Debemos escuchar a los maestros: Perspectives of bilingual teacher candidates in teacher education partnerships. Issue 2 (3rd April 2018) - del Rosal, Karla
ABSTRACT: We investigated the experiences of 12 bilingual teacher candidates as they participated in a non-traditional teacher education program implemented in the context of a partnership between a university, a non-profit organization, and an urban school district. Using the lens of Cultural Historical Activity Theory and Latinx Critical Race Theory, we analyzed participating teachers' interviews, reflection logs, and partnership artifacts. Findings showed that teacher candidates identified positive and negative affordances from participating in the teacher education partnership. Bilingual teacher candidates reported that urban schools were challenging settings to develop their practice and that they had less access to instructional resources and mentors than general education (English-only) teachers. Additional negative affordances included inconsistent expectations between the partnership members with respect to high-quality bilingual education and a mismatch between candidates' educational backgrounds and the subjects they were assigned to teach. Positive affordances of the partnership were being part of a cohort of teachers, having access to specialized bilingual mentors, and getting training relevant to their practices. Bilingual teacher candidates reported that these positive affordances allowed them to discuss issues of equity in their schools and identify ways to advocate for their students. Factors regarding equity in the allocation of educational resources and ways to bridge the gap between research and practice in designing programs that prepare bilingual teachers in urban settings via non-traditional programs are discussed.