Despite growing numbers of English Learners (ELs) in United States science classrooms and recent science education reforms calling for language and literacy integrated science instruction, research is just beginning to address how to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to teach science to ELs. Using a framework highlighting key structural and task‐related components for preparing PSTs to teach science to ELs, we systematically examined interventions designed to prepare PSTs to teach in linguistically diverse science classrooms for variations in their structures and tasks for learning, and for outcomes. Results indicate that interventions for preparing PSTs to teach science to ELs ranged from parts of science methods courses to integrated programs spanning both science methods courses and field experiences. Most interventions addressed language and literacy integrated instruction, field experiences, skills for language‐integrated science instruction, and identification and use of students' funds of knowledge in the classroom. Integration of language and literacy into science methods instruction, cohesion across program components, instructor modeling of targeted instructional strategies, and opportunities to practice targeted instructional strategies in K‐12 classrooms were found to be common contributing factors to intervention success. However, the studies highlighted difficulties in PSTs' ability to transfer understanding to instruction and integrate students' funds of knowledge into instruction. Further, other parts of the framework, including asking PSTs to examine their beliefs about learners and science learning in linguistically diverse classrooms and development of PSTs' science content knowledge, were under‐studied. Implications for science teacher preparation, science teaching and learning, and future research are discussed.
The Next Generation Science Standards and increasing linguistic diversity of students in United States science classrooms require language‐focused science instruction for which many secondary science teachers are not prepared. To date, minimal research has addressed how to best support secondary science pre‐service teachers (PSTs) in teaching in linguistically diverse classrooms despite the fact that most PSTs will have the opportunity to teach emergent bilinguals (EBs) at some point in their careers. The purpose of this multiple case study was to determine at what level and in what ways three secondary science PSTs were able to integrate language and literacy into their science instruction following their participation in two language‐ and literacy‐integrated science methods courses. PSTs' instruction was analyzed using an observation rubric and supported by instructional materials, interviews, and reflections. Results indicated that, following the intervention, PSTs were able to enact most language‐ and literacy‐integrated science practices at the targeted level. However, the ways in which they did so varied and at times led to missed opportunities for EBs' participation in key scientific practices. Implications for teacher educators and researchers are addressed.
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