Abstract
With climbing percentages of linguistic diversity within the United States population, teachers must be prepared to work with English language learners in school and community settings. In this paper, we utilized a multiple-case study design to describe and explore the learning of four undergraduate teacher candidates enrolled in a university course on the assessment of English language learners. Working to fulfill the course and clinical requirements for the English as a Second Language endorsement, candidates engaged in fieldwork and conducted authentic language assessments to glean the unique sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds, abilities, and needs of students to inform subsequent instruction. Findings indicated that candidates benefited from diverse school and community field placements that matched their programs of study and cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Additionally, findings demonstrated the affordances of community sites where candidates had authentic and low-stakes opportunities to engage in professional practice, juxtaposed with high-stakes classroom settings where cooperating teachers often limited candidate involvement due to the focus on standardized testing. We close with implications and recommendations for field-based teacher preparation for English language learners.
Highlights
This paper merges these two central fields of research – English language learners (ELLs) teacher preparation and field-based teacher education – to fill a gap in the literature by exploring teacher learning related to ELLs that is embedded in experiences with linguistically diverse children and adults in schools and communities
We close with discussion and implications for field-based teacher preparation for ELLs in schools and communities
Case Descriptions of Teacher Candidates. In this first sub-section of the findings, we share case descriptions (Yin, 2009) of four teacher candidates to respond to the first research question: How did the various field sites shape each teacher candidate’s experience? For each case, we draw from (a) initial survey data to provide background information and details on cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds, (b) artifacts and documentation to describe experiences in the field site, and (c) exit survey data to explore perceptions and reflections on the field-based work with ELLs
Summary
This paper merges these two central fields of research – ELL teacher preparation and field-based teacher education – to fill a gap in the literature by exploring teacher learning related to ELLs that is embedded in experiences with linguistically diverse children and adults in schools and communities. We utilize the conceptual framework for teaching practice (Grossman et al, 2009a), which operationalizes theories related to sociocultural (Rogoff, 2003; Vygotsky, 1978) and experiential teacher learning (Dewey, 1965; Ericsson, 2002) to guide preparation for professional practice Within this framework, three interrelated concepts emerge to support understanding and investigation of teacher preparation: (a) representations of practice, (b) decompositions of practice, and (c) approximations of practice. Less authentic approximations within the university classroom are appropriate early in a teacher preparation program, candidates must engage in more authentic approximations as they progress through the program
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