Teachers’ beliefs about language in science: Customizing science curricula to center emergent multilingual learners’ sensemaking

ABSTRACTThis study examined (a) the effects of professional development (PD) intervention on third‐ to fifth‐grade teachers' knowledge and skills of teaching practice for multilingual learners (MLs), and (b) the relationship between teachers' enhanced knowledge and skills, MLs' self‐efficacy in learning, and MLs' academic performance. The sample consisted of 21 treatment teachers and 22 control teachers, as well as 210 treatment MLs and 220 control MLs. A multilevel linear regression analysis was performed. The findings show that treatment teachers had a higher level of knowledge and skills in teaching practice for MLs than control teachers ( = 1.3 and 1.15, respectively). Furthermore, treatment MLs had a higher level of self‐efficacy in learning and higher academic performance than control MLs ( = 0.41 and 0.58, respectively). Additionally, teachers' knowledge and skills of teaching practice for MLs significantly predicted MLs' self‐efficacy in learning ( = 0.15 and 0.14, respectively). Also, MLs' self‐efficacy in learning played a significant role in predicting their academic performance ( = 0.49). These findings indicate that MLs' self‐efficacy mediates the relationship between: (a) teachers' knowledge of teaching practice and MLs' academic performance, and (b) teachers' skills of teaching practice and MLs' academic performance.

For many Indigenous children living in remote communities, the prerequisites to achieving strong language and learning outcomes include the maintenance of their first languages and progress in learning English as an additional language. This paper reports on data from a Linkage study conducted with families at two Families as First Teachers (FaFT) playgroups in two remote Northern Territory communities. The data highlight the ways parents and carers encouraged very young children to engage in home languages as a foundation on which to develop skills in English during play and book reading activities. Transcripts of mother-child book reading and play sessions and reflections of FaFT Family Liaison Officers are examined to explore the language interactions and the strategies used by mothers to support children’s multilingual learning. The data highlight the importance of early childhood teaching and learning that honours children’s linguistic and cultural resources and prioritises families’ aspirations for children’s multilingual language learning.

Despite the substantive scholarship on secondary language education with multilingual learners (MLs) and growing body of work on MLs' postsecondary access, relatively few studies have examined the influence of educators other than classroom teachers such as high school counselors on MLs' academic outcomes. We report on a qualitative study comparing and contrasting college access beliefs and experiences of MLs with those of school counselors in one diverse school district in the southeastern U.S. Data come from mentoring sessions with students; interviews with school counselors; school documents; student record data; and student observations. ML and educator perceptions and behavior are interpreted through a Bourdieusian practice theory lens that sees college access as shaped by the interaction of student resources and dispositions with school social structures. In particular, we tap Bourdieusian notions of the role of institutional belief systems (or doxa) about college access to show how students negotiate discontinuities (or hysteresis) between their assumptions and beliefs and the new educational system they encounter. We find that despite counselors' best efforts, MLs faced significant challenges to college access. Implications are offered for how educational stakeholders can advocate for college‐bound MLs.

From a dynamic systems theory perspective, this study investigated the development of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) in five undergraduate multilingual learners’ L1 (Chinese), L2 (English) and L3 (French) writing throughout an academic year. Via detailed analysis of the quantitative data, this study aims to longitudinally depict the dynamic and interactive development of CAF in multilingual learners’ writing. Results show that the developmental patterns of CAF in multilingual learners’ (especially each individual learner’s) L1, L2 and L3 writing were characterized by non-linearity, recurrent and elusive increase and backsliding, emergent and constant changes, chaotic iteration, etc. Results also demonstrate that CAF components were integratively and interactively correlated with each other in multilingual learners’ writing over time. The findings hold some implications for theories and methodologies of multilingual acquisition/development studies.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have spurred renewed interest in the epistemologies that students adopt as they engage in science practices. One framework for characterizing students' epistemologies is theepistemologies in practiceframework (Berland et al. (2016),Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 53(7), 1082–1112), which focuses on students' meaningful use of four epistemic considerations: Nature, Generality, Justification, and Audience. To date, research based on the framework has primarily examined students' use of the epistemic considerations in the context of diagrammatic modeling. However, with computational technologies becoming more prevalent in science classrooms, the framework could be applied to investigate students' engagement incomputationalmodeling. Moreover, computational modeling could be particularly beneficial to a fast‐growing population of multilingual learners (MLs) in the U.S. K‐12 context, who benefit from leveraging multiple meaning‐making resources (e.g., code, dynamic visualization). This study examined MLs' meaningful use of four epistemic considerations in the context of computational modeling in an elementary science classroom. Fifth‐grade MLs (N = 11) participated in two interviews about computational models they had developed as part of two NGSS‐designed instructional units that integrated computational modeling (in addition to other model types). Findings indicated that, while students used all four epistemic considerations across the interviews, some considerations (Nature and Generality) were used more frequently than others (Justification and Audience). Beyond diagrammatic modeling, computational modeling offered unique affordances for MLs to meaningfully use the considerations as well as to communicate this use, though not without some emergent challenges. Overall, this study highlights the promise of computational modeling for providing a rich sense‐making and meaning‐making context for MLs to use epistemic considerations. The study also highlights the importance of attending to both epistemic and linguistic aspects of MLs' science learning as well as the potential of interdisciplinary research for studying this learning.

