Exploring the Power of Voice through Testimonios and Pláticas: Bilingual Latinx Dual Language Teachers’ Experiences in the Pacific Northwest

<p>This dissertation explores the experiences, perceptions, and voices of eight Latinx dual language teachers in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington state). This study asks how one’s Latinx identity and being a Spanish speaker influences their role as a dual language teacher. This study also captures the perceptions of Latinx bilingual teachers in dual language programs, as it pertains to identifying the needs of their emergent bilingual students in their classrooms. Finally, this study centers the experiences of Latinx dual language teachers regarding the barriers they face in addressing the needs of their emergent bilingual students. The study was conducted through the collection of individual testimonios and two group pláticas via Zoom. The fields that this dissertation study contribute to include the dual language education field, bilingual education, Latinx teacher experiences and to the broader field of using testimonios and pláticas as a methodology. The key findings of this study include emergent themes among patterns that came from the conversations with Latinx dual language teachers in both testimonios and group plática accounts. Through using “in vivo” coding (Saldaña, 2013), a verbatim and line by line coding approach, the researcher was able to uncover and express the emergent themes and findings. Some of the key findings included the emergent themes of intersectionality and untangling inequities among language and special education. The theme racism is ordinary helped unpack moments of racism inside and outside of dual language classrooms, and finally the theme of a unique voice of color-counter-storytelling of previously silenced yet powerful voices of Latinx dual language teachers emerged from the data. In addition to the emergent themes uncovered, the major contribution of this study is that it provided the space for this group of Latinx dual language teachers to share their experiences and perceptions of how they meet the needs of their emergent bilingual students. This study allowed for the Latinx dual language teachers to share their own accounts both individually and in group settings with each other. This dissertation argues that school districts must provide spaces for Latinx dual language teachers to share their experiences as part of professional development and training opportunities. Additionally, this study provides further implications regarding how professional development for Latinx teachers in dual language education could contribute to further research. Also, this work continues the conversation around Latinx dual language educators by centering their voices to give access to their first-hand accounts and highlights how these teachers serve their emergent bilingual students. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Education PhD, Joint with San Diego State University

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Educational Studies

Year dc:date.available

2024

Author dc:creator

• Mudrick, Breann Lucienne

Contributors dc:contributor

• Linda Perkins
• Thomas Luschei
• Melissa A. Navarro Martell

• Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/820

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1842