Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners Through a Community-Based Learning Approach

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Learning in Place-Based and Community-Based Contexts

Abstract

It has long been understood that community and culture play an important role in influencing student learning outcomes (Loadman, Freeman, & Brookhart 1999). Traditionally, teacher professional development focused on instructional strategies and pedagogical techniques that highlighted certain aspects of teaching while downplaying the role of culture and community (Bucher, 2012). By focusing on coursework intertwined with community, community-based teaching, purposefully connects classroom instruction with content that is relevant and meaningful to the students. One pedagogy that supports community-based teaching is problem-based enhanced language learning (PBELL). The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate how teachers responded to professional learning grounded in community-based teaching. Research methods explored: How does training teachers influence the infusion of PBELL into their classroom?

Authors

• Stephanie Lund, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Sarah Saltmarsh, Arizona State University

• Bradley Alan Bostick, Arizona State University - Tempe