Learning to Teach Bilingual Students: How Teacher Candidates Appropriate Linguistically Responsive Practices

Abstract

As the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) educated in general education classrooms has increased, many teacher education programs have implemented reforms intended to prepare teacher candidates to work with ELLs. This multiple-case study uses a sociocultural perspective on learning to examine whether and how four undergraduate teacher candidates from a reformed program appropriated linguistically responsive teaching practices for use in fieldwork with bilingual elementary students. All participants were females who were born and raised in the United States; two were monolingual and White, and two were bilingual and Asian. Within-case analysis reveals four distinct portraits of young women learning to be teachers, with substantial variation in their teaching practice. Cross-case analysis demonstrates patterns in the sources of participants’ knowledge and highlights the importance of guided participation during fieldwork to enable teacher candidates to appropriate knowledge for use in the classroom. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.

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