Assignment:
Article: "School within a School": Examining Implementation Barriers in Spanish/English Transitional Bilingual Education Program
Published in Bilingual Research Journal
- This journal focuses on discussing theory and practice in bilingual education. Further, it discusses language minortity children in the U.S.
Summary
- The researcher primarily observed and interviewed teachers who participated in one elementary school's Spanish/English transitional bilingual education program. The researcher sought to answer what barriers were present while implementation was taking place.
Findings:
- Administrators sought to physical and psychologically separate the bilingual education program from the general education program at the school
- Physical separation occurred as the bilingual program was located in area of the school that made the bilingual students and teachers feel as though they were not a part of the school. This also separated the students during lunch and other school activities
- It was apparent that the bilingual program was being provided with many resources, teachers felt that the bilingual program had more resources than necessary
- Teachers all had different ideas about the requirements for the bilingual education program and ESL teaching methods. This led to misinterpretation in the way the program was taught by each individual teacher
- More dialogue and sharing of knowledge was necessary between teachers, administrators, and staff to make the program successful Methodology
- A 6 month qualitative research case study of one midwestern elementary school's bilingual program
- 21 teachers, staff, and administrators participated
- Ethnography was used
- 16 observations took place of participants with 8 observations of school events in addition to interviews
- Artifacts like notes school-to-home communications, and articles related to the school from local newspapers were collected
Theoretical Orientations
- Critical pedagogy was used to evaluate this transitional bilingual education program. This states that teaching is a political act that influences students and aids in releasing them from oppression. Freire was a major proponent of critical pedagogy.
Readings:
1. Seeing Is Believing: Promoting Visual Literacy in Elementary Social Studies
By Kristy A. Brugar and Kathryn L. Roberts
2. Making Meaningful Connections: The Role of Multicultural Literature in the Lived Experiences of Students
By Gina Louise DeBlase