Problem-Based Teacher-Mentor Education: Fostering Literacy Acquisition in Multicultural Classrooms

Main Article Content

Pamela Hartman
Corinne Renguette
Mary Theresa Seig

Abstract

We designed a professional development (PD) teacher-mentor program that used problem-based learning (PBL) to accomplish two goals. First, teachers explored how PBL could be used effectively in their classrooms to change the way they think about teaching to include literacy development in content areas. Second, PBL was the basis for PD training to help them improve their own knowledge of PBL, become mentors to other teachers, and implement PBL in their schools across content areas. Educators in the United States are challenged to teach linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) students with differing literacy levels. The demographics of U.S. classrooms require a rigorous attempt to engage LCD students through collaborative, active learning opportunities (McGroarty, 1998; U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Research shows that literacy learning for all students improves in classroom settings that take a cooperative, student-centered approach (McGroarty, 1988, 1989; NCSS, 1991; Shumway, Saunders, Stewardson, & Reeve, 2001). PBL provides opportunities for students to engage in active learning and allows students with multiple learning styles to negotiate contextualized meaning through a variety of collaborative tasks. PBL has also been shown to be an effective method for teaching learners to be self-directed problemsolvers. However, in the absence of PD and ongoing support, teachers are often resistant to the implementation of PBL. In our program, we used PBL to help teachers learn more about literacy and PBL while providing opportunities for PD and support. As a result, the teacher reflections, discussions, presentations, and self-evaluations demonstrated how, by using PBL in their classrooms while immersing themselves in evidence-based content, they observed enhanced student collaboration. Teachers felt that they were better able to foster a learning environment in their classrooms that would allow students to develop literacy skills in a content-rich context both because of the incorporation of PBL and because of the support they provided for each other. This idea can be easily adapted to foster teacher development and mentoring programs in other fields.

Article Details

Section
Voices from the Field

References

Barrows, H. S., & Tamblyn, R. (1980). Problem-based learning: An approach to medical education. New York: Springer.

Donahue, L. S. (1999). A case study investigating problem-based learning in a reading specialist program (Unpublished dissertation). Pennsylvania State University, University Park.

Gallagher, S. A., & Gallagher, J. J. (2013). Using problem-based learning to explore unseen academic potential. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1322

Goldstein, B. (2000). Cultural and linguistic diversity guide for speech language pathologists. San Diego, CA: Singular Publication Group/Thomson Learning.

McGroarty, M. (1988). Second language acquisition theory relevant to language minorities: Cummins, Krashen, and Schumann. In S. McKay and S. L. Wong (Eds.), Language diversity: Problem or resource? Cambridge, UK: Harper & Row.

McGroarty, M. (1989). Cooperative learning: The benefits for content-area teaching. In P. A. Richard-Amato & M. A. Snow (Eds.), The multicultural classroom: Readings for content area teachers. White Plains, NY: Longman.

McGroarty, M. (1998). Partnerships with linguistic minority communities. TESOL Professional Papers #4. Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

National Council for the Social Studies Task Force (1991). Curriculum guidelines for multicultural education. Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies.

Rosa-Lugo, L. I., & Fradd, M. (2000). Preparing professionals to serve English language learners with communicative disorders. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 22(1), 29–42.

Roseberry-McKibben, C. (2001). Serving children from a culture of poverty: Practical strategies for speech language pathologists. ASHA Leader, 6(20), 4–5, 16.

Roseberry-McKibben, C. (2002). Multicultural students with special language needs: Practical strategies for assessment and intervention. Oceanside, CA: Academic Communication Associates.

Savery, J. R. (2006). Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 9–20.

Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1998). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. In R. Fogarty (Ed.), Problem based learning: A collection of articles (pp. 73–92). Arlington Heights, IL: SkyLight Professional Development.

Shumway, S., Saunders, W., Stewardson, G., & Reeve, E. (2001). A comparison of classroom interpersonal goal structures and their effect on group problem-solving performance and students’ attitudes toward their learning environment. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 38(3), 6–24.

Sinnema, C., Sewell, A., & Milligan, A. (2011). Evidence- informed collaborative inquiry for improving teaching and learning. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39(3), 247–261.

Torp, L., & Sage, S. (2002). Problems as possibilities: Problem-based learning for K–16 education (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). The condition of education 2015, English language learners (NCES 2015-144).

Van Loon, A. M., Ros, A., & Martens, R. (2013). Designing digital problem-based learning tasks that motivate students. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 21(4), 409–432.

Wiek, A., Xiong, A., Brundiers, K., & van der Leeuw, S. (2013). Integrating problem- and project-based learning into sustainability programs. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 15(4), 431–449. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2013-0013