Reconstructing Perspectives through Bilingual Education History: Pre-Service Teachers in an ESL Endorsement Course

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Language Ideologies and Policy in Practice

Abstract

This study explores how elementary pre-service teachers develop new perspectives on the history of bilingual education while participating in an ESL endorsement course. Through analysis of student reflections and interviews, the research examines how learning about language oppression, civil rights, and language policy in the United States influences pre-service teachers’ beliefs about language, equity, and educational justice. Drawing on narrative inquiry and culturally sustaining pedagogy, the findings highlight that engaging with marginalized histories fosters both personal and professional growth, particularly for those who previously held deficit-based views of multilingual learners. These insights underscore the importance of historical inquiry in teacher preparation programs.

Author

• Hee Young Choi, Millikin University