Building Cultural Agility in Future Teachers: Pathways for Multilingual Learners

Abstract

Increasingly, teachers are called upon to differentiate instruction for Multilingual Learners (MLLs). Typically, the methods of differentiation and scaffolding for MLLs are carried out though ESL programming supports. Many districts that host MLLs have a district ESL coach or coordinator who oversees ESL assessment, placement, progress, and instruction within the standards established by the state. If a district is typical, there will be an ESL support person employed for each school where MLLs attend. In a more progressive scenario, a school may have a team of ESL instructors dedicated to each grade level. At the high school level, there may be sheltered classrooms where MLLs learn content together for their core subjects. There are models that focus on bilingualism, immersion, and transitional instruction where students start their education in the home language and work toward doing academics entirely in English over time. Districts nationwide face funding crises that impact the level of services available for MLLs. In addition, there is an ESL teacher shortage impacting the sustainability of ESL programming. Districts needing attention for MLLs may only have one person in their district overseeing services for all the students. Districts with high numbers of MLLs may have one person in each school overseeing hundreds of students. Due to shortages of ESL support staff, content area teachers are left to their own devices. Many teachers are not skilled in language development and instruction modalities. Teachers are overwhelmed with the task of supporting MLLs in their classrooms and teaching content without sacrificing instructional time and academic rigor. I believe that we can change this landscape by addressing some of these challenges in the pre-service teacher training phase. To explore the pre-service training of currently practicing teachers, I conducted a survey that included items around attitudes toward culture in the classroom, teaching multicultural and multilingual students, and how prepared teachers felt in supporting these MLLs. Respondents indicated the level of support they are getting in the workplace through professional development, available resources, and information that can help them support multilingual learners in their classrooms. The survey included items that measured how well pre-service training prepared teachers in each of these areas. Results of the survey indicated that teachers believe culturally responsive teaching is important. The survey showed that teachers want to increase their cultural competence but are unsure where to find appropriate support materials. Some respondents indicated that support is lacking at the institutional or district level, and professional development would help. In terms of pre-service training, the degree of preparedness for multicultural students varied based on certificate type. Participants with master’s degrees tended to feel more prepared than those with bachelor’s degrees in education or alternative certifications.