream classrooms. A new finding was discovered that 25% of teachers
did not know that they had refugees in their classrooms and 50% did not have
comfortability to teach them, which may contribute to these feelings of preparedness to
teach refugees. Overall, 93% of teachers do not feel that in-service professional
development has prepared them to teach refugee students. The results also showed that
teacher training in the areas of culturally responsive (71%) and Emotional intelligence
(53%), did not affect the teachers overall self-efficacy to teach in their secondary
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classrooms but did influence their feelings of preparedness to teach refugee students.
Findings from this study may be an important consideration for administrators and
schools as they plan their training and professional development for teachers of refugee
students. It is important to focus on effective strategies to meet the diverse needs of
refugee students, so teachers have the skills they need to feel prepared to teach this
special population.
