Unlike the existing literature that has addressed science education and student
diversity separately, this study examined urban elementary school teachers’
perceptions of their knowledge of science content, science teaching practices, and
support for language development of English language learners or ELL students
simultaneously. Furthermore, unlike the existing literature that has addressed school
organization and student diversity separately, this study examined teachers’
perceptions of organizational supports and barriers associated with their classroom
practices in science. While teachers’ perceptions may distort their actual teaching
practices, their perceptions still need to be taken into account when designing
interventions, as teachers are more likely to enact changes when those changes
reflect their beliefs.