Multilingual learners (MLs) encounter key language features that influence their mathematical word problem solving processes. Much of the readily available literature surrounding MLs’ experiences in the mathematics classroom explores either their content knowledge or how language affects their mathematics achievement. Far less literature has examined problem-solving outcomes among MLs. The present study attempts to fill a gap in the literature by examining seventh-grade MLs’ engagement with grade-level word problems that align to mathematics standards and are realistic, complex, and open (Verschaffel et. al., 1999). An explanatory mixed-methods approach (Creswell, 2012) was utilized to explain the features underlying ML’s problem-solving outcomes. MLs were interviewed via a Retrospective Think Aloud protocol following their engagement with each word problem. Findings indicate that MLs are extremely successful at engaging in sensemaking, a vital aspect of problem solving, based on their abilities to describe the problem context presented in their own words. Further, words having both mathematical and nonmathematical connotations were utilized by MLs in terms of their nonmathematical connotations, which influenced their mathematical word problem solving processes. These two findings add to past studies (Gándara & Hopkins, 2010) and highlight a need to integrate English Language Proficiency skills throughout mathematics instruction.

The purpose of this chapter is to identify what factors English medium international schools currently use to make multilingual learners (MLs) program decisions and to explore the benefits of utilizing students' multilingual assets in the decision-making process. There is limited information about factors English medium international schools use to determine EAL program models. The researcher collected EAL policies from participating schools and surveyed and interviewed 18 teachers and seven administrators from seven schools in six East Asian countries. The chapter provides suggestions for international schools with EAL programs to make changes to utilize MLs' assets in EAL programming and instructional practices. These include reviewing and revising existing EAL policies and placement decisions to include MLs' multilingual assets, providing staff professional development on what multilingual assets are and the importance and rationale of utilizing them, and putting protocols in place to enable effective communication about MLs' multilingual assets between all relevant stakeholders.

ABSTRACTAccording to the Michigan Department of Education, between 2011 and 2017, the number of multilingual learners (MLs) enrolled in K‐12 schools in the state increased by more than 50%. In 2017, the average teacher to ML ratio in the state was an alarmingly low 1:168. To increase the number of teachers prepared to effectively serve MLs, we developed Project English Learners and Teacher Education (ELATE), a professional development program grounded in adult learning theories and centered around the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). SIOP is a research‐based instructional framework that aims to prepare teachers to bridge the gap between language and content instruction for MLs. It has the following eight components: lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice/application, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. Limited empirical research suggests that SIOP is a reliable tool for detecting instructional intervention effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) add to the empirical research focused on SIOP and (2) determine the impact of an intensive professional development program on in‐service teachers' use of instructional practices for MLs. We implemented a quasi‐experimental study focused on Project ELATE, a 5‐year National Professional Development (NPD) program that trained 170 in‐service teachers in providing quality instruction for MLs. The primary goal of Project ELATE was to improve in‐service teachers’ knowledge and instructional skills for supporting and teaching MLs. Training included graduate courses, clinical experiences, video demonstrations, a conference, and instructional coaching. Data sources included pre‐ and post‐program observations, interviews, and written reflections. Results showed statistically significant SIOP score increases for participants from pre‐ to post‐program on all eight components, while controls showed no significant increases. Overall, the findings provide evidence that Project ELATE significantly improved teachers' ability to use sheltered instructional practices. Qualitative data highlighted that participants benefited from feedback from multiple sources, including an English as a Second Language coach, video observations, and professional learning communities. In summary, this NPD program demonstrated success in improving teachers' instructional practices for MLs.

