Experiencing Transition: Bilingual Teachers’ Voices in a Dual Language Program
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain insight into the experience of bilingual teachers undergoing a change of bilingual education program, from a TBE model to a DLBE model . This study documents the ways the bilingual teachers experienced changes in their language ideologies, their teaching practices, and the support, or lack thereof, from the administration and the community. This study contributes to the existing literature on bilingual teachers and bilingual education by centering the voices of the teachers during the process of change of bilingual education models. The study also adds to the literature because of the use of theoretical lenses of translanguaging and borderlands theories to study bilingual teachers’ experience in this conjuncture. Multiple data were collected and analyzed from twenty-five bilingual teachers’ individual interviews, three bilingual teachers’ focus groups interviews, artifacts (timelines, professional development documents, lesson plans, and anchor charts), and observations of the teaching practices of one dual language bilingual education teacher. The COVID 19 Pandemic and remote learning took precedence over the DLBE program implementation. Findings suggested the lack of prioritization of the DLBE program and enough guidance and support for the DLBE program and for the bilingual teachers. The unclear direction in the process complicated the understanding of the participants to implement the DLBE program. The participants felt overwhelmed because of the multiple teaching demands. Nevertheless, the use of translanguaging practices and more Spanish in the implementation changed some of the participants ideologies. As a district the ideological clarity of the participants was not endorsed preventing them to inform their praxis and to contest hegemonic ideology in the DLBE program. Consequently, the lack of a robust DLBE implementation prevented the enhancement of the participants’ praxis with this experience.
Subject Area
Bilingual education|Elementary education|Language|Educational leadership
Recommended Citation
Garcia Soria, Beatriz, "Experiencing Transition: Bilingual Teachers’ Voices in a Dual Language Program" (2023). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI30521891.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI30521891