Difficulties of students with limited english language skills in pre-service mathematics education courses

Abstract

Student teachers who are recent migrants to Australia from non-English-speaking countries experience difficulties in mathematics method courses and in teaching practice, but there are no published reports of research into their difficulties. This paper reports on a preliminary investigation into how students with limited English skills perceive their problems and how they think courses could be adapted to meet their needs. Information was obtained from a questionnaire, by conversation with individual students, by observation of micro-teaching sessions and teaching practice, and from a student counsellor. The factor which most concerned the repondents to the questionnaire was the difficulty w..