Binational Relationship-Building: Ideology, Trust, Respect, and Compromiso

• In Event: Formadores de Docentes: A Binational Teacher Education Project at the U.S./Mexico Border

Abstract

This paper focuses on the relationship building process inclusive of ideology, trust, respect, and compromiso (commitment) critical to a sustainable and authentic binational partnership (Mexico/California). This binational partnership is associated with co-creating a theoretical framework and details how organizational leaders from multiple institutions, including state departments of education as well as universities, developed a conceptual binational teacher education framework for use across borders and institutions. The major purpose for the development of this binational/bilingual teacher education framework is to critically interrogate and counter hegemonic ideologies and practices (Author, 2016) to better serve students so that when they traverse across borders their education will not be dramatically disrupted and they will experience a sense of belonging in two worlds.

Binational scholars employed the literature and theories that inform their teacher education program ideology and practice as the factors surrounding the preparation and professional development of teachers on both sides of the Mexico/California border. The framework is informed by themes which research literature suggests shapes binational students’ schooling experiences:(a) socio-political (b) socio-cultural (c) socio-linguistic (d) socio-emotional (Author, 2008a; 2008b; 2019).

This study uses a phenomenological (Creswell, 2013) embedded case study design (Yin, 2003). Data sources for this study include: (a) Mexico and California teacher preparation standards, (b) semi-structured interviews with faculty (c) ethnographic documentation of meetings, and (d) literature review.

Through prioritizing the building of trusting relationships we moved the needle toward the benefit of the students we share to strategically and authentically address the socio-political climate that has created difficult educational conditions for immigrant students and their families and by scaling up the production of teachers with the knowledge, disposition, and skills (Author, 2018; Authors, 2019) to efficaciously teach and learn with and from the students we share. This study has implications for sustaining binational relationships that inform the practice, curriculum, and research for teacher preparation programs. Trusting relationships, built on respect and commitment to equity, frames the context as the text for binational and bilingual teacher preparation and professional development on both sides of the border. It is expected that the impact of this binational and bilingual teacher preparation framework developed through a binational collaborative effort informs the curriculum and practicum activities will provide critical social justice oriented and asset-equity-based learning spaces for project participants to effectively work with both English and Spanish language learners.

Authors

• Megan Hopkins, University of California - San Diego

• Cristina Alfaro, San Diego State University

• L Romero, The University of Texas

• Maxie A. Gluckman, Instructural LLC