Institutional and Faculty Readiness for Teaching Linguistically Diverse International Students in Educator Preparation Programs in U.S. Universities

Despite the steadily increasing number of linguistically diverse international students (LDISs) in higher education in the U.S, many universities still mostly use curriculum and instruction that are based on monolingual norms (Ginther & Yan, 2018). Thus, the current system fails to accommodate the particular needs of LDISs, which, in addition to further developing their academic language proficiency, includes navigating multicultural perspectives and potentially unfamiliar instructional practices. To understand the current situation in this regard in order to provide evidence-based practical recommendations, a need for exploration of instructors’ and institutions’ readiness is warranted. To attend to this critical need, this study asks: What are the professional knowledge base and dispositions of faculty in educator preparation programs about linguistic and academic matters to meet the needs of LDISs? What pedagogical choices by faculty in educator preparation programs particularly address the linguistic and academic needs of LDISs? What institutional readiness-related affordances exist to support LDISs and faculty in participants’ experiences? Data sources include interviews and institutional documents. The findings indicate that faculty members acknowledge a lack of a) personal/professional knowledge and skills about linguistically and culturally responsive education, b) institutional readiness, and c) to some degree, ability to correctly identify instructional remedies (e.g., strategies) in addressing the needs of linguistically diverse students. Based on these findings, we offer recommendations for faculty in education programs as well as universities that serve international students.