ERIC Number: ED648515
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 265
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3514-3389-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Hablando Se Entiende La Gente: Teacher Agency and Discourse in the Enactment of Translanguaging Pedagogy
Alfonso Perez
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Florida
Translanguaging pedagogy is an instructional approach that promotes the use of multiple languages to dismantle linguistic hierarchies in classrooms and embrace bilingual children's language practices and identities. This dissertation examines how bilingual education teachers enact translanguaging pedagogy in public elementary and middle schools to support their bilingual Latinx students. The central research questions are, "What are the predominant facilitators that enable the enactment of translanguaging pedagogy? What are the predominant challenges that hinder the enactment of translanguaging pedagogy?" Using multiple case design, this qualitative study was realized by conducting semistructured interviews with six teachers who graduated from the same bilingual education teacher preparation program in New York City. They also volunteered a wide array of digital artifacts that exemplified translanguaging practices in their classrooms, including photographs, student work, graduate coursework, presentations, and other documents. The participants revealed numerous facilitators that allowed them to enact translanguaging pedagogy: (a) formative experiences in a bilingual education teacher preparation program; (b) support and trust from Spanish-speaking Latinx families; (c) access to books and educational resources in Spanish; (d) commitment to welcoming and supporting emergent bilingual children; (e) opportunities to explain translanguaging pedagogy to students, families, teacher colleagues, and principals; and (f) support from teacher colleagues and school leaders. The participants also revealed several challenges that obstructed their ability to enact translanguaging: (a) a scarcity of educational resources in Spanish; (b) low teacher confidence in their own Spanish proficiency; (c) a limited view of translanguaging as a scaffolding technique or an extension of balanced bilingualism; and (d) the highly unpredictable nature of schools, including unforeseen challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings indicate that bilingual education teachers play a central role in promoting and protecting the use of translanguaging in their classrooms through rich critical dialogue with members of their schools. This study has important implications for bilingual education programs throughout the United States. Teacher educators and school leaders could apply this knowledge to improve teacher leadership practices and legitimate the use of translanguaging in schools to support educational equity for emergent bilingual students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Personal Autonomy, Translation, Code Switching (Language), Bilingualism, Teaching Methods, Public Schools, Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, Hispanic American Students, Curriculum Implementation, Spanish, English, Teacher Education, Family School Relationship, Educational Resources, Access to Information
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A