Translanguaging in Global K–12 Science Classrooms: Accounting for the Institutional, Ideological, and Linguistic Barriers

• In Event: Translanguaging in Various Classroom Settings: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in integrating translanguaging in science instruction, we observed a notable absence in exploring the challenges teachers encounter while adopting translanguaging as pedagogy approaches. Translanguaging approaches advocate for learners to leverage their whole communicative repertoire in science learning while bridging the artificial divide both between linguistic and nonlinguistic resources as well as among different named languages. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize the key challenges reported in empirical research published from 2010 to 2022 on translanguaging practices in global K-12 science education. Initial results indicate three domains of challenges: Institutional barriers, ideological barriers, and linguistic barriers. Challenges that teachers experienced when adopting translanguaging approaches in science education and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Hien Thi Tran, University of Houston

• Zhenjie Hou, University of Houston

• Jie Zhang, University of Houston

• May Jadallah, Illinois State University

• Raju Ahmmed, University of Houston

• Haemin Kim, University of Houston

• Ada Clerigo, University of Houston