A Case of Generativity in a Culturally and Linguistically Complex English Language Arts Classroom

Discourses in practice : a qualitative case study of an elementary ESL teacher and her four Congolese students.

“…She believed the teachers' engagement with translanguaging pedagogy increased how they drew upon different instructional practices than scripted curriculum in supporting emergent bilinguals in their classrooms. Skerrett (2011) studied an ESL language arts teacher, her ideas about linguistic diversity and literacy learning, her role in a culturally and linguistically diverse classroom, and her process of learning and developing engagements. Drawing upon Ball's (2009) four processes of cognitive change in culturally and linguistically complex classrooms (CLCCs)-metacognitive awareness, ideological becoming, internalization, and generativity-Skerrett examined how the fourth process, generativity, played out in an ESL language arts teacher's classroom as she synthesized her knowledge of how to meet students' needs and personal and professional knowledge in order to create new knowledge.…”

“…The case study involved interviews and document data, coded thematically to produce codes about the ESL teacher's conceptualization of linguistic diversity, literacy learning, and her role in a CLCC, as well as practices and paradoxes in her classroom. Skerrett (2011) also discussed the constraints on the ESL teacher's attempts at generativity such as official curriculum, lack of professional learning and collaboration with ESL and homeroom teachers, and "insufficient professional development opportunities related to culturally responsive teaching" (p. 93). The ESL teacher viewed herself as someone who designed curriculum to bring her students' lives into her classroom, advocating for students and linguistic diversity-what Skerrett names as her ideological becoming.…”

“…Other constraints included the fact that the ESL department head selected curriculum materials, determined units, and supported particular practices and assessments with which the ESL teacher did not always agree. Skerrett (2011) claimed these paradoxes in the ESL teacher's classroom suggest a need for ongoing professional development so teachers have opportunities to use the knowledge they create with their students and learn from other educators and research, as well as encouraging collaboration between teachers who can maintain critical stances in their teaching. She also claimed the importance of teacher and student agency in curriculum and instruction.…”