Adaptation and the Language of Learning Science in a Bilingual Classroom

Abstract

This chapter examines focal science classroom activities and interactions led by a novice bilingual teacher, Mr. Juan, grappling with integrating more culturally and linguistically responsive approaches in the teaching of science. The chapter applies a theory and method for understanding learning in classroom interaction previously conceptualized as a process of Adaptation reflective of the hybrid and improvisational nature of the language of classroom learning. An analysis of adaptations in science classroom activities is pedagogically productive as it provides a lens for understanding both planned and unplanned classroom interactions as collaborative processes. The analysis draws from data collected through the Integrating Science and Diversity Education (ISDE) longitudinal study that took place in Northern California. The broader ISDE study tested the impact of a restructured science teacher education model on multiple-subject credential K-5 teacher candidates, including bilingual credential and non-bilingual credential teacher candidates. The analysis for this chapter, however, focuses on observational field notes and transcripts of audio-recorded lessons from novice teachers involved in the ISDE study. By addressing adaptations in science classroom activity, the chapter argues that adaptations are potentially found in every classroom context, including those led by novice science teachers. This analysis supports the examination of adaptations in the classroom as productive spaces for science learning while also attending to the particular circumstances novice bilingual teachers face in promoting meaningful and dialogic interaction in the classroom.