Constructing the Fifth World: Metacognitive-Cultural-Linguistic-Emotive-Affective Mediational Borders in Reading Comprehension with Emergent Bilinguals with Disabilities

• In Event: Unforgetting the Past, Disrupting the Present: Border-Crossing Approaches to Inclusive Education Policy, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Objectives
This proposed paper explores the conceptual and pedagogical foundations of teacher and student-mediated borders through a metacognitive, cultural, linguistic, emotional, and affective lens. Situated within the dialogical, affective, spatial, and material context of small group tier‐three instruction (Nichols & Coleman, 2021), the study targets the enhancement of reading comprehension for Mexican‐American fifth graders identified as emergent bilinguals with learning disabilities (EBsWLD). Building on Author (2022), who described mediation as a “critical dis/ability literacy stance,” the study examines two distinct lesson types that merge vocabulary instruction with discussions of inclusive, critical dis/ability themes to foster metacognitive reflection and transcend dis/ability labels.

Perspective(s) or Theoretical Framework
Utilizing a sociocultural lens based on Wertsch (2007), this inquiry defines learning and mediation within what the authors term the “fifth world” of mediated learning. Informed by critical literacy (Author, 2022) and enriched by affective perspectives (Bakhtin, 2010; Zembylas, 2016), the framework integrates metacognitive, cultural, linguistic, and emotional dimensions—positioning teacher discourse and inner/outer speech as pivotal to reshaping student identity and self-concept.

Methods, Techniques, or Modes of Inquiry
Adopting a qualitative design, the study re-examines data from a special education teacher’s reading instruction over a 42-day period at a Title I charter school near the U.S.–Mexico border. Data collection involved classroom observations, video recordings, interviews, and instructional transcripts. Analysis was conducted using Erickson’s (2006) whole-to-part framework alongside discourse analysis (Author, 2019) to investigate emotive indexing during “Vocabulary Tuesday” lessons and the effects of teacher questioning on student positioning in classroom discussions.

Data Sources
The research is grounded in diverse qualitative data sources, including video-recorded instructional sessions, observation notes, interviews with both teachers and students, and detailed instructional transcripts. These sources provided evidence of the mediational practices employed in the classroom, capturing how the teacher’s reflective dialogue and use of culturally and dis/ability resonant quotations influence student engagement and comprehension.

Results and/or Substantiated Conclusions
Findings indicate that strategic teacher mediation, such as the use of reflective questioning and the incorporation of culturally relevant quotations (e.g., “Examine the labels you apply to yourself. Every label is a boundary…” [Dyer, in Author, 2022]), not only enhances reading comprehension but also reconfigures classroom narratives related to dis/ability. The analysis demonstrates that integrating metacognitive, cultural, and emotive elements into instruction supports student agency, challenges imposed labels, and bolsters a positive self-concept among emergent bilingual learners.

Scholarly Significance
This study bridges special education and literacy research by offering a novel conceptualization of mediated learning that foregrounds the interplay of emotion, culture, and language in educational settings. It addresses critical gaps in the literature on literacy instruction for emergent bilinguals with disabilities (Artiles, 2015; Orozco & O’Connor, 2014) and integrates insights from critical literacy and dis/ability studies (Connor & Valle, 2024). The resulting framework provides a robust foundation for future research on inclusive pedagogy and the examination of discourse patterns in diverse special education contexts.

Authors

• Sarah M. Salinas, Minnesota State University - Mankato

• David I. Hernandez-Saca, University of Northern Iowa