A Study on Teacher Candidates’ Questioning Strategies for English Learners through an Interactive Classroom Simulation

Abstract

This study examines a classroom simulation workshop designed for teacher candidates (TCs) to practice questioning strategies with English learners (ELs) at various English proficiency levels, through the lens of sociocultural theory. Data was collected from an assignment in an ESOL methods course consisting of questions that TCs prepared before the simulation, revised after the simulation, and responses to an open-ended questionnaire. Findings show that TCs made their questions comprehensible for beginner level ELs, however, overextended their question modification to both the intermediate and advanced levels. Implications highlight the importance of practicing questioning strategies that are appropriate for all proficiency levels.

Speech–Language Pathology Graduate Students' Questioning Strategies for English Learners in a Simulation Environment

“…Additionally, the bilingual and monolingual English-speaking SLP GSs pointed out that TeachLivE moved them out of their comfort zone and provided them with the opportunity to practice with EL school-age student avatars at different language proficiency levels in a simulated classroom setting. This feature of TeachLivE is reported as a unique feature that provided better alternatives than real-life possibilities regarding their chances of meeting all three levels of ELs at the same time and working with a large group of students as opposed to working with individual students (Burr et al, 2015; Davies et al, 2020; Nutta et al, 2018).…”

“…In general, this instructional practice is used to elicit and expand students' verbal and nonverbal responses in an ongoing exchange. Specifically, leveled questioning focuses on adjusting the linguistic complexity of questions so that ELs can comprehend and respond to the questions (Davies et al, 2020;Nutta et al, 2014Nutta et al, , 2018.…”

“…TeachLivE, an innovative simulation technology, was created to support the development of pedagogical skills in preservice teachers, and it is currently used by more than 40 universities to train preservice teachers (Dieker et al, 2014a(Dieker et al, , 2014b. This simulation technology has been used to develop teaching effectiveness (Dieker et al, 2008;Hayes et al, 2013), to prepare special education professionals (Dieker et al, 2008(Dieker et al, , 2016, and to practice teaching strategies with teachers and teacher candidates (Barmaki, 2014;Davies et al, 2020;Dieker et al, 2016). Teach-LivE provides an authentic environment for preservice teachers to practice specific teaching strategies based on prepared scenarios through the use of avatars.…”

“…The immediate feedback obtained with the use of Teach-LivE informs the performance of teachers or teacher candidates and allows them to modify and/or continue practicing their teaching skills. Although the benefits of TeachLivE in training preservice teachers have been discussed in the literature (Davies et al, 2020;Dieker et al, 2014aDieker et al, , 2014bGardner et al, 2019;Hudson et al, 2019;Towson et al, 2021), its use to increase the competencies of SLPs to work with ELs has not yet been researched.…”

“…The WIDA performance definitions were used as the reference point for the oral language abilities of ELs at these three levels—it is these levels that most professionals are expected to use to differentiate instruction and modify language demands for ELs (WIDA, 2020). Of the 12 practices, leveled questioning , an intervention that is highly adaptable by EL proficiency level, was further explored in a course assignment that required its use with EL school-age avatars in a simulated classroom environment (Davies et al, 2020; Dös et al, 2016; Nutta et al, 2018; Regalla et al, 2016). In general, this instructional practice is used to elicit and expand students' verbal and nonverbal responses in an ongoing exchange.…”