Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners

Lee, O., Buxton, C. (2013).  Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners. Theory Into Practice, 52 (2), 110-117. Retrieved October 22, 2014, from Education Resources Education Center.


This article discusses the teaching of science, specifically, to English Learners.  It first covers science teachers' current knowledge of practices in teaching science, current professional development in this area, best practices for teaching science to ELs, and current policies relating to teaching science to ELLs.  
First of all, the school-aged population in the U.S. has been increasingly diverse in culture and language throughout the past 20 years.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, "the number of school-age children (5-17) who spoke a language other than English at home rose from 4.7 to 11.2 million between 1989 and 2009, or from 10% to 21% of the population in this age range" (111).  English Learners are charged with the responsibility of learning a new language and content simultaneously, which can be overwhelming for students.  Teachers, consequently, are required to teach content and language in their content classes.  As Lee and Buxton note, "a majority of teachers working with ELLS believe that they are not adequately prepared to meet their students' content-specific learning needs (Janzen, 2008; Lee, 2005)" (111).  This demonstrates the need for professional development of general education teachers.  

Lee and Buxton report that teachers "need a conceptual understanding of the subject matter they are required to teach."  Teachers should activate prior knowledge, and utilize inquiry practices and encourage questions.  The article notes five domains in which effective teachers support ELs.  These include content area literacy strategies, language support, discourse with ELs, home language support, and cultural connections.  

In terms of professional development, the article discusses core features including content focus, active learning, coherence, sufficient duration, and collective participation.  The most influential PD included development that was relevant to specific content areas, and included active learning, planning, and discussion among a department, but was also part of a larger, coherent school-wide plan for ELs.  This professional development should also span a sufficient amount of time and include teachers from the same school, department, or grade level, emphasizing common goals, instructional materials, and a healthy exchange of ideas.  

Lastly, national educational policy surrounding science has often been unclear.  Students are required to take high-stakes tests in the areas of math and English, but science is often left unmeasured.  Currently, policy shifts are taking place, but the outcomes are uncertain.  The new Next Generation Science Standards will have unknown policy implications.  In order for ELs to have sufficient AYP in these new measures, they will need to have instruction that teaches content and language simultaneously, asking much more of our instructors.  With this challenge ahead, much more research is necessary to find the needed solutions, practices, and methods to teach science effectively to English Learners.