Exploring the ideologies of 76 teachers from one Guatemalan community

ABSTRACT

This study explored 76 Guatemalan teachers’ ideologies related to students’ diversity, and how these influenced their work. Educators representing 79.1% of teachers from a community of 135,000 were gathered in seven focus groups ranging in size from nine to twelve participants. Recurrent themes documented teachers’ espoused attitudes toward diverse students, and their perceptions of their ability to advocate for learners. Findings suggest that while Guatemalan educators are committed to helping students achieve academically, they struggle to determine what they can do to take on leadership roles and advocate for their students.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher ideologies
• teacher empowerment
• diverse contexts
• democratic schools
• Mayanization

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CREATE Center and Latino Center, Northern Illinois University.

Notes on contributors

Mayra C. Daniel

Mayra C. Daniel, Ed.D., is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Northern Illinois University (USA). Her work focuses on preparation of teachers to work with immigrant populations in the United States. Her research interests relate to the preparation of culturally responsive educators in the United States and Latin America.

Ximena Burgin

Ximena D. Burgin, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research, and Assessment at Northern Illinois University (USA). Her research interests relate to the assessment of culturally responsive classroom instruction to improve students’ academic outcomes.