Examining Teacher Perceptions of the Appalachian Dialect in One Rural Appalachian Elementary School

Abstract

While numerous studies focus on dialect in educational settings, this research focuses on teacher perception of the Appalachian dialect in one rural elementary school. Data collected, mainly through interviews with educators, indicate that teachers sometimes view the Appalachian dialect as impeding their teaching of Standard English. Implications of the study include that teachers may benefit from professional development that provides opportunities for self-reflection on the way they teach and use Standard English as well as how they teach students to use different registers or code-switching skills. Through this type of professional engagement, teachers may better understand their role in modeling Standard English while honoring the Appalachian dialect.