Preparing preservice teachers to teach science to english learners: A review

Abstract

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.

Pre‐service teachers enactment of language‐ and literacy‐integrated science instruction in linguistically diverse science classrooms

“…In addition to these findings, it is also important to note that only two studies (i.e., Lyon et al, 2018; Meier et al, 2020) specifically investigated PSTs' implementation of targeted practices in science classrooms. This is a critical area for future research, particularly because PSTs can struggle to translate what they have learned in university methods courses into their own instruction (Rutt et al, 2021). Indeed, determining how science teacher preparation programs can increase PSTs' knowledge about and use of STEM language and discourse and culturally sustaining pedagogies to support EBs' learning in the science classroom is considered one of the top research agendas for science teacher educators (NASEM, 2018).…”

“…Thus, the significance of this study comes in a large part from its contribution to a field of science teacher education research that is urgently needed yet is still largely underdeveloped (Rutt et al, 2021). Through the use of a multiple case study design, this study also provides a more nuanced picture of PSTs' implementation of language‐ and literacy‐integrated science instruction that can complement larger, quantitative studies (i.e., Lyon et al, 2018) and provide insight for future interventions.…”

“…In particular, few studies (e.g., Lyon et al, 2018; Meier et al, 2020) have investigated how secondary science PST training for language‐ and literacy‐integrated science translates into PSTs' instruction in the classroom, a shortcoming echoed in research on teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms more broadly (Villegas et al, 2018). Given the complexities of science classrooms, this is a critical oversight (Viesca et al, 2019), especially because research suggests that the translation from conceptual understanding to practice can be challenging for PSTs (Rutt et al, 2021).…”

Portraying secondary science teacher retention with the person‐position framework: An analysis of a state cohort of first‐year science teachers

“…As evidenced by decades of this journal's published research, the teaching and learning of science is often a specialized affair (e.g. Anderson, 2000; Feldman et al, 2009; Gawley, 1965; Reynolds & Park, 2021; Rutt et al, 2021). Someone who has an advanced understanding of their science subject matter along with a sense of how they intend to teach it, coupled with the ability and willingness to teach in a secondary science classroom, is someone who deserves the attention and care of our field.…”

Impacts of an Undergraduate STEM Teacher Recruitment and Preparation Program on Prospective Teachers’ Aspirations and Understanding

“…CalTeach recognizes that the challenges of recruiting and preparing STEM teachers to effectively teach culturally and linguistically diverse students in reform-based ways are complex and that solutions to these challenges require coordinated efforts from the teacher education community, the K-12 school system, and higher education institutions (Newton et al, 2010). As one example of such challenges, research makes clear that preservice STEM teachers are not adequately prepared to teach multilingual learners (Rutt et al, 2021), yet approximately 20% of…”