How to teachers experience carrying out a whole-class Vocabulary Enrichment Programme (VEP) in schools of social disadvantage?

Background: Research has examined the efficacy of whole-class language intervention implemented by mainstream teachers to school-aged children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds (Goodwin & Ahn 2013; Hadley et al. 2000; Joffe 2011) however, little research has explored the experiences of these teachers. Objectives: This study examines the experiences of teachers delivering a whole-class Vocabulary Enrichment Programme (VEP) to first years in schools of social disadvantage. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used for this study. 8 teachers who had delivered the VEP participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences delivering the programme. Interviews were video and audio-recorded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Analysis of the interviews identified 5 factors which were key to teacher experience of the VEP: (1) Initial teacher reactions to programme; (2) Support given; (3) Practicalities of programme delivery; (4) Student reactions and results; (5) Team-teaching experience. Conclusions: Results indicate that teachers had a positive experience delivering the VEP and found it to be beneficial for students. This study begins to fill a gap in the research regarding how teachers experience delivering a whole-class programme in schools of social disadvantage, giving important insights that may be used in the future in designing and delivering similar programmes.