Learning to Teach Subject Matters in Language-Inclusive Ways – Approaches and Effects of a Didactic Pre-service Teacher Education Course

Abstract

This article presents the approaches, realization and effectiveness study of a Master course in which pre-service mathematics teachers learn to teach language-inclusive subject matter classrooms. The Master course develops language- and subject-specific pedagogical content knowledge in rich situated learning environments and increasingly integrates both knowledge areas. The effectiveness of the course is evaluated in a quasi-randomized controlled trial with a control group, with respect to pre-service teachers’ diagnostic categories and language-responsive orientations. The orientations of the n = 52 pre-service teachers are assessed by standardized scales, the individual categories in situated diagnostic activities. The comparison of changes in the intervention and control group from the pre-test to the post-test shows a clear shift in the intervention group towards more productive orientations and a broader and more accurate activation of diagnostic categories.