Investigation of notions of diversity and diverse learners among teacher ... Keywords: diversity, linguistically responsive teaching, culturally responsive teaching,.
DDS – Die Deutsche Schule Beiheft 13, S. 111-129 © 2016 Waxmann
Emmanuel O. Acquah/Nancy L. Commins/Tuija Niemi
Preparing Teachers for Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Experiences of Finnish Teacher Trainees
Abstract Investigation of notions of diversity and diverse learners among teacher trainees in Finland; examination of the impact of a 6-week online course about second language acquisition developed in the U.S.: Initial findings suggest that even short term interventions can help to build novice teachers’ awareness of linguistically and culturally responsive teaching. Keywords: diversity, linguistically responsive teaching, culturally responsive teaching, teacher training, online learning
Die Vorbereitung von Lehrkräften auf sprachliche und kulturelle Heterogenität Erfahrungen finnischer Lehramtsanwärter und -anwärterinnen Zusammenfassung Referiert wird, welche Vorstellungen Lehramtsstudierende in Finnland von Diversity und der sprachlichen und kulturellen Heterogenität von Lernenden haben. Darüber hinaus wird berichtet, welche Wirkungen ein sechswöchiger Online-Kurs, der in den USA entwickelt und in Finnland angeboten wurde, auf die Qualifizierung von Lehrpersonen für den Unterricht mit Lernenden hat, für die Finnisch die Zweitsprache ist. Erste Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass selbst kurzfristige Interventionen helfen können, ein Bewusstsein für sprach- und kultursensiblen Unterricht zu entwickeln. Schlüsselwörter: Diversität, Lehrerbildung, sprachsensibler Unterricht, kultursensibler Unterricht, Online-Unterricht
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Emmanuel O. Acquah/Nancy L. Commins/Tuija Niemi
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Introduction
Finland’s education system is viewed as highly effective, based on the level of student performance in international comparisons such as PISA, 2003 and 2006 (cp. OECD 2004, 2006), as well as parity in achievement in terms of gender, place of residence, and socio-economic background (cp. Kivirauma/Ruoho 2007). However, there are indications that increasing diversity through immigration is beginning to result in some achievement gaps. Itkonen and Jahnukainen’s (2007) analysis of PISA results revealed that when results are disaggregated, diverse learners who are largely immigrants have lower academic outcomes than native Finnish students, especially in reading literacy, but also in Mathematics and Science. Recent data from the OECD (2015) suggest that in 2012 the performance gap in mathematics between immigrants and non-immigrants in Finland was 85 score points, which was much higher than the OECD average of 37 score points. To address these gaps Finnish teachers need grounding in both linguistically and culturally responsive practices (cp. Gay 2010; Ladson-Billings 2009; Lucas/Villegas 2013). This article examines notions of diversity and diverse learners of more than 200 novice teachers in Finland as well as the responses of a smaller group of trainees in an ethnically and culturally diverse teacher training school who participated in an interactive 6 week online course on second language acquisition developed in the U.S. The discussion includes implications for the training of teachers in Finland and other nations facing demographic shifts and increasing student diversity. Two main research questions guided this study: 1. How do teacher trainees at the beginning of their studies perceive their knowledge and skills about teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students? 2. What is the response of Finnish teacher trainees to an interactive online course about linguistically responsive instruction?
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