Reconstructing Agency for Inclusion: Two Chinese International Teachers’ Experiences with Disability in Dual Language Classrooms

• In Event: Transnational Perspectives: International Teachers Advancing Bilingualism & Inclusive Education Amid Teacher Shortages

Abstract

Objectives
Dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs are on the rise in the United States, yet a persistent shortage of qualified bilingual teachers has led to the recruitment of educators from other countries and culturally and linguistically diverse communities (Gibney et al., 2021; Flores et al., 2002). Despite their linguistic and cultural assets, international bilingual teachers—particularly those who are racially minoritized and foreign-born—often face systemic barriers and a lack of preparation to address the needs of students with disabilities (Anderson, 2010; Faez, 2010). They are frequently portrayed through deficit lenses, viewed as linguistically and culturally inadequate rather than as holders of transnational knowledge and transformative agency.

This presentation examines how two Chinese international teachers in a K–5 Mandarin-English DLBE school in the U.S. conceptualize inclusive education and navigate their roles in supporting students with disabilities. It also explores how their agency is shaped and reshaped through interactions with school structures, policies, and ideologies rooted in ableism and linguistic hegemony.

Conceptual Framework
Drawing on sociocultural and relational theories of agency, the study frames agency for inclusive education as (1) situated engagement in practices that expand learning opportunities for all students (Pantić & Florian, 2015); (2) collaborative and resource-leveraging efforts that disrupt dominant norms of ability, language, and difference (Naraian, 2013); and (3) a dynamic process mediated by personal histories and contextual conditions (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998).

Methodology
This study draws from a larger ethnographic study of a Mandarin-English DLBE school in the U.S. Midwest. Data include interviews and fieldnotes focused on two Chinese international teachers, Ms. Wu and Ms. Lu, who completed K–12 education in China; pursued a master’s degree in the U.S. and stayed to teach on a temporary work visa.

Findings
Initially unfamiliar with inclusive education and disability, the teachers relied on special education staff and paraprofessionals to support students with disabilities through pull-out instruction. Over time, they began to self-direct their learning through professional collaboration and independent study. Fei, for example, integrated translanguaging and inclusive pedagogies, encouraged student-designed learning strategies, and fostered agency among bilingual learners with disabilities through shared reading and peer support activities.

Despite their growing pedagogical capacity, both teachers encountered systemic barriers. They criticized the dominance of English in instructional practices and the lack of institutional commitment to Mandarin instruction for students with disabilities. Their efforts were constrained by deficit-based policies that framed inclusion as conditional and placed blame on individual students rather than addressing structural inequities. They also noted the impact of experiencing linguicism and nativist racism in a predominantly white school context, which diminished their sense of agency to advocate for broader reforms.

Scholarly Significance
This study foregrounds the agentic practices of international bilingual teachers in inclusive settings, emphasizing how their transnational knowledge and lived experiences challenge exclusionary norms. By situating their work within broader systems of race, class, language, and disability, the study also argues for policies that recognize and support the transformative potential of international bilingual educators in creating inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Author

• Lingyu Li, Lehman College - CUNY