Contributor

Jillian Marie Conry, Paige Ware

Abstract

Applying a three-paper structure, this dissertation explores three ways in which mixed- reality simulations were used as a tool in teacher training to support the development of language for academic purposes. This dissertation explores how teachers reflect, reason, and notice their practice when integrating academic language with content using mixed-reality simulations. This is taken up through analyzing trends that emerge in debrief conversations after instructional activities are enacted in mixed-reality simulations (MRS). Learning through the activity of teaching has potential to help teachers integrate their understandings of rigorous content instruction with equitable English Learner instruction (Von Esch & Kavanagh, 2018). Framed by practice based professional education (Ball & Forzani, 2009; Grossman et al., 2009; McDonald, Kazemi, & Kavanagh, 2013), this research is situated within professional learning contexts that focus on developing teachers who can integrate English Learner instructional practices into content area teaching (Kahmi-Stein et al., 2020; Von Esch & Kavanagh, 2018). This work examines teachers debrief conversations after mixed-reality simulations to gain insights into the knowledge and perspectives they gained from the experience, and how it shapes their pedagogical practices. Paper one examines teacher and coach topical episode functions to learn how reflection is activated in a virtual coaching context. Paper two examines problems of practice through episodes of pedagogical reasoning focused on English Learner instruction from a disciplinary literacy perspective, and paper three explores what teachers’ notice about English Learner instruction across connected simulations, and how their noticings shift over time.

Degree Date

Spring 5-12-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Teaching and Learning

Advisor

Annie Wilhelm

Subject Area

Education

Number of Pages

150

Format

.pdf

Included in

Education Commons

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