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A study from an assistant professor in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University's School of Education, Counseling and Human Development explored what motivated 28 teachers of English language learners to seek a master's degree in educational administration.

The number of students in the United States who are learning English as a second language is increasing. In 2000, there was roughly 3.8 million "emergent bilingual students," and by 2017, there was approximately 5 million. As this number continues to grow, the need for educational leaders who understand the needs and experiences of these students will continue to grow as well.

Hamada Elfarargy is an assistant professor in educational leadership in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University's  School of Education, Counseling and Human Development. Previously, Elfarargy has worked on multiple research projects related to school enhancement and educational leadership preparation. He also served as a high school teacher and school administrator for nearly 20 years. 

Recently, Elfarargy explored the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that led 28 teachers of emergent bilingual students to seek a degree that would allow them to become a high school principal.

Insights from interviews with the study's participants revealed that intrinsic motivators outweighed extrinsic motivators in relation to teachers pursuing principal jobs. Three top-ranked motivators emerged from the data. They were: to impact students' and teachers' lives; to have the opportunity to initiate change; and to make a lasting difference.

The three least influential motivators found in the data were: to seek security; to obtain financial reward; and to gain prestige. All of these motivators were extrinsic, further underlining the importance of intrinsic motivation of teachers in pursuing leadership opportunities.

"Our results showed that the teachers of emergent bilingual students emphasized the role of their mentors in guiding them to take a leadership career path," Elfarargy added. 
As Elfarargy notes, the cultural and linguistic background of emergent bilingual students is often neglected. Holding leadership positions by teachers who understand this enables them to address these issues and advocate for these underserved students.

The results of this study may aid faculty members in university principal preparation programs to support these teachers. It may also aid school district administrators in mentoring these teachers to better serve as leaders in "high need" schools.

The , titled "Teachers of English learners: perceived motivators to becoming principals of high-need schools," was published in the Journal of Educational Administration.