Exploring Teacher Knowledge in Meeting the Expectations of Integrated Content Language Development in Mathematics: A Descriptive Case Study

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to discover how knowledge is applied to meet the expectations of integrated content and language development in mathematics for Title I elementary teachers at an urban school district in the central United States. Halliday’s theory on systemic functional linguistics guided the research as it relates to the function and purpose of language through meaning and social interaction in different genres. The central research question was: How do Title I elementary teachers apply specific integrated content and language development knowledge in mathematics? The participants consisted of 10 teachers with at least three years of experience teaching integrated content and language development in mathematics to students in kindergarten through fifth-grade Title I classrooms at one of five schools in an urban school district in the central United States. The triangulation of data collection methods included initial individual interviews, document analysis, and second individual interviews. Data analysis included coding data to develop and aggregate themes aligned to the research questions and to ultimately reflect my interpretations. Results from data collection were derived using Stake’s (1995) method, with three themes emerging directly from participants’ interview responses and mathematics lesson plans. The three themes, tied to Halliday’s theory, have practical implications for academic language in mathematical instruction, skillful mathematical content delivery, and teacher level of preparedness, making the findings highly relevant to the field of mathematics education and linguistics. The findings of this research suggest teachers have a concrete understanding and application of content and academic vocabulary development, but recognize the need for further support in the development of verbal and written discourse.