Unpacking Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs on Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Mathematics and Science Teaching for English Language Learners

Abstract

With an increasing number of English Language Learners (ELLs), the landscape of public schools in the United States has been rapidly changing. However, ELLs’ academic performance is consistently lower than their native English-speaking peers’ and many in-service teachers feel ill-prepared to teach ELLs in a culturally and linguistically responsive way. This is especially true for mainstream teachers who teach STEM-related subjects. This study explores how pre-service elementary school teachers perceive culturally and linguistically responsive mathematics and science teaching practices for ELLs. A qualitative research design with interviews and constant comparative analysis was employed. Pre-service teachers’ lively voices that unpack their beliefs on the characteristics of culturally and linguistically responsive math and science teaching are illustrated around teachers’ scaffolding strategies, ELLs’ learning experiences, and environments. Suggestions for teacher educators, education scholars, and practitioners are provided to advance the discourse of how to better prepare teachers to teach mathematics and science to ELLs.