Changing what teachers do with immigrant students?
How many professional development (PD) programs are happening right now, having to do with language and immigration (in California? Other states? US? Spain?) Who participates? How is it decided who participates? What is the curriculum? Who teaches it? What research is done on teachers’ experiences?
A look at this kind of PD would fit into a larger look at PD, research on how it does and does not effect practice and student learning. PD is the most common tool for trying to change teachers’ practice using policy, very popular under systemic reform initiatives, the quick answer to needs to change what teachers do or the results they achieve. What does the research tell us about PD in areas of language and immigration?
Are there any reviews of research in these areas in the big journals (Review of Educational Research, for example)?