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Preservice teachers’ use of mathematics tasks in relation to their experiences with, goals for, and beliefs about English learners

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Abstract

In this study we examined three preservice elementary teachers’ (PSTs) use of mathematics tasks with English learners (ELs) during a field experience. For each of the first three weeks of the field experience, the PSTs were provided tasks for which to plan a lesson for a one-on-one session with an EL. Drawing on Brown’s (2009) notion of Pedagogical Design Capacity, we analyzed the PSTs’ lesson plans, weekly interviews, and written reflections to identify the ways in which the PSTs’ beliefs about, goals for, and experiences with the ELs impacted their use of the tasks. We were particularly interested in how the PSTs attended to the linguistic aspects of the tasks. We found that the PSTs’ overarching beliefs about teaching drove their desire to remove potential barriers and that they attempted to reduce students’ struggles by modifying the tasks that they were provided. The PSTs utilized a range of modifications, including replacing potentially unfamiliar words, changing contexts, and increasing the white space in the tasks. Though some of these strategies were successful in removing barriers, they did not always facilitate students’ linguistic development. Implications include the need for teacher educators to disrupt PSTs’ notions of effective teaching in the hopes their goals transition from removing barriers to providing scaffolds.

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Notes

  1. We use the term English learner in this paper because the term is commonly used by the policy leaders and practitioners in the United States, both of whom are parties whom we hope might benefit from this study. This study was set in the context of the United States and there is a history of marginalization in relation to students who are labeled as English learners. We acknowledge the term can be problematic for a number of reasons including its privileging of learning English and the focus on what students lack rather than the resources they already have.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Zandra de Araujo

  2. University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA

    Erin Smith

  3. Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    Ji Yeong I

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  1. Zandra de Araujo
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  2. Erin Smith
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de Araujo, Z., Smith, E. & I, J.Y. Preservice teachers’ use of mathematics tasks in relation to their experiences with, goals for, and beliefs about English learners. ZDM Mathematics Education 53, 419–433 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01226-5

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