Multigenerational learning for expanding the educational involvement of bilinguals experiencing academic difficulties

Abstract

ABSTRACTFocusing on two bilingual children experiencing learning difficulties, I explore the scientific representations these students generate in an afterschool programme where they have opportunities to exercise agency. In the programme, children use a digital camera to document science in their lives and engage in conversations about the products they generate. Acting as agents in this context requires that these children undertake the responsibility of transforming the knowledge and practice of the afterschool community. Using cultural historical activity theory, I analyse child-generated multimodal data and conversations. Findings show that these two bilinguals acted as agents as they responded to the proposed curriculum in a process I call multigenerational learning. This process served to bring to the surface children's culturally relevant practices, allowing them to recognize science in their lives. As other students, teacher candidates and researchers in the afterschool programme engaged in analysing children's work and in conversations with them and others about the multimodal products, negotiations on what counts as science and science knowledge took place. These spaces assisted in generating a more complete “able” view of participating children. This study addresses concepts for expanding the educational involvement of emergent bilingual children perceived as potentially in need of special education services, including the importance of providing opportunities for children to negotiate family and community involvement in curricula and instruction.