Theorizing Aztlán: A critical exploration model of culture and place with Chicana pre-service teachers

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Cartographies: Centering Teacher Knowledge in Place, Identity, and Curriculum Justice

Abstract

This study examines the integration of Gloria Anzaldúa’s children’s literature into a teacher preparation course (re)designed to engage pre-service teachers with critical and place-based elements of the curriculum. Through Itinerant Curriculum Theory, pre-service teachers engage with Chicanx Studies and Chicana Feminist Epistemology frameworks via pláticas and digital forums. Thematic analysis of the communal pláticas reveals emergent themes that focus on counternarratives, community knowledge, and the sustainability of identity and community. The findings underscore the pedagogical potential of Anzaldúa’s literature to challenge dominant narratives and support culturally sustaining practices in K–6 education. This research contributes to critical curriculum theory by demonstrating how teacher education can prioritize more equitable futures through resistant traditions and alternative epistemologies.

Authors

• Raul Garza, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley

• James C. Jupp, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley