Toward the Political Conocimiento of Future Elementary Bilingual Teachers

• In Event: 34.095 - MTCC Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 34.095-3 - The Sociopolitical of Latinx Education: Problemas, Promesas, y Posibilidades in an Era of Anti-Latinx Racism

Abstract

Of the 4.6 million U.S. students classified as English Language Learners in 2014-2015 (NCES, 2017), Spanish is the home language for 3.7 million. Counter their reality with increasing instances of people being told to “speak English” because “this is America” when overheard speaking Spanish (Mejia, 2018). While the history of a deficit orientation towards Spanish-speaking students in U.S. educational contexts has long been recognized (Gandara, et al., 2010), the current political climate requires teacher educators to critically consider the reality of teaching for future bilingual teachers. Answering the calls to increase the political awareness, or conocimiento (Bartolomé, 1994; 2004) of prospective teachers, this study further frames the political conocimiento bilingual teachers must receive in the areas of mathematics, science and social studies.
At its roots, a political conocimiento (Gutiérrez, 2013a) is a stance to teaching that “maintains solidarity and commitment to one’s students”. By recognizing how “ideology functions as it relates to power” (Bartolomé, 2004) teachers can then be better prepared to understand how racism in schools operate to work against (bilingual) students (Gutiérrez, 2013b). While Gutiérrez’ framework (2013a; 2015) is geared towards focusing on the teaching and learning of mathematics, this framework can be adapted to consider the preparation that bilingual teachers need to receive as they consider how to teach the content areas in order to: 1) broaden understanding of teaching, learning, (content) and marginalized youth; 2) notice and develop multiple interpretations on situations that are normally not addressed; 3) develop an advocacy stance towards their students; and 4) become adept at creatively responding to discourse that positions marginalized students as incompetent (Gutiérrez, 2015, pg. 257).

Methods of Analysis
This study took place in the context of a bilingual teacher preparation course at a large Southwestern U.S. university. This course focused on the integration of elementary bilingual content in mathematics, science and social studies. Data was collected in the form of reading responses and assignment reflections during the course of Spring 2018. Participants included 20 female Latinx students who were in their final year of studies. Student reflections were coded (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) to identify themes around the political conocimiento of the learning and teaching of mathematics, science, and social studies to bilingual students.

Substantiated Findings/Significance
Key findings from this study revealed that future bilingual elementary teachers began to question and critically analyze their own educational experiences as members of a linguistic minority group with affirmations that they wanted better for their own future students. Along with this realization came further requests for understanding how mathematics, science and social studies could be taught as more than just content, as well as expressing fear or dread for being able to use this new knowledge or awareness in a future school or teaching job.
This study is a continued step toward recognizing that certain school subjects cannot be treated as politically neutral (Felton-Koestler & Koestler, 2017; Rodriguez & Kitchen, 2005) and how we ultimately need bilingual teachers who take on counter-hegemonic roles in their classrooms as advocates for bilingual students (Bartolomé, 2004).

Author

• Luz A. Maldonado, Texas State University