Professional Development of Secondary Science Teachers of English Learners in Immigrant Communities

This is a research study of secondary science teacher professional development, in which 30 teachers learned about and implemented a series of teaching strategies aimed at increasing the participation and learning of English Learners in schools serving largely Latino immigrant communities within California's Central Valley. This study focuses on six of the 30 science teachers. Through a professional summer development workshop, teachers were exposed to science content that included the use of pedagogical strategies that intended to improve knowledge acquisition for students in immigrant communities. The pedagogical approach used for enhancing teacher skills was the 5E model. The methodology used to examine the pedagogical approach was qualitative teacher observations. Results indicate that all 6 teachers and their students increased engagement and explanation abilities, and students had opportunities to explore and elaborate their understanding of science content when teachers implemented the 5E model. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)