A journey to understand dual language and the bilingual world: An autoethnography of a bilingual program director in an urban district

Author

Olivia Hernandez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

12-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Francisco Guajardo

Second Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Joy Esquierdo

Third Advisor

Dr. Miguel de los Santos

Abstract

This research represents a personalized account of the complexities, interpretations, and reflections on the life-long epistemological development of a bilingual program director currently implementing a dual language program in an urban school district. Using myself as a subject and a researcher in cultural, personal, and professional contexts provided the impetus for this self-study. Through the lens of a mother, daughter, sister, teacher, principal, and bilingual program director, I have chronicled and traced the epistemological conception of the assets that guide my advocacy in the academic realm of bilingual education. As an autoethnography, this study invites the reader to experience the research through the lens of their own personal perspective, finding pieces of themselves in the collective consciousness shared by all inhabitants of the bilingual world. While every individual has their own unique life experience and cultural development, autoethnography encourages an authentic conversation between the researcher and the reader (Davies, 2007; Delamont, 2009; Ellis, 1996, 2004; Ellis & Bochner, 2000, 2006; Preston, 2011). The experiences I have encountered, the challenges I have faced, and the interpretations derived from those experiences strengthen my understanding of where my cultural strengths come from, as well as provide insight into how those strengths allow me to choose the appropriate pedagogies and navigate the administrative challenges that accompany the position of a bilingual program director in an urban district.

Comments

Copyright 2016 Olivia Hernández. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/journey-understand-dual-language-bilingual-world/docview/1878202177/se-2?accountid=7119

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, Olivia, "A journey to understand dual language and the bilingual world: An autoethnography of a bilingual program director in an urban district" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 119.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/119