| English language learners have become an increasing presence in America's schools, yet most teachers do not possess the specialized knowledge to work with such students, though many teach Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) courses. Very little research exists on the efficacy of SDAIE inservice programs designed to help teachers develop this expertise. This study aims to understand what SDAIE teachers need to know, how they learn it, and how inservice education can meet their needs by focusing on one SDAIE inservice program.; A longitudinal case study was designed around a seven-day inservice institute, spread over five months, for SDAIE teachers. This study addresses three questions relating to social studies teachers who teach English language learners in middle and high schools: (1) How do teachers develop the understanding required to teach subject matter content to second language learners? (2) What role does inservice professional growth play in the development and application of this understanding? (3) What elements of this institute could be used in future SDAIE teacher development programs? What other elements would be needed?; Four teachers in the inservice were interviewed and observed over nine months; a detailed case study of one teacher was conducted, followed by a cross-case comparison of all four teachers.; The findings confirmed that the theoretical model, an adaptation of Shulman's model of teacher understanding, was an effective, flexible tool in studying teachers' knowledge and development. Further, those teachers who entered the inservice with well-developed professional visions, a strong sense of self, and well-articulated questions profited most. The study suggests the central importance of teachers' knowledge of self.; Professional development needs to be thought of as a complex, long-term, and responsive process which cannot be "packaged." In addition, we need support networks for teachers so they can develop truly collegial friendships. Strong efforts must also be undertaken to make SDAIE classes more attractive for the best teachers and to foster promoting the best teachers to these classes. Finally, a prerequisite for deriving suggestions for how to teach a discipline to English learners is understanding the nature of disciplinary discourse. |
