Understanding Marginalized Students’ Identities Work and Their Learning Experiences in English Language Arts Classrooms

Abstract

<p>Students are affected by their social background, ethnic, geographic and cultural origin, languages spoken, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. Also affecting students are the more general social-political transformations (globalization, migration, changing labor markets, etc.) Whereas a lot of the social science literature in education has viewed these aspects of student <i>identity</i> and diversity as separate from each other, I aim to understand how these factors impact on student identit<i>ies</i>-work intersectionally, especially in English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. In the referenced pilot study, I use Positioning Theory to analyze the discursive incidents around literacy learning in Texas. By analyzing students’ interactions, I begin to gain an understanding of student agentic movements and the marginalizing forces that strengthen or diminish a student’s response to learning.</p>