Teacher Sense-Making and Positioning of Linguistic Identity Through Multilingual Curricular Supports and Teaching

• In Event: Challenging English Monolingual Narratives: Exploring Curriculum-Embedded Professional Learning to Promote Translingual Instruction

Abstract

Purpose
Research makes visible the ways educators often understand minoritized students through the lens of their own linguistic experiences (Bacon, 2020; Bertrand & Marsh, 2015; McKown & Weinstein, 2008; Mellom et al., 2018). We explore how middle grade teachers understand their individual linguistic positioning and sensemake around an activity designed to make student language resources visible. Our focal question is: How do teachers' own experiences with language and teachers’ self-reported positionalities impact their sensemaking of multilingual learner instruction and students’ linguistic repertories?

Theoretical Framework
This study is rooted in a sociocultural perspective valuing student and teacher context and sees the lived experiences and histories of participants as pertinent (Vygotsky, 1978). Instilling instructional framing guided by Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies and Practices (Paris & Alim, 2017), we are in solidarity with teachers, learning from their experiences to support linguistically diverse classrooms.

Methods
Data collection, guided by phenomenological perspectives and grounded theory, is inductive and emergent (Charmaz, 2000; Charmaz & Belgrave, 2012; Guest et al., 2013) and thematic analysis is interactive and multidimensional (Charmaz, 2000; Guest et al., 2013).

Data Sources
Author 1 conducted semi-structured interviews with four focal teachers of ML students across three schools in a Southeastern United States district. Secondary data sources included prolonged engagement and persistent observation (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), fieldnotes and memos (Saldaña, 2016), and student work samples. We synthesized observations and interviews and conducted member checking interviews to confirm data accuracy, elevating participants voices. Videos were then transcribed and coded with first and second cycle coding techniques (Miles et al., 2014). Categories emerged and items were recoded as themes of teacher impressions, sensemaking, and positioning became noticeable.

Findings
We found the curriculum helped educators engage their own positionalities in relation to teaching ML learners. The following themes were present:

Theme 1: Place-based teachers orientation to ML instruction and understanding
One educator discussed a desire for relatability, expressing distinctions between their locational origins and those of their students, ultimately creating the need to build background knowledge. Meanwhile, another participant was “born and raised” where they currently teach, providing insight into historical city and school district evolution.

Theme 2: Language identities impact instruction
Findings indicate the linguistic repertoire(s) teachers carry influence the instructional decisions and approaches with ML students. One participant identified with Latin: “I enjoy etymology and teaching morphology because it further engages a student, and they look and wonder about words.” The teacher’s interest in word form alongside pronunciation applies to multilingual learning.

Another teacher's excitement for learning Spanish and interest in culture alongside their students' linguistic knowledge inspired independent language development. The teacher, not identifying as bilingual, connects to their language resources: "And just kind of applying the way they have that growth mindset with English to my growth mindset with Spanish, which I'm still working on…".

Significance
This study invites the greater educational community to hear localized perspectives of ML educators. By documenting and exploring educators' impressions of their students' linguistic resources, their own related positionalities, and experiences, we engage in further inquiry, practical teacher needs, and orient towards culturally sustaining curriculum design.

Authors

• Rachel M. Siegman, Vanderbilt University
  Presenting Author

• Emily Phillips Galloway, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author