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- Title
- Preparing Pre-service Teachers to Educate Emerging Bilingual Students: A Textual Analysis of Teacher Education Curriculum in Elementary-Level Language Arts Methods Textbooks.
- Creator
- Mann, David A., Schoorman, Dilys, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
- Abstract/Description
-
Drawing on the principles of critical multicultural teacher education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and bilingual education, this study examined how pre-service teachers were prepared to educate Emerging Bilinguals (EBs) in ESOL-infused teacher education programs in Florida universities. The textual analysis of a purposeful sample of five elementary-level English Language Arts (ELA) methods textbooks, utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods,...
Show moreDrawing on the principles of critical multicultural teacher education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and bilingual education, this study examined how pre-service teachers were prepared to educate Emerging Bilinguals (EBs) in ESOL-infused teacher education programs in Florida universities. The textual analysis of a purposeful sample of five elementary-level English Language Arts (ELA) methods textbooks, utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, revealed that authors overwhelmingly referred to EBs as English learners or English language learners, rather than bilinguals or dual language learners, and devoted less than 5% of the total content of four textbooks to topics about teaching methods, curriculum, and assessment for EBs. Evidence of five forms of curriculum bias was found, including invisibility, linguistic bias, fragmentation and isolation, stereotyping, and imbalance and selectivity. The findings suggest that textbook authors value knowledge about teaching EBs less than knowledge about teaching native English-speakers. EBs were stereotyped as a homogenous group of struggling readers and essentialized in terms of their limited English proficiency. One author conflated students’ language differences with physical limitations and learning disabilities, a troubling mischaracterization in the context of the overrepresentation of EBs in special education. Meanwhile, a preference shown for ESL methods over bilingual methods, based upon misconceptions about how EBs learn, suggests that textbook authors undervalue the cultures and linguistic skills that students bring from home. The hidden curriculum in ELA methods textbooks may influence a majority of pre-service teachers, who are typically monolingual and raised in the English-dominant mainstream culture, to develop a deficit view of EBs and utilize a one-size-fits-all approach towards ELA instruction. In order to prepare pre-service teachers to educate EBs for academic success, the teacher education curriculum must include material that explains linguistically responsive instruction and describes effective bilingual education models, within a critical pedagogical framework. Without this knowledge, pre-service teachers may continue instructional practices that contribute to a persistent “achievement gap” experienced by EBs. A transformation of the ELA methods curriculum is required so that pre-service teachers are prepared to implement a humanizing pedagogy that facilitates positive identity formation as it develops bilingual and biliterate students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004747, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004747
- Subject Headings
- Education, Bilingual., Second language acquisition., Language arts (Elementary)--Curricula., Education, Elementary--Curricula., English language--Study and teaching (Elementary)--Foreign speakers--Curricula., Teachers--Training of--Curricula., Psycholinguistics.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Writing, elementary teachers, and English language learners: a case study of teacher reported pedagogical knowledge and collaborative inquiry in a title 1 school.
- Creator
- East, Jill A., Burnaford, Gail, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
- Abstract/Description
-
This qualitative case study was conducted to investigated whether selected 3rd-5th teachers in a Title 1 school increased their understanding as they described and used their pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in writing aligned with the Common Core Anchor Standards 1-6. It also examined how the teachers collaborated to advance their knowledge in the area of ELs in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected in the form of 15 participant interviews and 15 Learning Team Meeting (LTM)...
Show moreThis qualitative case study was conducted to investigated whether selected 3rd-5th teachers in a Title 1 school increased their understanding as they described and used their pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in writing aligned with the Common Core Anchor Standards 1-6. It also examined how the teachers collaborated to advance their knowledge in the area of ELs in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected in the form of 15 participant interviews and 15 Learning Team Meeting (LTM) observations. The data from the interviews and observations were used to investigate how participants implemented the Common Core Anchor Standards (CCAS) 1-6 in their classrooms. The data also sought to examine how the participants’ collaboration in LTMs contributed to the selected 3rd-5th grade teachers’ PCK with respect to CCAS 1-6 and support for their English language learners (EL). The findings indicated that participants recognized various EL instructional strategies embedded in the subject matter of writing. Further, the data indicated that the dual language participants collaborated as an effective means for delivering various EL instructional strategies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004441, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004441
- Subject Headings
- Early childhood education -- Philosophy, English language -- Composition and exercises -- Study and teaching (Elementary), English language -- Study and teaching as a second language, Inquiry based learning, Language arts (Elementary), Language experience approach in education, Pedagogical content knowledge, Second language acquisition
- Format
- Document (PDF)