Losing Emergent Bilinguals: The Limitations of Induction Support for Teaching Linguistically Diverse Students

• In Event: Residency and Induction Programs in Diverse Communities and Contexts

Abstract

In a year when the AERA conference convenes in California, the state provides a rich context for exploring learning to teach Emergent Bilinguals (EBs). It has the highest proportion of EBs in the US, and induction is a state credential requirement. But induction policy addresses EBs in a largely implicit fashion. This paper considers the real-world implications of that approach. We conducted fieldwork in 2016-2017 and collected data from four mentors and four candidates to answer, To what extent did induction meet candidates’ needs in developing effective instruction for EBs? Content analysis was used to analyze text data and classrooms observations were rated quantitatively. We find that although induction did address EBs, support was likely incommensurate with teacher need.

Authors

• Christine Marie Snyder, Claremont Graduate University

• Lucrecia Santibanez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Danielle C Centeno, Claremont Graduate University