"I Used to Be Terrified of Teaching MLs": Exploring Changes in Teachers' Understandings About Multilingual Learners

• In Event: How In-Service Teachers Improve Their Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms

Abstract

Drawing from qualitative data, in the study, we explored what changes took place in mainstream teachers’ understandings about the education of multilingual learners (MLs) as a result of their participation in a graduate-level teaching English as a second language (TESL) course. Findings revealed that the TESL course led to positive changes in the teachers’ understandings and challenged their misconceptions with regard to ML instruction and working with MLs in mainstream classrooms. Analysis of data revealed the six course components had the most influence on the teachers’ understandings about working with MLs: classroom videos, the virtual module lectures, WIDA tasks and assignments, the textbook and course readings, ML case study, and online discussions.

Authors

• Refika Turgut, University of South Carolina - Upstate

• Rebecca Mueller, University of South Carolina Upstate