UC Santa Barbara

There are few studies of content-specific methods courses focused on multilingual learners. This study describes how preservice teachers (PSTs) learned to use five principles of effective instruction for multilingual learners in the context of a secondary mathematics and science methods course. PSTs used a pedagogical tool to engage in cycles of inquiry to plan, implement, and reflect on these principles. From our qualitative analysis of data, we share findings on the following: (a) PSTs’ descriptions of effective multilingual learner instruction prior to their participation in cycles of inquiry; (b) PSTs’ plans to attend to multilingual learner principles within these cycles; and (c) PSTs’ reported outcomes and reflections on completing these inquiry cycles. Overall, we found that the PSTs were indeed able to use these cycles of inquiry to reflect on their practice in relation to these principles. In our discussion, we identify important theoretical and practical implications of our study. Practically, for example, this study offers a model for organizing methods courses around principles of effective multilingual learner instruction in intersection with cycles of inquiry. Our purpose is to help other teacher educators facilitate PSTs’ movement towards multilingual learner instruction that is ambitious in content and rich in language.