Exploring linguistically responsive teaching with preservice teachers in a course on teaching English learners

ABSTRACT

As the U.S. classrooms continue to become more linguistically diverse with the growing number of students identified as English learners (ELs), it becomes imperative for teacher education programmes to equip preservice teachers (PSTs) with the linguistically affirmative orientations, specialised knowledge and skills to provide equitable and inclusive instruction to this growing student population. This study investigated which elements and principles of the linguistically responsive teaching framework (LRTF) [Lucas, T., and A. M. Villegas. 2011. “A Framework for Preparing Linguistically Responsive Teachers.” In Teacher Preparation for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms: A Resource for Teacher Educators, edited by T. Lucas, 55–72. New York, NY: Routledge] were evident in an undergraduate course on teaching ELs and explored what course components were perceived influential on PSTs’ linguistically responsive orientations, knowledge and skills about ELs and teaching ELs. Findings of our study demonstrated that the elements and principles of LRTF could be integrated into teacher education courses on EL instruction to prepare PSTs to provide inclusive instruction for ELs.

KEYWORDS:

• English learners (ELs)
• linguistically responsive teaching
• preservice teachers
• inclusive education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Refika Turgut

Dr. Refika Turgut is an assistant professor of literacy and language education at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on teaching English as a second language (TESL) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA. Her research focuses on multilingual education, multilingual literacy and teachers' professional development.

Elif Adibelli Sahin

Dr. Elif Adibelli-Sahin is currently working as a project director at Development Workshop Cooperative in Ankara, Turkey. She has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Science Education and a cognate in Educational Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA. Her research interests include science education, nature of science, teacher professional development, teacher beliefs, STEM education, and critical thinking.