Abstract
Effective Professional Development (PD) is essential for teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students. Despite the continuing increase of diversity of students, teachers are underinformed with best practices for teaching and support. Many good teachers may not know how to best support CLD students. In 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 44% of surveyed teachers who had at least one CLD student in their classroom received professional development specifically for working with these students. This review of the literature covers two distinct but related topics: why teachers of CLD students need more PD and what factors need to be present for PD to be effective. First, I explain why teachers need PD. Research shows that most teachers who work with CLD students are insufficiently trained for how to support these students. This lack of teacher education can fail these students and potentially lead to an inappropriate identification for special education. Second, I explain what makes PD effective. Researchers agree that for PD to have an impact on student achievement it needs to be content focused, for a sustained duration, coherent, collaborative, and allow for active learning through meaningful interactions. In other words, PD needs to be relevant for use in day-to-day teaching and for teachers of CLD students this means having a focus on language and culture. Additionally, PD sessions that are held online have been found to be just as effective as face-to-face workshops when there is a focus on participant connections to each other and to the instructor.
Recommended Citation
Farley, I. (2021). Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Effective Professional Development: A Critical Review of Research. Journal of English Learner Education. (13)1.
Retrieved from https://stars.library.ucf.edu/jele/vol13/iss1/4
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
