Reimagine Engagement Through Challenges: Multilingual Families’ Perspectives and Experiences

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iPresentation URL: https://aera24-aera.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=12-A5-4E-D3-1F-E9-3B-16-BC-AC-E9-B1-DF-0F-C9-4B

Abstract

To support multilingual learners in K-12 schools, it is critical to engage families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In addition to ensuring school information is accessible and effectively communicated with all families, schools need to seek and integrate families’ input and perspectives. Supporting three schools to enhance multilingual family engagement, in this study, we collected survey responses from 177 families and engaged 88 families in focus group discussions during the 2020-2022 academic year. Families shared not only their experiences engaging in teaching and learning activities, but also their perspectives and suggestions to build both families’ and educators’ capacities for future engagement. Centering on multilingual families’ input, potentials of school-family partnership building were reimagined.

Authors

• Ye He, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Doris A. Kroiss, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Carine Kelleher, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Jennifer Arcila, University of North Carolina - Greensboro