From Knowledge to Practice: Teachers’ Understanding and Implementation of Vocabulary Instruction for Elementary-Grade Multilingual Learners

This case study investigated how two upper-elementary teachers conceptualize and enact vocabulary instruction for multilingual learners (MLs) during small-group reading lessons. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and video-recorded lesson observations, the study examined how teachers made sense of vocabulary instruction and how their understandings were reflected in practice. Analysis showed broad correspondence between teachers’ articulated knowledge and their instructional moves: both used research-informed routines, yet they differed in how they emphasized or adapted these routines in response to lesson content and instructional interactions that unfolded during lessons. A central finding is the identification of a consistent pattern of metacognitive scaffolding that neither teacher explicitly named in interviews. These findings suggest that vocabulary instruction for MLs involves interpretive and adaptive work rather than straightforward implementation of strategies. The study contributes to research on teacher knowledge and practice by illustrating how pedagogical reasoning unfolds in small-group contexts and by highlighting considerations for professional learning that aim to strengthen teachers’ support for MLs’ vocabulary development.