Chinese Immersion Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Teacher Education Programs

With the rapid development of language immersion programs in the U.S., the number of Chinese immersion programs has grown to 343 in 2021. Chinese immersion programs demand more Chinese immersion teachers who are capable of using the Chinese language to conduct both language and content teaching. However, a review of literature suggested that limited teacher education programs were founded that focused specifically on immersion, or Chinese immersion education. Moreover, literature review found that there are limited understandings on the Chinese immersion teachers’ perceptions and needs on their teacher education programs. To address this knowledge gap, this quailitative study selectively interviewed a diverse group of Chinese immersion teachers in the U.S. The guided interview explored the teachers’ perceptions of their pre-service teacher preparation and in-service training programs. This study focused on identifying the aspects that were beneficial and needed to support these teachers. The findings from this research could benefit both the Chinese immersion programs and teacher education programs by understanding how teacher preparation and training could improve the overall effectiveness of both teachers and immersion programs