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Incorporating English Language Teaching Through Science for K-2 Teachers

  • Published:
Journal of Science Teacher Education

Abstract

English learners are faced with the dual challenge of acquiring English while learning academic content through the medium of the new language (Lee et al. in J Res Sci Teach 45(6):726–747, 2008; Stoddart et al. in J Res Sci Teach 39(8):664–687, 2002) and therefore need specific accommodations to achieve in both English and the content areas. Teachers require higher quality and new forms of professional development to learn and meet the needs of their students. This study examines the impact of one professional development model that explicitly embedded language learning strategies into science inquiry lessons. It also demonstrates how teachers involved in the PD program improve their self-efficacy about language instruction embedded in content and how they interpret and implement the methodology.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the California Postsecondary Education Commission, grant ITQ 07-418.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Educational Partnerships, University of California, Irvine, 441 Social Science Tower, Irvine, CA, 92697-2505, USA

    Therese Shanahan & Lauren M. Shea

Authors
  1. Therese Shanahan
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  2. Lauren M. Shea
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Therese Shanahan or Lauren M. Shea.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 4.

Table 4 A sample of student-talk strategies (adapted from Avenues, Hampton-Brown 2007)
Full size table

Appendix 2: Peer Classroom Observation Protocol (PCOP)

  

Appendix 3: Semi-structured Interview Questions

  1. 1.

    Tell me about your experience in the SMILE PD program.

  2. 2.

    What are the most valuable pieces of information that you are learning?

  3. 3.

    Which aspects of the PD are the most useful to you? How are they useful?

  4. 4.

    What do you like about the PD?

  5. 5.

    What strategies have you been able to incorporate into your classroom teaching?

  6. 6.

    Tell me about the language learning component. What have you taken away with you about how language development can be integrated with science or math?

  7. 7.

    This year SMILE tried to incorporate student-talk strategies into the math and science lessons.

    1. (a)

      What did you learn from this?

    2. (b)

      Have you been able to incorporate this in your classroom?

      • If so, how?

      • If not, why not?

    3. (c)

      Have you seen any benefits from incorporating more student-talk?

      • If so, how?

  8. 8.

    In relation to our visit, we see that you are using XX strategy, let’s talk about the professional development in relation to XX strategy.

  9. 9.

    What course work have you done prior to SMILE in language acquisition or teaching ELLs?

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Shanahan, T., Shea, L.M. Incorporating English Language Teaching Through Science for K-2 Teachers. J Sci Teacher Educ 23, 407–428 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-012-9276-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-012-9276-1

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