Improving in-service teachers’ effectiveness: K-12 academic literacy for the linguistically diverse

This study investigates how in-service teachers’ learning of a functional linguistic approach for instructional design contributes to linguistic sensitivity, knowledge acquisition, skill development, and classroom practice for their students’ development in content/discipline specific literacy. Twenty-three K-12 teachers with teaching experience ranging from 1 to 12 years, from one urban and three rural school districts, took part in this study. The mixed-method approach includes interviews, baseline and post intervention measures related to instructional planning, and classroom practice observations. The professional development intervention resulted in statistically significant changes in means on all measures. Thematic analysis of interview data showed an increase in the teachers’ knowledge of linguistic sensitivity for linguistically and culturally responsive instruction. Implications for the findings include a need for increased linguistic sensitivity among teachers through teacher preparation programs at colleges, or in professional development for advanced teachers.