Early-adolescent dual language learners' reading comprehension: Influences of teacher questions and language efficacy

This study examined the relation between middle school Dual Language Learners' (DLLs'; N = 413; M age = 11.66 years old; 87.1% Latino; female = 234, male = 179) reading comprehension skills and their teachers' (N = 32; M age = 36.53 years; 81.3% Caucasian; female = 27, male = 5) questioning practices across the school year. This study also examined relations between DLLs' engagement in high-quality discussion practices, language efficacy (i.e., beliefs about their capabilities to use language), and reading comprehension. Results demonstrated that teachers' use of authentic (open-ended) questions was positively related to their DLL students' reading comprehension; teachers' questioning practices were consistent across the year. Results also revealed a positive interaction between DLLs' high-quality discussion practices and their language efficacy in predicting reading comprehension. That is, when DLLs had higher language efficacy, there was a more positive effect of their high-quality discussion practices on their Spring reading comprehension scores. These findings suggest that teachers' questioning practices are important in creating classroom environments that promote DLLs' reading comprehension. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).