K--8 Teachers' Concerns about Teaching Latino/a Students

Abstract

In this article, the authors examine elementary and middle school mathematics teachers' concerns about teaching Latino/a student populations across three regions in the United States: southern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and central California. Surveys were administered to 68 teachers who participated in professional development activities on language and culture diversity. Survey questions consisted of items from three domains: (a) concerns about social issues central to teaching Latino/a students, such as discrimination, multiculturalism, and stereotypes; (b) concerns about the task of teaching Latino/a students focusing on methods, strategies, materials, and new ideas for teaching; and (c) concerns about Latino/a students' learning, which dealt with factors that impact student performance in school, such as home environment, family culture, and expectations. In general, the authors found that the surveyed teachers were highly concerned with issues about teaching Latino/a students and their learning and were less concerned about social issues in teaching Latino/a students.