Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Urban Education

Advisor

Ofelia García

Committee Members

Ceclia Espinosa

Nicholas Michelli

Patricia Velasco

Subject Categories

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Methods | First and Second Language Acquisition | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Language and Literacy Education | Other Teacher Education and Professional Development

Keywords

language ideology, bilingual education, curriculum, professional development, narrative writing, Latino

Abstract

This dissertation examines a teacher’s language ideologies, their impact on curriculum modifications and bilingual Latinx middle schoolers’ storytelling, to understand how a bilingual pedagogy builds on their cultural and linguistic resources. This qualitative study was conducted in a sixth grade writing workshop class in New York City as the focus teacher taught the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Personal Narrative Unit of Study. The first two findings center on the factors that influence a teacher’s stance on language practices and bilingual pedagogy, and how these contributed to curriculum modifications that included using students’ full linguistic and cultural repertoires, integrating culturally relevant texts, modifying pedagogical approaches, and sharing teacher demonstration writing. The third research finding focuses on the role of writing as release and revealing of language practices when a bilingual pedagogy is implemented. The study also found that a bilingual pedagogy revealed the tensions experienced by students as they face pressures, pride, and shame connected to their language practices when negotiating various aspects of their identities. This study has implications for language policy, teacher preparation and professional development, partnerships across institutions to support educators’ and students’ language ideologies and writing journeys, and pedagogy that embraces bilingual students’ identities and stories.

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