PRINCIPAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALIZED LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON MIDDLE GRADES ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS EDUCATION.

Personalized Learning Instruction (PLI) is the practice of personalizing instructional practices, scaffolding, and assessing the schoolwork of each individual student based on their specific learning needs and the standards of the curricular content. It involves student choice and interest within a flexible structure. Currently, most of the research that has been conducted on PLI has focused on math instruction, older secondary students (grades 9-12), and relatively small samples of students. Little research has been conducted to determine if and what impacts PLI may or may not have on English Language Arts achievement. Nor has much emphasis been placed on middle schoolers, where routines and patterns for future success in secondary school are established. The purpose of this study was to understand middle school principals’ perceptions of (1) Personalized Learning Instruction (PLI), (2) the effects of Personalized Learning Instruction on middle grades English Language Arts achievement, and (3) the impact of COVID-19 on the implementation of Personalized Learning Instruction in their schools. This qualitative case study involved in-depth interviews of four middle school principals who had experience with the implementation of PLI in their schools. Four themes emerged from these case studies and are expressed through thematic sentences; (1) Principals perceive a positive impact on student achievement through Personalized Learning Instruction, largely through increased engagement with reading in English Language Arts classes, (2) A misalignment exists between using PLI strategies and current instructional practices, (3) Staffing issues, inexperience, and vacancies have pushed instructional leaders away from Personalized Learning Instruction, and (4) Personalized Learning Instruction is not a priority post-COVID-19.