The role of teacher beliefs in teacher learning and practice: implications for meeting the needs of English learners/emergent bilinguals

Researchers generally agree that teachers' beliefs influence their practice, but more research is needed on the relationship between teacher beliefs and their responsiveness to professional learning, especially among those serving diverse student populations. We examined the relationship between teachers' beliefs, instructional practices, and student outcomes during the 2021–22 school year. Two California kindergarten teachers with high proportions of English Learners/emergent bilinguals collaborated with instructional coaches on an action research project designed to improve student engagement and oral language production during distance learning. Planning and debrief conversations revealed how teachers' beliefs about student learning, and about the role of families and the teacher in supporting student learning, shaped the extent to which they adopted research-based practices, their differing student oral language and engagement results, and the emergence (or not) of a third space. The findings have implications for designing and carrying out effective teacher learning. We also contribute to the literature on the use of activity theory and third space to investigate teacher learning and its connection to instructional practice in classrooms serving culturally and linguistically diverse students.