Interdisciplinary Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners

• In Event: 63.077 - Office of English Language Acquisition–National Professional Development Grants: Designing Innovative Professional Development Programs for Teachers of English Learners

Abstract

Following the National Research Council call for more real world examples of interdisciplinary integration of science and engineering (2014) that followed initial implementation of Common Core standards, educators have been working to increase teachers’ pedagogic content knowledge and skills to effectively teach content and language to all students. The changes in instructional shifts are even more pressing for the nation’s English Learners (ELs), who remain of the most underserved population of students, and for whom NAEP’s science achievement data real significantly lower results than for their native English speaking peers (US DOE, 2015). Research that links teacher professional development with student achievement for English Learners is extremely limited; (August & Shanahan, 2006; Athman & Monroe, 2004; Batalova, Fix, & Murray, 2007; Lee, Deaktor, Hart, Cuevas, & Enders, 2005).

Our work is situated in the possibilities to leverage the use of an interdisciplinary approach to science teaching and language and literacy learning to build the capacity of teachers in urban school settings to deliver an empowering, community based curriculum to bridge the gap between research and practice for teachers of English Learners and to bolster language and content learning for English Learners in grades four through eight (Goldenberg, 2008). We apply Guskey’s (2005) five levels of professional learning: (1) Opportunities for Participants to Acquire Knowledge and Skills; (2) Knowledge and Skills Needed by Participants; (3) Organizational Supports and Changes; (4) Instructional Practices and Student Classroom Experiences; and (5) Student Learning Outcomes] to examine ways in which transdisciplinary professional development in environmental science supports language and literacy development of English Learners.

The transdisciplinary approach (Kaufman, Moss, & Osborn, 2003) uses Urban Ecology as a branch of environmental science that focuses on the sustainability and interdependence of cities with nature integrated with the multiple new sets of standards emphasizing language and literacy development through the creation of oral and written texts and oral (Bravo et al, 2007). Teachers develop inquiry-based lessons and collect and score student work as evidence of their practices.

Analyses of multiple data sources include classroom observations, surveys of teacher knowledge, and written teacher narratives indicate a growth in teacher practices in using Urban Ecology Scientific Inquiry processes in tandem with English Learner research-based practices. Analysis of student work includes modest increases in reclassification rates, with significant improvements in general and discipline-specific vocabulary knowledge and written work. However, implementation levels also impacted the results in both teacher and student outcomes.

Overall these findings are consistent with other research on professional development suggesting need for more ongoing support for teachers to effectively translate research to practice. Results also corroborate the importance of providing teachers with a detailed, responsive, and structured professional development that focuses on an interdisciplinary framework and promotes reflective for implementing research-based practices for English Language Learners.

Authors

• Magaly Lavadenz, Loyola Marymount University

• Elvira Garcia Armas, Loyola Marymount University

• Eric Strauss, Loyola Marymount University