Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching: What Has Been Learned and Where Do We Go From Here?

• In Event: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Teaching in Special Education

Abstract

This review explores the current literature on the complex implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (CLRT) practices in the past decade. In particular, I focus on literature that examines CLRT for students who are both culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and also have special education designations in order to foster linguistic, academic and social supports that enable equitable participation in schools.
I draw on themes from McCray and Garcia’s 2002 study noting the dearth of research surrounding CLD students with disabilities as a framework for this review. The four themes include: 1) authenticity, legitimization, and multiplicity of voices; 2) validation of culturally and linguistically responsive special education service-delivery models and intervention; 3) multicultural preparation of special educators; and 4) underserved populations in special education. I consider the extent to which scholars build upon their research agenda to examine the implementation of CLRT practices. The central question guiding this analysis is: How do recent scholars expand upon CLRT pedagogy for students who are both CLD and have special education designations?
The articles selected for this review met the following criteria: 1) Were published in peer reviewed journals between 2009-2019; 2) Included empirical research or conceptual pieces; 3) Addressed CLRT pedagogy and special education; 3) Were drawn from the U.S. educational context. Articles were selected through several rounds of searches using educational library databases. From these articles, I used bibliographic branching to include articles that databases may have omitted. I categorized the twenty-six articles found using McCray and Garcia’s framework and employed thematic analysis (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006) to identify the affordances and constraints of scholarship on CLRT pedagogy for CLD students with special education designations.
Four central themes emerged from this review: 1) CLRT teacher preparation is critical for general and special education teachers in order to foster collaboration and ensure implementation of cultural and linguistic supports (e.g., Hoover & Soltero-González, 2018; Nguyen, 2012); 2) Multi-tiered intervention frameworks are strengthened by CLRT interventions (e.g., Driver & Powell, 2017; Montalvo, Combes, & Kea, 2014); 3) Individualized education plans that employ CLRT pedagogy are critical (e.g., Hoover, Erickson, Patton, Sacco & Tran, 2019); 4) Employment of CLRT practices that leverage students’ full linguistic repertoires in either monolingual or bilingual classrooms advance students linguistic, cognitive, academic and social development (e.g., Linan-Thompson, Lara-Martinez & Cavazos, 2018; Klingner & Soltero-González, 2009).
This review illuminates the need to enact CLRT pedagogies that promote the use of students’ home language and place value on cultural knowledge to combat dangerous perspectives around the hegemony of English and the disconnect between what research has shown to be best practices and the implementation of these in schools. As researchers working together to support students, it is imperative to actively participate in disseminating research findings so that stakeholders outside of academia --teachers in particular--can enact best practices for our diverse students and their comprehensive learning needs. Furthermore, the small number of studies available for review signals the importance of continuing research on the practical applications of CLRT within our communities.

Author

• Elizabeth Silva Diaz, University of Colorado - Boulder