Developing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teacher Leaders: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis
Dr. Laura Cometa
Abstract
As U.S. schools are becoming increasingly diverse, inequities persist for multilingual learners (MLs) and other culturally and linguistically diverse students. Just as scholars have called for culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) practices to guide teachers’ pedagogies, they have also pointed to the urgent need for CLR leadership to create more equitable schools. This study explored the experiences and reflections of 15 in-service teachers who participated in a three-year graduate studies program in CLR school leadership. A qualitative case study design was used with reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) methods to analyze the participants’ written coursework artifacts. Three themes about the participants’ CLR leadership were developed across the dataset: 1) They were focused on using equity data to lead changes in instruction and school improvement; 2) They adopted a servant leadership approach toward students, families, and colleagues; and 3) They were committed to their own continual growth and critical consciousness as teacher leaders. This research adds to our understanding of educators’ experiences with professional development designed to promote CLR leadership. It also raises questions about traditional school administrator roles, and how they could be reimagined to align with the aspirations of CLR leaders.