Bridging Research and Practice: What Secondary Social Studies Teachers Need to Know When Working With Emergent Bi/Multilingual Youth (Poster 7)

• In Event: Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Social Studies: Research and Practice With and for Multilingual Youth

Abstract

In this paper we discuss supporting pre- and in-service social studies teachers in their efforts to apply research to practice for Emergent Bi/Multilingual (EBML) students. Our key takeaways for practicing educators draw on the findings of a descriptive mixed-methods study that took place in the context of an 11-month post-graduate masters of teaching (PGMT) program at a large public university. Our participants were pre-service teachers (PSTs) who were part of a secondary social studies cohort within a larger secondary education master’s program. This study’s data sources included a survey, semi-structured interviews, and an examination of course materials that accompanied the PSTs’ methods course and practicum placements. The main objective of this study was to answer the following research questions:
● What are secondary PSTs’ experiences working with EBMLs?
● In what ways, if any, do PSTs describe scaffolding social studies instruction for EBMLs?
● In what ways, if any, do PSTs describe scaffolding disciplinary language and literacy for EBMLs?

This paper outlines three key takeaways from this study to support teachers in the field: (1) Teachers need to know their learners’ strengths and needs, (2) teachers need opportunities to practice using instructional strategies for EBML students, and (3) teachers must develop, modify, and scaffold texts in order to build EMBL students’ disciplinary language and literacy skills. We provide readers with practical curriculum, instruction, and assessment resources, as well as suggested practices based on these three key takeaways. Ultimately, this paper’s goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and provide both pre- and in-service teachers with culturally and linguistically responsive strategies that they can immediately implement in their classrooms as they work with their EBML students.

Authors

• Alicen Brown, Charlottesville City Schools

• Michelle Hock, University of Virginia

• Michael Paul Gurlea, Ball State University