Recommendations for Future Research

The following recommendations for future research provide suggestions for others interested in researching historical studies on Latino immigration in the United States:

Recommendation 1

            The findings of this study focused on what Dalton and the state of Georgia have done regarding the federal requirements for educating Latino immigrant students.  Further research will need to examine multiple public districts based on settings (e.g. urban, suburban, or rural), student demographics, as well as ELL population.

Recommendation 2

            This study was conducted through a historical lens to examine the migration and settlement of the Latino immigrants and to understand present trends through themes that emerged for the purpose of planning future educational programs that could be most beneficial to their diverse cultural and social needs.  Additional research could be conducted using different strategies of inquiry, such as an ethnographic study of an immigrant group in their natural setting over an extended timeframe (Creswell, 2007); a phenomenological study perceived through the immigrants’ lives in a new destination as they develop correlations of important experiences (Moustakas, 1994); or a case study to further explore in depth the ESOL program using an assortment of data collection and analyses over a prolonged period of time (Strake, 1995).

Recommendation 3

            This project study utilized an online educational blog to communicate the findings to key stakeholders.  Other researchers who want to collaborate through technology need to consider how the variant elements within the school district’s website or blog may impact student learning.  In reviewing other online social networks and sites, researchers should include elements such as multimedia features (i.e. translation, dictionary, and search), the inclusion of links to other resources, and greater attention to the organization and navigation of the site specific to the promotion of English language fluency should be explored.

Recommendation 4

            This project study was based solely on a documentation analysis using public archives from Dalton, the state of Georgia, and federal records on Latino immigration.  Further research needs to be conducted using additional methods of data collection, such as interviews with Latino families, teachers, and community members who were there during the time of the influx of Latino immigrants.  Using alternative types of data collection will offer different perspectives that could change the results of the doctoral study.

References:

Creswell, J. W. (2007).  Qualitative inquiry and research design: (2^nd ed.).  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Strake, R. (1995). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.