STEM Teachers Work With Multilingual Learners: Impact of Professional Development and Self-Efficacy on Instructional Outcomes

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Equity Issues in Multilingual Learner Education: Ways Forward (Table 8)

Abstract

Scholars have been increasingly concerned with the quality of and teacher shortage in STEM education for multilingual learners (MLs), the fastest-growing school-age population in the U.S. This study examines the impact of multicultural/multilingual (MC/ML) preparedness, professional development, and teacher self-efficacy on instructional outcomes for STEM teachers of MLs. Using multiple general linear models, this study analyzes the TALIS 2018 data, the most recent study that surveys U.S. teachers at the national level. The key findings suggest that teachers’ self-efficacy and MC/ML professional development have significantly positive associations with the clarity in instruction, cognitive activation, and job satisfaction for STEM teachers of MLs. The study also discusses implications on professional development, teacher education and retainment, and research in STEM for MLs.

Author

• Lei Jiang, University of Kansas