Preparing Future Teachers for Intersectionality Through an Interdisciplinary Webinar on Multilingualism and Disability

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Power, and Identity in Teacher Preparation: Multilingual Awareness, Academic Language, and Intersectionality

Abstract

This mixed methods study explores the impact of an interdisciplinary webinar on preservice teachers’ (PSTs) preparedness level, knowledge, and perceptions about supporting multilingual learners labeled as disabled (MLLAD). The webinar addressed key issues and strategies relevant to supporting students at the intersection of multilingualism and disability. The participants were preservice teachers in special education and general education, some of whom were pursuing English as a Second Language endorsements in a midwestern U.S. university. Data included pre/post-surveys, pre/post-concept maps, and reflection papers. The results and findings show that the webinar helped PSTs feel more prepared, gain more complex conceptual knowledge, and develop more in-depth thinking about supporting MLLAD. This suggests the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to preparing PSTs for MLLAD.

Authors

• Woongsik Choi, Illinois State University

• Melissa McGraw, Illinois State University

• Christina S. Gilhuber, Europa-Universität Flensburg