Strength or Deficit: Exploring How Prospective Teachers Position Multilingual Students in the Mathematics Classroom

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Cultural and Language Resources in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

Abstract

This study explores how prospective teachers (PTs) position multilingual students and their primary language when learning mathematics. The participants are elementary and secondary PTs who were introduced to and had the opportunity to practice asset-based language to describe students’ mathematical strengths. Findings illustrate that after these opportunities PTs’ positioning of multilingual students shifted from using deficit and uncommitted language to asset-based. A closer look, however, showed no explicit mention of the value of the student’s primary language for learning mathematics. Only a few PTs did so implicitly. This study shows it is possible for PTs to shift deficit language, but that more explicit support is needed to help them communicate the value of language/linguistic diversity in the learning of mathematics.

Authors

• Sandra M. Crespo, Michigan State University

• Diana Bowen, University of the Virgin Islands

• Tarik Buli, University of Maryland - College Park

• Nicole Bannister, Clemson University

• Crystal A. Kalinec Craig, The University of Texas - San Antonio