Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Date of this Version
2019
Citation
Theresa Catalano, Hanihani C. Traore Moundiba & Hadi Pir. “‘I felt valued’: Multilingual microteachings and the development of teacher agency in a teacher education classroom.” Critical Multilingualism Studies 7:3 (2019): pp. 55–76. ISSN 2325-2871.
Abstract
Existing research has explored the value of multilingual pedagogies that focus on utilizing the linguistic / cultural resources of students (e.g., García & Kleyn 2016, Turner 2017); however, there is still a need to examine how the kinds of teacher agency that can lead to multilingual pedagogies actually being implemented can best be developed in teacher education classrooms. The present study incorporates collaborative auto-ethnography to examine microteaching activities / reflections of three researcher-participants in a teacher education course on schooling and multilingualism. The authors found that playing the role of students in the microteachings enabled them to reflect on their own multilingual practices, and that they felt valued as multilingual subjects themselves in the process, which led them to have more empathy for their own multilingual students. In addition, the connection of theory to practice was strengthened through the microteachings, and they gained great insights on the value of multilingual pedagogies through trying them out in a low-stakes environment. Moreover, the development of teacher agency empowered them to try similar approaches in their own classrooms, and advocate for their multilingual students in a variety of contexts.
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
Comments
Open Access Policy: This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.