Immigration Discourse as Contestation: Social Studies Teachers’ Approaches to Controversial Issues in the Post-Trump Era Transnational Classroom

• In Event: Opportunity, Appropriation, and Risk: Illuminating the Shifting Relations Between History and Citizenship Education

Proposal

Rationale
In the face of an increasingly authoritarian political environment, democratic values are at stake. The Trump administration's injurious immigration policies, as well as Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric, reverberated through society, threatening human rights, cultural diversity, and tolerance (Santamaría Graff, 2017; Pierce, 2019; Lugg, 2017). Within this context, the classroom emerges as a crucial battleground to uphold democratic norms. As educators, social studies teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of democracy by imparting civic understanding and fostering active citizenship among students. Embracing the call for a “political classroom” (Hess & McAvoy, 2015), these teachers are not mere technicians, but function as “transformatory intellectuals,” actively working towards social and cultural transformation (Giroux, 1985).
Central to this transformatory work is the use of controversial issues in the classroom, which function as a forum for critical discourse, foster empathetic understanding and democratic values, and serve as a catalyst for protest and social change (Hess, 2009; Hess & Avery, 2010). In teaching controversial issues, teachers' pedagogical ideologies and practices may be influenced by a range of factors, including their political beliefs, their cultural backgrounds, and the contexts in which they teach (Ho et al., 2017). To investigate the impact that the Trump era has had on social studies teachers’ ideologies and practices, this study focuses on the specific context of addressing the controversial issue of immigration in transnational classrooms in New York City.
Many NYC social studies teachers work in a transnational school environment, with students who have immigrated to the United States, who speak a language other than English at home, hold dual-citizenship or residency, or have close family in another country (NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, 2021). Transnational students have been found to exhibit foundational dimensions of democratic citizenship, including critical consciousness, civic and political awareness, and a commitment to democratic rights (Dyrness and Abu El‐Haj, 2020). Teachers in these classrooms face unique challenges and opportunities in fostering civic understanding and democratic engagement among their students (Geller, 2020; Lash, 2021). By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, transnational classrooms provide unique opportunities for students to learn about and engage with diverse perspectives on civic issues, and in particular, the issue of immigration.
This study poses these questions:
1. How do NYC social studies teachers bring the topic of immigration into transnational classrooms in the post-Trump political climate?
- What influences the teachers’ decision-making processes?
- What pedagogical practices do teachers employ in the teaching of immigration?
2. Has the Trump era affected change in teachers’ approaches to the teaching of immigration?

Theoretical Framework
In this study, we utilize Giroux’s conceptualization of teachers as transformatory intellectuals to analyze the data. Moreover, because the particular context of this study is one of transnational classrooms discussing the topic of immigration, we incorporate the concept of transnational funds of knowledge into the conceptual framework.
According to Giroux (1985), "transformatory intellectuals" play a vital role in promoting social change and challenging dominant power structures. They possess the ability to question the status quo, critique prevailing ideologies, and inspire critical thinking and political action among students. As agents of resistance against hegemonic systems in education, these teachers can challenge the dominant curriculum and create inclusive and diverse classrooms that celebrate various perspectives and experiences. Additionally, they can use their classrooms as spaces for activism, fostering a sense of agency among their students (Giroux, 1985; Giroux, 2002; Giroux, 2018).
“Transnational funds of knowledge” recognizes the specific contributions of transnational students to the classroom, thus moving towards an asset-based approach (Cuero, 2010; Dabach & Fones, 2016; Kim, 2022). Based on the anthropological concept of funds of knowledge, which emphasizes that "with accurate knowledge of students, teachers can draw on student experiences and priorities in schooling, thus validating student knowledge and life values, and enabling them to scaffold student learning from the familiar" (Hogg, 2011, p. 667), the theory of transnational funds of knowledge allows us to “...reframe how we collectively characterize youth who cross both material and symbolic borders and derive knowledge from their lived experiences, transnational social practices, and interactions within their communities.” (Dabach & Fones, 2016, p. 19). The “potential utility” of transnational students’ backgrounds is considered in the classroom context (Moll et al., 1992, p. 132). As transformatory intellectuals seek to critique hegemonic structures and foster democratic values through discourse of controversial issues in the classroom, we expect to consider how they leverage the transnational funds of knowledge of their students.

Research Design
This research employs a multiple case study research approach (Stake, 2013) in order to gain an in-depth and detailed analysis of teachers' pedagogical ideologies and practices. The participants in this study are three teachers who have taught social studies in transnational contexts during and after the Trump administration, and report having introduced discussions of immigration into the classroom. The project has been approved by the institutional IRB.
In order to align our critical approach to pedagogy with a critical epistemological approach, participatory and collaborative data collection methods are utilized in the study. We will conduct interactive sessions with each participant, in which participants will guide us through the process of mapping their lesson plan artifacts, engage with primary sources such as news stories from the Trump era, and relay a critical incident from their work. With this research design, we will be able to co-construct knowledge about these teachers’ planning strategies, instructional approaches, obstacles, and resources when introducing controversial issues in the classroom.

Findings and Contributions
The study aims to shed light on the complexities of teaching controversial issues in the transnational classroom, particularly in the post-Trump era, and how the political climate can shape educators’ ideologies and practices. The findings will offer valuable insights for developing guidelines on best practices, informing policies that support teachers as transformatory intellectuals, and contributing to the broader academic discourse on democratic education. Ultimately, this research seeks to empower social studies teachers in their crucial role as facilitators of democratic values, fostering an inclusive and informed citizenry capable of engaging in constructive dialogue and positive social transformation.

Authors

• Menn Chaiyarat, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Noa Ovadia, Teachers College Columbia University