Abstract
This research is part of a larger ongoing
research project focused on assessing the impact of undergraduate and graduate teacher
preparation programs on preservice science and mathematics teachers. The author
investigated preservice secondary science and mathematics teachers’ (PSTs)
understanding of MLs and how to teach them in reform-based ways. This study
found that while PSTs largely expressed asset-based orientations to MLs, they
continued to describe both MLs and effective instructional practices for MLs
largely in terms of language development. Initial findings suggest that teacher
education programs must carefully attend to the balance between supporting
academic language and supporting rigorous content learning for MLs.
