Preservice Teacher Beliefs About Readiness, Content Knowledge, and Field Experiences to Support English Learners

• In Event: 49.088 - Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: 49.088-28 - Multilingual Learners in the Classroom

Abstract

Although many teacher education programs require coursework for supporting English Learners (ELs), many preservice teachers still feel unprepared to work with ELs. This study explores preservice teacher beliefs about the reasons behind their perceived lack of readiness and the nature of content knowledge and field experiences to support their work with ELs. Questionnaire data from 107 preservice teachers who had completed a course on meeting the needs of ELs and 104 preservice teachers who had not were analyzed using several MANOVA models. Results suggest numerous significant differences in beliefs between the two groups in all three areas, suggesting that courses specific to ELs may help raise preservice teachers’ awareness of their own competency in supporting ELs in their future classrooms.

Authors

• Laura J. Mahalingappa, Duquesne University

• Nihat Polat, Duquesne University