Preparing Ideologically Clear Dual-Language Science Educators

• In Event: Equity and Social Justice in Science and Engineering Education in Bilingual and Dual-Language Education

Abstract

Purpose
The national shortage of bilingual teachers is alarming (Author, 2022). Given existing deficit language ideologies, bilingual teacher education programs (BTEPs) must prepare bilingual teacher candidates (BTCs) to teach for equity. One way is by addressing BTC’s ideological clarity, defined as an ongoing process that requires individuals to juxtapose their ideologies with those of the dominant society to identify inequitable conditions (Bartolomé, 2002).
The purpose of this paper is to confront systemic oppression in dual-language science education by providing practical tools that address the preparation of ideologically clear teachers in the context of K-5 dual-language science. To explore how to prepare ideologically clear BTCs, we pose the following question, how do two bilingual teacher educators create assignments for BTCs to address the preparation of ideologically clear dual-language K-5 science educators?
Theoretical Framework
To ground this paper, we utilize Author’s (2018; 2021) four tenets of critically conscious dual-language science teachers. The tenets focus on teaching science in K-8th dual-language grade levels and include ideological clarity, pedagogical perspective and clarity, access, and equity. This paper centers on the tenet of ideological clarity.
Methods & Data
This phenomenological study addresses the phenomenon of preparing ideologically clear BTCs to teach science in bilingual spaces (Creswell, 2013). As critically reflexive participants, we adopt an autoethnographic lens (Hughes et al., 2012; Ngunjiri et al., 2010) by critically examining ourselves as researchers within our community.
Given the purpose of this paper, we apply an analysis of course materials, including syllabi and teacher evaluations, for a bilingual science methods course. Data are drawn from a department that specializes in preparing dual-language teachers, and span eight years. Pláticas (Flores & Morales, 2021) and testimonios (Delgado Bernal, 2002; Delgado Bernal et al., 2012) between the coauthor-colleagues who taught the same course took place to arrive at the following results.
Results
Based on a thorough analysis, results were organized by selecting five main assignments as practical tools to develop ideologically clear BTCs from one BTEP. These assignments have in common that they provide BTCs with opportunities to reflect on their experiences with language and science as students in the K-5 system. Assignments allow for comparison of experiences with the class material – all related to the goal of teaching bilingual science for social justice. One of the culminating assignments is a letter that BTCs write to their future selves. BTCs describe their vision of their science learning environment and the experiences they want their students to have in their classrooms. This letter is only one of the examples of how these assignments, collectively, strive to encourage BTCs on the path towards ideological clarity.
Significance
Our most significant contribution to preparing ideologically clear bilingual teachers in science is providing teacher educators with practical tools on assignments that support the preparation of BTCs to better support multilingual student participation in science. As Bartolomé (2008) reminds us ideologies are not fixed, but are “constantly being negotiated and reconstructed” (xxi). Thus we all, including BTEPs, have the potential to push ourselves even further in the name of equity.

Authors

• Melissa Arabel Navarro, San Diego State University
  Presenting Author

• Alberto Esquinca, San Diego State University
  Non-Presenting Author