Problem Identification and Task Engagement Using the LIBRE Problem Solving Tool: A Case Study of Three Bilingual Teacher Candidates

Bilingual Latino students engage multiple languages, cultures and environments as they pursue educational and professional goals. For this underrepresented group, pursuing a post-secondary degree is a “lucha” (fight) to negotiate the complex interplay of historical, educational, and cultural variables and achieve academic success. Because Bilingual Latino teacher success is incumbent upon successfully negotiating and overcoming linguistic, cultural and educational challenges, examination of problem solving and goal setting is necessary to provide insight into the types of barriers and facilitators that this group experiences and the ways in which they overcome obstacles. An in-depth case study of three bilingual teacher candidates illustrates the use of the LIBRE problem-solving tool as a culturally responsive activity involving a sequence of problem identification, analysis, solution generation, and evaluation to facilitate problem resolution. The case studies examined herein illuminate self-reported social-cultural contextual challenges, solutions, goals, and engagement through explicit problem solving and shows the primacy of familia and cultura in these women’s lives, problem-solving, and decision making. Implications for teacher educators and bilingual Latino teacher candidates are discussed

Identificando fatores pessoais e contextuais que contribuem para as taxas de abandono nos docentes das escolas públicas do Texas

Teacher attrition is a significant problem facing schools, with a large percentage of teachers leaving the profession within their first few years. Given the need to retain high-quality teachers, research is needed to identify those teachers with higher retention rates. Using survival analyses and a large state dataset, researchers examined teacher data to identify those teacher and school variables associated with attrition. Unique to this study was the investigation of testing era (basic competency vs. higher standards based), school districts’ yearly ratings based on state-mandated testing, and charter school status. Analyses revealed that teacher attrition was greater during the high stakes-testing era, at low-performing schools, and for charter schools; however, beginning teacher age, gender, and school level moderated several attrition rates. Implications for public policy are discussed.El abandono de la docencia es un problema importante que enfrentan las escuelas con un alto porcentaje de maestros que abandonan la profesión todavía en los primeros años. Dada la necesidad de retener a los profesores de alta calidad, es necesario investigar para identificar los docentes con mayores tasas de retención. Utilizando el análisis de supervivencia y un gran conjunto de datos del estado de Texas, los investigadores examinaron los datos de los docentes para identificar las variables escolares y  profesionales asociadas con abandonar la profesión. La particularidad de este estudio fue investigar el tipo de prueba (competencias básicas en comparación con la competencia basada en estándares más altos), los rankings anuales de los distritos escolares con base en los exámenes estatales requeridos y el estado de las escuelas charter. Los análisis muestran que el abandono de los docentes fue mayor durante el periodo de exámenes con consecuencias graves, en escuelas de bajo rendimiento y en escuelas charter. Sin embargo, los primeros años de carrera, el género y nivel educativo de moderaban la  deserción profesionales. En las conclusiones se discuten varias implicaciones para las políticas públicas.O abandono do magistério é um problema significativo nas escolas, com uma grande percentagem de professores que abandonam a profissão ainda nos primeiros anos. Dada a necessidade de reter professores de elevada qualidade, é necessário investigar para identificar os professores com maiores taxas de retenção. Usando análises de sobrevivência e um grande conjunto de dados do Estado de Texas, pesquisadores examinaram dados dos professores para identificar as variáveis escolares e dos professores associadas com o abandono. Exclusivo para este estudo foi a investigação da tipo de testes (competência básica versus competência baseadas em padrões mais elevados), as classificações anuais dos distritos escolares, baseados em testes estaduais obrigatórios  e o status das escolas charter.  Análises revelam que o abandono dos professores foi maior durante o período de exames com consequências severas, nas escolas de baixo desempenho e para as escolas charter. No entanto, professores no início de carreira, gênero e nível de ensino das escolas as taxas moderam as taxas de abandono. Várias implicações para as políticas públicas são discutidas

Teacher motivation to teach and to remain teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students

