ORCID

0009-0009-2493-9358

Keywords

Teacher Agency, Dual-Language Education, Ecological Perspective

Abstract

In the state of Florida (USA), several public schools offer dual-language education programs that include the equal use of Spanish and English to teach both English to speakers of other languages, the vast majority of whom are immigrants, and Spanish to school-age speakers of the majority language. Using the ecological approach (Priestley et al., 2015), as defined by Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998), this study seeks to understand how teachers in dual language programs achieve agency to protect the interests of their English learners. Through the lens of the ecological perspective, the study attempts to answer the following research questions: i) what factors influence the agency of teachers in dual language programs? ii) how do teachers in these programs exercise advocacy? Data was collected through an electronic questionnaire e-mailed to teachers who participated in a graduate-level certificate degree in dual language. Based on the responses, eight teachers were selected for semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the support provided by the school district and the school itself, both operationally and in terms of training, can facilitate the emergence of teacher agency in this context. On the other hand, the vision of the program's administrators can constrain the teachers’ agency. Conducting research from a perspective that recognizes that agency emerges from the interaction of different elements and factors can contribute to broadening discussions on the topic of teacher agency and advocacy in the dual language context.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Nutta, Joyce

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

School of Teacher Education

Degree Program

Education (TESOL track)

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029035

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Dissertation

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

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