Reframing translanguaging practices to shift mathematics teachers’ language ideologies

Abstract

While dominant narratives about multilingual students position them as deficient, translanguaging theory has played a critical role in making space for the languaging practices of multilingual students in education. However, we know little about how to best support mathematics teachers’ learning about translanguaging. Working with a group of accomplished mathematics teachers taking part in professional development on culturally sustaining pedagogies, in this paper we use frame analysis to examine the ways language ideologies shape teacher sensemaking about translanguaging. We then investigate affordances of classroom video for reframing teachers’ conceptualizations of language. We find that although teachers initially framed students’ language as a barrier to their success, with the introduction of video clips from mathematics classrooms, teachers began to frame students’ language as a tool for productive disciplinary engagement. These findings suggest that video may serve as a valuable resource for reframing teachers’ conceptualizations of students’ languaging practices in mathematics classrooms.

Keywords:

• Translanguaging
• mathematics education
• professional development
• multilingual education
• culturally sustaining pedagogies

Acknowledgement

This research was conducted in affiliation with Vanderbilt University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DRL-1620920 and DGE-1445197. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Samantha A. Marshall

Samantha A. Marshall is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Her research explores the design and affordances of STEM teacher learning environments, with an emphasis on justice-oriented pedagogies.

Janna Brown McClain

Janna Brown McClain is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Special Education at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. Her research explores educator language ideologies and their connections with instructional decision making.

Alexis McBride

Alexis McBride is an assistant professor of literacy in the Department of Child Study at St. Joseph’s University in Patchogue, NY, where she is director of the TESOL M.A. program. Her research explores equitable pedagogies involving bi/multilingual literacies.