Work

“Smart forestry” as a Community-Based Teacher Professional Learning to Support ESOL Practices

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this paper, we use forestry education as an example of a place-based and community-based topic to simultaneously teach English language skills, STEM problem solving, and career education in a locally relevant field. Our in-service science teacher professional learning framework uses culturally and linguistically sustaining tools, practices, and model lessons to support teachers working with all students, including those learning English as an additional language. We argue that science teachers must take the initiative to develop key English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) competencies to support their multilingual learners, and that science teaching is well suited to this integration of content-area language instruction. We analyzed weekly teacher logs completed after school-science club meetings, focus group interviews with the teachers, and conducted a mini case study of one club lesson. We found multiple ways in which teachers in our science professional learning project engaged with the topic of forestry to simultaneously teach English language and science content while also strengthening cultural and community connections to science. We conclude that this approach to preparing content-area teachers to see themselves as content-area language teachers is essential for the future of ESOL education.

Source: Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa

DOI: 10.18861/cied.2025.16.especial.4031

Authors: Cory Buxton, Francisca Marrs Belart, Diana Crespo-Camacho

Institution: Oregon State University

Language: English

Topic: Second Language Learning and Teaching

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Science Foundation