PurposeCollege placement assessments often overlook multilingual learners’ full linguistic abilities and literacy engagement, as standardized tests primarily assess English proficiency rather than how students interact with academic texts. Directed Self-Placement (DSP) offers an alternative approach through self-assessment, with some models incorporating post-task self-ratings of students’ competence beliefs. However, this approach does not fully capture how motivation (i.e., competence beliefs and task value) interacts with varying literacy skills within a task. This exploratory study applies Explanatory Item Response Models (EIRMs) to examine how self-rated motivation relates to vocabulary performance on higher-and lower-frequency words, offering insights to refine DSP frameworks for multilingual learners.MethodA total of 39 multilingual learners and 249 monolingual English-speaking college students completed a vocabulary assessment and responded to self-report motivation scale questions assessing their reading motivation. Item-level analyses were implemented to examine the interaction between motivation and multilingual learner status on higher-and lower-frequency words.ResultsLower-frequency words posed greater challenges across all participants but disproportionately undermined the performance of multilingual learners with lower reading competence beliefs. However, multilingual learners with higher reading competence performed comparably to monolingual English speakers on both higher and lower frequency words.ConclusionEIRM-based analyses offer novel insights into the ways that motivation interacts with different dimensions of literacy performance at the item level. Future research should develop validated self-assessment tools that incorporate additional aspects of motivation and multilingual learners’ linguistic strategies, which could inform more equitable placement practices.

Community colleges have become key sites for preparing diverse and immigrant students for the transition to the workforce and four-year institutions. Yet, despite the recent growths of Multilingual Learners in community colleges, few studies focus on how students experience the first year in college after completing their ESL programs and their relations with instructors and how instructors perceive and interact with students institutionally classified as English as a Second Language (ESL) students. I use theories of language ideologies and racialization of language to understand multilingual learners’ experiences in the first year of college and how interaction with instructors shaped those experiences. I use a qualitative critical approach to analyze data from interviews, fieldnotes, and observations from a year-long study in a community college located in a mid-sized city in the South. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter one gives an overview of the background of the study and the process of realization of this project throughout a story I tell about my understandings of language and experiences with language learning during my career as an English language teacher and now researcher. Chapter two explores the theories of language ideologies, racialization of language and language identity and how they are connected to understand how Multilingual Learners (MLs) in a community college experience education and access to resources. I explore how language ideologies are used to maintain social power, more specifically, the idea of academic language and language proficiency as a gatekeeper for academic achievement in educational institutions for multilingual learners. In chapter three I describe a critical approach to ideology to examine Multilingual Learners’ experiences in college through interviews, observations and fieldnotes. I focus on beliefs about language and language identity that influence multilingual students’ experiences in higher education. In chapter four, I analyze students’ perceptions of their academic English skills connected to their own ideas of accent, use of grammar and an idealized English proficiency instilled by the interactions with White Americans, including college instructors. Those ideologies formed language identities in which students see themselves as deficient in comparison to the White native speaker of English. In chapter five, I show evidence of instructors’ views of students regarding their cultural, linguistic, and educational and class background. Some of those views revealed ideologies of language standardization that racialized multilingual students through lenses of language standardization and assimilation to American culture that I discussed in chapter six.

