What a Bilingual Science Teacher's Reflections Revealed About Her Beliefs on Science and Language Teaching

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Teacher Beliefs and Practices

Abstract

We investigated a 7th grade bilingual science teacher’s practice in the creation and implementation of a two-week, NGSS-aligned plate tectonics unit that engaged students in the practices of explaining real-world phenomena and constructing arguments. This case study sought to identify the teacher’s beliefs about the relationship between language and science by analyzing her reflections on instruction during the unit. Analysis revealed that the teacher’s beliefs about her students, pedagogy, and instructional goals were interconnected in specific ways and largely supported her instructional approach: a focus on repetition and science vocabulary. However, as the unit progressed, the teacher’s reflections and actions revealed additional beliefs about language in science: namely, the importance of fostering classroom discourse.

Authors

• Emily J.S. Kang, Adelphi University

• Lauren Honeycutt Swanson, Whittier College

• Clara Bauler, University of California - Santa Barbara