From Deficit to Asset-Based Perspectives on Multilingual Learners: A Critical Inquiry in Teacher Education

Abstract

Preparing teachers to develop a critical lens on educational inequities and to leverage all students’ resources and potential are central projects for teacher education. This case study examines how critical asset-based teacher inquiry in diverse K-12 English and ELD classes, supported by teacher noticing, may support development of equity-oriented teaching for racialized multilingual learners (MLs). We report three themes in preservice teachers’ (PST) practices and reflections that evidence affordances of our assets-focused teacher inquiry design, as well as areas of need in our design and PST learning: (1) centering MLs through unit design and early use of inquiry resources, (2) documenting ML engagement for achievement, and (3) critiquing assessment and context as potential impediments to an assetbased focus. Our study marks both possibilities and need in teacher education for pedagogical innovations and designs that intentionally shape an assets-based perspective on racialized MLs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.