Social Studies Pedagogy for Latina/o Newcomer Youth: Toward a Theory of Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Citizenship Education

• In Event: Critical Issues of Race, Class, and Gender

Abstract

This study examines how teachers in four urban newcomer high schools conceptualized and implemented social studies education for Latino/a youth through an emerging framework of culturally and linguistically relevant citizenship education. Through a multi-site, collective case study design, I examined the perspectives and decision making of social studies teachers’ enacted pedagogy for Latino/a newcomer students. The cross-case analysis of the four teachers’ social studies pedagogy developed five principles of culturally and linguistically relevant citizenship education. These principles included: pedagogy of community, pedagogy of success, pedagogy of making cross-cultural connections, pedagogy of building a language of social studies, and pedagogy of community-based, participatory citizenship. This study has potential implications for social studies research and teaching of culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Author

• Ashley Taylor Jaffee, James Madison University