Culturally relevant pedagogy in two-way immersion classrooms

This paper draws from a broader research project and reports on a qualitative case study that investigated instructional practices in grades 3-5 Two-Way Immersion (TWI) classrooms where the partner language is Spanish. Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which CRP is utilized by TWI teachers. Semi-structured interviews, class observations, and documents such as lesson plans were used as primary sources and collected from nine teacher participants. Findings show that building a culture of academic success was prevalent across all classrooms. While there were some evidence of instructional strategies promoting cultural competence, culturally relevant literature and topics were limited. Across all classrooms, a focus on socio-political awareness was absent. After providing insight on how classroom instruction engaged components of CRP, this paper addresses implications for TWI programs and action steps to ensure all tenets of CRP are utilized.