First Stop, Panajachel: The Role of Transformative Experience for ESOL Educators

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Education at the Crossroads: Critical Praxis, Policy, and Possibility

Abstract

Language educators are called to cultivate culturally responsive pedagogies that value their students’ identities. However, the field of education is predominantly white (Egalite, 2024), and many teachers may unconsciously hold deficit perspectives towards multilingual students (Wong et al., 2024). This study engaged five White ESOL educators from the Southeastern U.S. during a week-long trip to Guatemala, drawing on reflective practice (Farrell, 2018) and transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1991). Data included questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations, and post-trip reflections. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) illuminated transformative shifts in teachers’ understandings of their students’ realities. Implications address transformative experiences that assist language educators in reflecting on the intersections between their students’ identities and their own, fostering a more culturally responsive classroom.

Authors

• James Coda, University of Tennessee

• Liv H. Detwiler, East Tennessee State University

• Felipe Trevisan Ferreira, University of Tennessee