Language teacher identity and social justice instructional practices: A history-in-person perspective

Abstract

This qualitative case study used history-in-person (Holland & Lave, 2001, 2009) as a theoretical lens to investigate the identities and instructional practices of two U.S. postsecondary German teachers. The participants had similar professional backgrounds, worked in the same language program, and adopted innovative pedagogies to create and implement a social justice curricular unit over a 2-year period. Findings showed that although the participants grappled with the same institutional struggles, their personal histories, beliefs, and experiences manifested differently in their instructional practices. Moreover, aspects of participants' language teacher identity became more salient over time and motivated them to adjust their newly adopted pedagogical practices. Findings point to the challenges of adopting innovative practices, particularly for experienced teachers, and to the importance of reflective teaching and focused professional development for empowering teachers as they integrate social justice content and pedagogies into language curricula.