The purpose of this study is to identify teachers' initial motivation to select teaching as a profession and to explore the factors that contribute to their desire to remain teaching. Specifically identified are factors that influence the intent to continue teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in high-need schools. A mixed methods approach was used to explore teachers' motives and the supportive factors that influenced their entry and commitment to remain in the teaching profession. An integrated sociocultural and phenomenological framework was used (Creswell, 2007; Maustaskas, 1994; Seidman, 2006). A quantitative descriptive investigation designed as an exploratory, cross-sectional survey study was conducted and a correlation coefficient analysis was used to examine the hypotheses of the study in addition to a qualitative study with the intent to provide empirical data documenting motivations to teach and the desire to continue working with CLD student populations in high-need schools. The qualitative approach used open-ended in-depth interviewing informed by phenomenological assumptions (Muastaskas, 1994; Seidman, 2006). A total of 175 compatible novice teachers with five or less than five years of teaching experience responded to the Motivation Orientation Teacher Survey (MOTS) of these10 teachers were interviewed. All teacher participants in this study were selected from a convenience sample. The research study explored the constructs of (1) personal motivation, (2) administrative support, and (3) induction support to capture novice teachers' realities regarding the impact of their sociocultural context (school environment) on their decisions to remain teaching. Investigative results add to a better understanding of novice teachers' initial reasons for selecting teaching as a profession and their intent to remain teaching. This study revealed three factors that influenced novice teachers' motivation to teach culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students: intrinsic, extrinsic and altruistic. Across five thematic clusters emerged from the in-depth three series interviews, the capacity to capture minority teachers' motives for teaching and remaining in high-need schools with culturally and linguistically diverse students, where they believe they can give back to the community, was unique to this study. In general novice teachers attributed their motivation to enter and to remain teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students to: (1) to their commitment to help CLD students realize and achieve their own potential, (2) to give back to the community, and (3) to promote the love for content (e.g. mathematics and science). Also, findings indicated that novice teachers place value and perceive administrative and induction support as important. Novice teacher' perceptions, regarding the importance of informal and formal mentoring/collegiality and campus level principals are regarded as important and very positive within the schools' sociocultural context

Community Cultural Wealth and Collaboration: Communities and Educators Unite for English Learners!

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La Clase Mágica as a community based expansive learning approach to STEM education

As an alternative to experimental design, using a social design experiment methodology, we analyzed the Academy for Teacher Excellence\u27s "La Clase Mágica\u27s" (LCM) Robotics Clubs, a university-school collaborative partnership. Given the scarcity of minority representation in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), we established robotics clubs to provide young learners, ages 5-14, with STEM opportunities to engage in playful informal learning that promotes creativity, mathematical, and scientific skills along with other forms of literacy. In this manuscript, we describe the learning process that occurs within the robotics clubs established at seven schools who serve large numbers of underserved-underrepresented populations. Multiple data sources include meeting notes, interviews, field notes, and focus groups. The use of multiple data sources, peer-review, and triangulation of the data assisted in establishing trustworthiness. We found that this community based expansive learning approach contributes to the mutual learning benefits of the different participants, learners (protégés) and undergraduate students (mentors). (DIPF/Orig.

Resiliency: The Canary in the Coal Mine

This presentation was given during the National Association for Bilingual Education Annual Conference: Advancing Biliteracy through Global Leaderships and Partnerships

Prevalence and specificity of Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases in fungi

International audienceOut of 107 fungal strains belonging to three phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota) and 46 genera, 86 exhibited Baeyer–Villiger Monooxygenase (BVMO) activity against racemic bicyclo[3.2.0]hep-tenone. The strains were classified into three ‘‘profiles’’ based on regio- and enantioselectivity. Statistical analyses of our results, extended by literature data, showed that these profiles could be related to the taxonomic classification of the strains, and suggest that the BVMOs from the Zygomycota phylum may be different in their primary structures from established ones

Resiliency: A Unique and Dynamic Form of Cultural Engagement

With the pressing demand for individuals with STEM degrees, it is important to consider the trajectories of successful Latinas. This study helps us understand the complexity of Latinas’ educational success. Using a sociocultural theoretical framework, we promote not only learning from successful Latinas, but also uncovering their resiliency and the unique contributing factors from an individual and collective basis. Specifically, resiliency is constituted across aggregations of present and future sociopolitical, contextual, and historical positionings. Our emergent approach is guided by the following research question: How do Latinas understand, shape, and enact resiliency to become successful and sustain their success along the continuum of the STEM pipeline

Latina Resiliency: In Pursuit of STEM Careers

This presentation was given during the World Educational Research Association / Consejo Mexicano de Investigacion Educativa