Translangaging to Empower and Engage Young Latinas and Parents in a Saturday Science Program

Dr. Margarita Jimenez-Silva

Professor

Teacher Education and Development Lab

School of Education

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UC Davis Cluster on Language Research

February 13, 2023

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National Science Foundation Award # 2005319

Purpose

• Broadening participation through the development of resources to empower Latinx families 
• Developing and evaluating the efficacy of two enrichment methods for 5th and 6th grade Latina girls and their parents
• Curriculum & Methods
• Gardening & Rocketry Units
• Conversation Groups 

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Community Cultural Wealth

Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 8(1), 69–91.

Translanguaging

• Complex language practices of bilingual and multilingual individuals and communities as well as pedagogical practices
• Distinguishing between code-switching and translangaging
• Bilingualism is the norm in translanguaging spaces (Garcia, 2017)
• Full repertoire of language (Garcia, 2017)
• Translanguaging Corriente (Garcia, 2017)
• In translanguaging, languages are not defined as being geographically bounded or separate structures, but rather as dynamic systems that are used to communicate and construct knowledge (Canagarajah, 2011). 
• Hence, bilinguals, like monolinguals, have ‘‘one linguistic repertoire from which they select features strategically to communicate effectively’’ (Garcia, 2012, p. 1)

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Program Model

Pilot: �Spring & �Fall 

Pilots 1-4

• Partnered with one school district each in Arizona and California with high Latinx enrollment
• Fall 2020

IRB approvals

Developed curriculum and pedagogical approaches,, Advisory Board, COVID-related procedures

• Spring 2021

Farming program piloted with 4 families in Arizona

Rockets program piloted with 10 families in California

• Fall 2021

Farming program piloted with 10 families in Arizona + Control Families

Rockets program piloted with 7 families in California + Control Families

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Pilots 5 & 6 & Main Study 1 & 2

• Spring 2022 – P 5 & 6

Rockets program piloted with 10 families in Arizona + Control Families

Garden program piloted with 11 families in California + Control Families

• DECISION TO MODIFY STUDY DESIGN
• Fall 2023 – MS 1 & 2

Farming program piloted with 12 families in Arizona + Control Families

Rockets program piloted with 12 families in California + Control Families

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Participants, Data Sources, & Methods

• Parent/daughter dyads
• All instruments and materials in English and Spanish
• Pre-, mid-, post-surveys and delayed post-surveys 
• Focus groups 
• Videotaping of dyads
• Translation of survey open-ended questions, video-transcripts, focus group data
• Quantitative and Qualitative data analysis in progress for Pilot data 
• Preliminary analyses used for refinement of curriculum, pedagogical approaches, and instruments

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Translanguaging in Practice

Rocketry Curriculum

Program Overview

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Gardening Curriculum

Conversation Groups: Daughters

• Culture Bags

Please bring a few items that represent you, your culture, and your family��

Conversation Groups: Daughters

• T-Shirt
• �Teacher:�George, por favor, llamame “Mrs. Roberts.”�George, please call me “Mrs. Roberts.”�George:�Si, Teacher�Yes, Teacher�Teacher:�George, Por favor, no me llames, “teacher.”�George, Please don’t call me “teacher.”�George:�Si, T__, Digo, Mrs. Roberts�Yes, T__, I mean, Mrs. Roberts�

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• Teacher:�Entiendes, George, llamarme por, mi apellido, indica respeto.�You see, George, it’s a sign of respect to call me by my last name.�George:�Si….Mrs. Roberts.�Yes,….Mrs. Roberts.�Teacher:�Ademas, cuando lo dices tu, suena a “t-shirt.” No quiero convertirme en una playera!�Besides, when you say it, It sounds like “t-shirt.” I don’t want to turn into a t-shirt!�George:�Mrs. Roberts?�Mrs. Roberts?�Teacher:�Si, George.�Yes, George?�George:�Por favor, llameme Jorge.�Please, call me Jorge.

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Conversation Group: Parents

• Gender-typing
• Verizon: Encouraging Girls in Science

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Word Wall & Sabelotodo

Concept Clavis

• Distance

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• Wings

Distancia

Alas

Lessons Learned So Far

• Power of translanguaging
• Great respect for parents'  Cultural Community Wealth
• Career Aspirations
• Redesigning Conversation Groups to address intersectionality
• Navigating the internal politics of being bilingual 

An Honest Conversation….

• Centering the language piece of this work
• Assembling our teams
• Invisible & Visible Labor of Bilingual Team Members

Recruiting, Assembling Teams, Delivering Content, Transcription, Translation, Community-relations, Dissemination

• Mentoring and Community amongst Ourselves
• Calling team members on non-responsive exchanges

drmjs@ucdavis.edu