Background/Context: One of the most complex and systemic challenges U.S. public schools face is the disproportionate identification of multilingual learners in special education. Currently, students with multidimensional identities are often trapped in ambiguous and contradictory education policies and practices that contribute to both under- and over-representation in special education. Given the legacy of racial discrimination in the United States and in Virginia due to its history, students who have multidimensional identities where social categories intersect and interact with power dynamics are more likely to have their needs and outcomes overlooked. Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study: For these reasons, this mixed-methods study, situated within a Virginia school district, built on extant disproportionality research by applying a multilevel model of intersectionality to understand the relationship between social categories (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status [SES]), practices, and policies and the disproportionate representation of multilingual learners in special education. We also examined the extent to which multilingual learners are disproportionately over- or under-represented in special education in Virginia, and how disproportionality varies by school level (i.e., grades K–5 for elementary, grades 6–12 for secondary), race/ethnicity, gender, and SES. Research Design: The quantitative findings from phase one were used to focus on one school district to find out how eligibility processes and services are impacted by organizational structures and school and community contexts. Our results demonstrate disparities for multilingual learners with disabilities by race/ethnicity, gender, and SES. Quantitative findings from this study both support and refute what is known in the extant literature about outcomes related to grade level, race/ethnicity, gender, and SES of multilingual learners with disabilities. The qualitative results, however, illustrate how the larger sociopolitical landscape and perceptions of ability/disability shape eligibility processes and outcomes for these students. Our qualitative data provide insight into multilingual learner disproportionality and the role of context and educational practices that contribute to these types of disparities in special education. Conclusions or Recommendations: The implications of these results for future practice, policy, and research are discussed. Generally speaking, this mixed-methods study shows that (1) using intersectional framing in a risk analysis of multilingual learner disproportionality reveals disparities a one-dimensional approach obscures, (2) representation in special education is associated with a multilingual learner’s social categories (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, SES), and (3) contextual factors impact how multilingual learner eligibility policies and practices are communicated and implemented within schools. The fact that multilingual learner identification with a disability is correlated with social categories suggests that how we address learning challenges may reflect social problems rather than issues related to learning.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the professional growth of a cohort of teachers working with multilingual learners (MLs) during an MEd program and their recommendations for the development of a literacy course for ML caregivers. In addition, this study explores whether the school district capacity supports teacher growth, as reflected through district representatives’ feedback. Design/methodology/approach This design-based research study, informed by the culturally relevant pedagogy and dual capacity building frameworks, explores 30 in-service K-12 teachers and 11 district representatives. Data were collected through semestrial surveys and research logs over two years using mixed methods. Researchers address the following questions: How do teachers conceptualize ML caregiver support based on their professional development (PD)? and How do school district representatives’ perspectives for supporting ML caregivers align with teachers’ professional growth? Findings Findings revealed that teacher recommendations evolved, increasingly emphasizing student-centered and culturally relevant approaches, indicating the PD’s positive impact. They also gained confidence in offering suggestions for an ML caregiver literacy course. District representatives offered fewer suggestions, echoing some teachers feedback, but also exhibited deficit perspectives. Originality/value This study addresses a gap in research by highlighting teachers’ visions for supporting ML caregivers and how their new knowledge informs their recommendations. Findings provide insights into the needs for PD design for teachers and district representatives, as well as what they perceive as successful learning experiences for ML caregivers.

ABSTRACTAcknowledging student perceptions of academic learning has been shown to increase the effectiveness of classroom instruction. However, existing research on multilingual learners (MLs) often focuses on their pedagogical and linguistic needs, overlooking their perceptions of literacy learning. This research, part of a large‐scale, design‐based research (DBR) project, explores MLs' perceptions of literacy learning to increase the capacity of instruction through professional development to classroom teachers in a high‐needs school district. Using grounded theory coding, we analyzed MLs' responses from a self‐efficacy survey to gain insight into their perceptions of literacy learning. Those findings were used to inform DBR modifications, including creating a writing module, a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Escape Room, and a course for ML caregivers. By centering the voices of MLs, this study provides actionable implications for teachers and researchers, contributing to a deeper understanding of literacy education. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering student perceptions in curriculum and instructional design to meet the needs of diverse learners.

The purpose of this study is to measure teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about multilingual learners (MLLs), MLLs’ needs and struggles, and parental involvement of MLL families. We adapted Karabenick and Noda’s (2004) survey instrument, which measures the teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, practices, and needs related to MLLs. Exploring teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices toward MLLs is a first step in understanding the professional needs of teachers of MLLs. The total sample size of the study was 308. In the first phase of the study, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test logic and feasibility of the instrument. In the second phase, we used descriptive statistics to explain the basic features of the data of the study and provide a brief summary of the samples and the measures done on this study. The results of this study indicated that although teachers’ beliefs about MLLs are slightly negative their overall beliefs are positive. Many teachers while welcoming MLLs in their classrooms, desiring to support them, are unsure of how to do so.

ABSTRACTThis paper examines a professional learning (PL) program for upper elementary teachers focused on developing instructional practices to support multilingual learners (MLLs) in science. The PL sought to support teachers' praxis, which we describe as their sense of agency to critically analyze and take action against barriers to MLLs’ opportunities to learn. We analyzed pre‐PL interviews with teachers to identify the ways that they framed MLLs from asset‐ and deficit‐based perspectives and the barriers that they identified that undermine MLLs' science learning. Then, we analyzed the extent to which the teachers' participation in the PL shifted their framing of MLLs and fostered their sense of agency to challenge the barriers faced by MLLs. We found that teachers shifted toward more asset‐based views of students' existing language resources and deepened their sense of agency to employ scaffolds that engage these resources in their own instructional practice. However, teachers continued to surface barriers in their organizational contexts, including the emphasis placed on standardized language assessments and the misalignment between English language instruction and science learning. Our analysis shows that the PL did not adequately support teachers in navigating these particular institutional barriers. Based on our analysis, we argue that teachers and science education researchers should expand their focus beyond teachers’ instructional practices and work together to remove barriers for MLLs in the larger organizational systems of schooling.