<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>To overcome language challenges in subject-matter school achievement, mainstream teachers of all subjects are requested to foster students’ academic language proficiency in subject-matter classrooms without being systematically prepared for this job, for instance, for the question what kind of language demands count as relevant in their classroom. The study investigates how 223 secondary mathematics teachers analyze students’ written explanations in a diagnostic activity aimed at unpacking the language demands they identify as relevant. The study reveals that teachers activate a large variety of different diagnostic categories, and many teachers focus on language demands that are too peripheral to subject-matter learning. These teachers’ unproductive focus seems to be connected to their language-related orientations, which were captured in a questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the data shows some language-related orientations are significantly connected to the activation of more suitable categories. Thus, which language demands teachers notice and value in students’ mathematical explanations seems to influence whether they assume responsibility for language learning. Consequences for professional development are discussed.</p>
</abstract>

To overcome language challenges in subject-matter school achievement, mainstream teachers of all subjects are requested to foster students’ academic language proficiency in subject-matter classrooms without being systematically prepared for this job, for instance, for the question what kind of language demands count as relevant in their classroom. The study investigates how 223 secondary mathematics teachers analyze students’ written explanations in a diagnostic activity aimed at unpacking the language demands they identify as relevant. The study reveals that teachers activate a large variety of different diagnostic categories, and many teachers focus on language demands that are too peripheral to subject-matter learning. These teachers’ unproductive focus seems to be connected to their language-related orientations, which were captured in a questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the data shows some language-related orientations are significantly connected to the activation of more suitable categories. Thus, which language demands teachers notice and value in students’ mathematical explanations seems to influence whether they assume responsibility for language learning. Consequences for professional development are discussed.

What language demands count in subject-matter classrooms?

PhD student at TU Dortmund University studying language-responsive classrooms

postdoc and research fellow at TU Dortmund University and an expert in investigating teachers’ noticing

Research in Subject-matter Teaching and Learning (RISTAL)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

A study on mathematics teachers’ language-related orientations and diagnostic categories for students’ explanations

To overcome language challenges in subject-matter school achievement, mainstream teachers of all subjects are requested to foster students’ academic language...

What language demands count in subject-matter classrooms?

Publié en ligne: 14 juin 2022

Pages: 102 - 117

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23770/rt1827

Mots clés
Language in subject-matter classrooms, teachers’ orientations, teachers’ noticing, identifying language demands

© 2019 Susanne Prediger et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

What language demands count in subject-matter classrooms?

Publié en ligne: 14 juin 2022

Pages: 102 - 117

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23770/rt1827

Mots clésLanguage in subject-matter classrooms, teachers’ orientations, teachers’ noticing, identifying language demands

© 2019 Susanne Prediger et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Mots clés
Language in subject-matter classrooms, teachers’ orientations, teachers’ noticing, identifying language demands