1st in Emerald-Purdue Research Impact Series: Li, Wright ELL book
A College of Education alumna and her dissertation committee chair co-authored the first book in the new Emerald-Purdue Research Impact Series.
Haiyan Li (PhD Curriculum and Instruction ’22) and Wayne E. Wright co-authored English Learner Literacy in Elementary Schools: Instructional Quality, Professional Development, and the Impact of COVID-19. The book also includes chapters co-authored with the College’s Trish Morita-Mullaney.
The research impact series publishes books based on award-winning Purdue dissertations co-authored by the former student and their dissertation chair. Li was the winner of the 2023 Mary Kay Sommers Dissertation Award and Wright was her dissertation committee chair.
Publication Title
Co-Authors
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Publication Date
2026
About the Book
As the United States’ English Language Learner (ELL) population grows, so does the need to understand how literacy instruction truly unfolds in classrooms, especially in under-resourced and rapidly changing communities. This timely publication presents findings from three interconnected studies that explore instructional quality, professional development, and the impact of COVID-19 on ELL education across rural and urban districts in Indiana. Drawing on over 150 hours of classroom video and grounded in social constructivism, translanguaging pedagogy and the Purdue English Language Development (ELD) Framework, the research offers rare, granular insights into what works – and what doesn’t – for ELLs in elementary settings. From quantifying literacy practices to evaluating year-long professional development programs and analyzing pandemic-era adaptations, this book delivers actionable strategies for educators, researchers, and policymakers. With a focus on Indiana as a lens into national challenges, English Learner Literacy in Elementary Schools showcases new methods and frameworks for equitable, culturally responsive instruction and equips readers with the tools to support ELLs more effectively, wherever they teach.
About the Authors
Haiyan Li is a Lecturer in the Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange (PLaCE) program in Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts, specializing in language and literacy education. Her work is dedicated to improving educational experiences for multilingual learners. Her research interests include TESOL, multilingual and biliteracy education, literacy teacher education, and generative AI in language and literacy education. She has been recognized with the Innovation Hub Award for her work in AI-integrated pedagogy. Li serves as chair of the Computer-based Language Learning Interest Section of TESOL International and on the editorial board of various journals.
Wayne E. Wright serves as the College of Education’s associate dean for research, graduate programs and faculty development, the Barbara I. Cook Chair of Literacy and Language in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and as a professor of literacy and language education. His research interests include language, education, and assessment policies and programs for language minority students; bilingual education, mother-tongue-based multilingual education, English as a second/foreign language, second language teaching and learning; heritage languages; high-stakes testing; language assessment, Asian American education; Southeast Asian American education; Cambodian Americans; and education policy and practice in Cambodia.
About the Emerald-Purdue Research Impact Series
The Emerald-Purdue Research Impact Series presents the most impactful new research conducted at Purdue University and showcases cutting edge research of relevance to research, industry, and society. It is edited by Haley Oliver-Jischke, senior vice provost for academic and student success, Office of the Provost; Preeti Sivasankar, vice president for research innovation, Office of the Provost; Alfred J. López, provost fellow, Office of the Provost; and Cristina Farmus, vice president for special projects, Office of the Provost.