Critical Consciousness Development in Preservice Teachers: The Impact of Friendships, Teacher Education, and Dual-Language Research

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Bi-/Multilingual Teacher Education: Critical Consciousness, Ideology, and Race (Table 1)

Abstract

Critical consciousness allows the identification of privilege and marginalization, such as the sidelining of multilingual communities in dual language bilingual education (DLBE) policy. This paper focuses on critical consciousness growth throughout the lives of three white women who worked as undergraduate research assistants (RAs) while they were pre-service teachers. Their RA work included data collection and analysis of district DLBE websites in the United States. We use narrative analysis to elucidate the lessons learned by these women three years after their RA work. Findings show three key themes contributing to critical consciousness growth: Racialized friends, teacher education coursework, and the DLBE research project. We close with implications for multilingual communities, teachers, teacher education, and the staffing of research teams.

Authors

• Juan A. Freire, Brigham Young University

• Jordan Foss Roberts, Brigham Young University

• Diantha Lemon, Brigham Young University

• Audrey Ahlers, Brigham Young University

• Trish Morita-Mullaney, Purdue University

• Garrett Delavan, University of New Mexico