Implementing Pedagogical Translanguaging in Multilingual Science Classrooms: Shifts, Affordances and Challenges

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Dismantling educational and socio-cultural borders: Bilingualism is here to stay!

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the planned and implemented translanguaging practices of 6 middle school science teachers across three academic semesters (Fall 2023, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025) during a three-year professional development program. The study investigated how teachers designed translanguaging strategies, enacted and interpreted these strategies in linguistically diverse classrooms by analyzing lesson video recordings, debriefs, and teacher interviews. Findings highlight similarities and differences in the use of planned translanguaging across teachers, revealing shifts towards more student-centered discourse-rich and pedagogical translanguaging and multimodality strategies over time. Teachers’ language ideologies and beliefs are primary factors influencing instructional decisions for translanguaging. This study explains how translanguaging is enacted in science classrooms to promote equity and access for emergent bilingual students.

Authors

• Iftekhar Chowdhury, University of Houston

• Jie Zhang, University of Houston

• Sissy S. Wong, University of Houston