Support Partnership for New Bilingual Science and Engineering Teachers

This project examines how Latine, bilingual teachers' dispositions to teach science and engineering to bilingual learners change as they enter the teaching profession. Specifically, it explores bilingual teachers' transition from a period of strong social support to one of scarce social support, i.e., from being Bilingual Teacher Candidates to Novice Bilingual Teachers (NBTs) as they plan and teach bilingual science and engineering lessons. Given the isolation that many new teachers face, the project positions NBTs as teachers of science and engineering and provides them with a network of support including peer coaching, mentorship, and a professional learning community. This work is important because scarce social support may hinder NBTs' prioritization of science and engineering content, thus contributing to the historical underrepresentation of Latines in science and engineering. This exploratory research project represents a partnership between the largest bilingual teacher preparation program in California—the Department of Dual Language & English Learner Education (DLE) at San Diego State University—and local educational agencies including California's second largest school district.

The project's research questions are: 1. How does a community support network mediate NBTs' transition to the profession? 2. How does a professional support network influence NBTs' science and engineering instruction? and 3. How do NBTs' dispositions to teach equitable bilingual science and engineering change during their professional transition? To answer these questions, the project uses a mixed methods multiple-case study design using an inductive approach. A multiple-case study design permits the generation of cases for comparison and/ or examination. Illustrative cases will be essential for dissemination to district partners and for further professional development. Findings will be shared broadly at practitioner-oriented conferences (e.g., California Association for Bilingual Education) and national conferences (e.g., National Association for Bilingual Education, the American Educational Research Association). Findings will also be shared with audiences where bilingual education research is not often disseminated (e.g., National Science Teachers Association and the American Society of Engineering Education).