Teaching “in their best interest”: Preservice teachers’ narratives regarding English Learners
Abstract
In the United States, teachers are increasingly working with English Learners (ELs) in mainstream classrooms. Several areas of focus have been proposed to guide the preparation of teachers for working with ELs, including: language related knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This narrative study examined how field-based experiences shaped 49 preservice teachers' dispositions toward ELs. An iterative and thematic analysis of collected narratives found that preservice teachers often completed their practicum in classrooms that did not model positive dispositions or pedagogical practices toward ELs. These findings have implications for the tasks and experiences given to preservice teachers during their preparation sequence.
Reference
Sugimoto, A. T., Carter, K., & Stoehr, K. J. (2017). Teaching “in their best interest”: Preservice teachers' narratives regarding English Learners. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 179-188.
Journal
Teaching and Teacher Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
unclear
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Elementary school
- General Methods Course
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
49
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
How do preservice teachers conceptualize English Learners and/or
mainstream teachers during recalled events from their field-based
observations?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
What is the nature of the experiences that preservice
teachers remember involving English Learners?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do these experiences shape preservice teachers’ developing
orientations toward working with English Learners?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes