Preparing Pre‑Service Teachers for Multilingual Classrooms through Practical Wisdom

• In Event: Reimagining Teacher Education: Equity, Technology, and Globalization in Preservice Preparation

Abstract

This study examines how practical wisdom (PW) can be cultivated in pre‑service teacher education for multilingual learners (MLs). Grounded in Arthur et al.’s (2016) PW framework, the research analyzes 24 classroom observations, four instructor interviews, 156 student journals, and four student interviews from two undergraduate courses. The teacher educator employed three core practices: using vignettes to prompt reflective dialogue, guiding reflection through the “Four Rs” framework (React, Reflect, Recalibrate, Respond), and modeling culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. Findings show that these approaches fostered empathy, contextual judgment, and adaptive decision‑making, while challenges included premature judgments, balancing content with reflection, and transferring practices to authentic contexts. The study offers insights for designing teacher education that prepares future teachers for linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.

Authors

• Han Zheng, University of Florida

• Mark B. Pacheco, University of Florida

• Jared McKee, University of Florida

• Yi Lai, University of Florida

• Bekti Febriarti, University of Florida