| Description |
Dual language (DL) research tends to overlook the bicultural goal in DL, as well as social justice issues, with little research showing how and if DL teachers develop biculturalism and sociopolitical consciousness in their students. This study employs a critical sociocultural theoretical framework and combines DL education with culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in order to explore DL teachers' CRP beliefs and practices in a collaborative action research (CAR) process, as well as how these beliefs and practices relate to each other in a DL context. This study examines how the CAR process happened over time by DL teachers and the researcher as they explored and developed their CRP beliefs and practices. This study was conducted at an urban elementary K-6 school with a Spanish-English DL program in Salt Lake City. Eight DL teachers participated in this study during the 2012-2013 school year. The main methods were pláticas (informal conversations), classroom observations, and collection of documents. The data were mainly analyzed through a thematic analysis approach. Chapter Four discusses methodological findings, which point to the fluidity of the CAR process: First, the CAR phases proved to be nonlinear, overlapping, and messy throughout the study; and second, the activities of the CAR process changed over time based on teachers' needs and goals. The changes in the CAR phases and in the activities included complexities, challenges, and tensions, which were partially supported by what I call friendly resistance. |
