Date of Graduation
Spring 5-16-2025
Document Access
Project/Capstone - Global access
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
College/School
School of Education
Department/Program
International and Multicultural Education (IME)
First Advisor
Jessie Blundell
Second Advisor
Luz Navarette Garcia
Abstract
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and students in community college (CC) and community-based organization (CBO) classrooms perform an ongoing tightrope walk, navigating complex social, cultural, and linguistic contexts. ESOL as a field must create conditions that acknowledge the realities of its complicated legacies and their embodiment in the classroom, because research and field experience reveal negative impacts of existing practices on both students and teachers. To act on this cognizance and respond to these intricate dynamics, teachers need training and ongoing professional development. This capstone project, Teachers and Students as Funambulists: Tightrope Walking Complex ESOL Contexts and Utilizing the Potential of a Humanizing Pedagogy as a Balancing Pole, explores how a culturally responsive critical pedagogy can equip practitioners to reflect on their teaching and meet these challenges with confidence and care. An examination of critical applied linguistics (CAL) as it intersects with humanizing pedagogy - and the resulting design of a professional development curriculum website - offers a conceptual and practical balancing pole for all. Chapter I introduces researcher positionality, the problem and theoretical foundations. Chapter II reviews literature on the historical and ideological foundations of ESOL, drawing on CAL, humanizing pedagogy, and practitioner insights to inform curriculum development. Chapter III articulates the project’s rationale and significance, integrates findings from a mini research project, and outlines adaptations for varied professional development contexts. Chapter IV presents conclusions, recommendations, and the curriculum as a self-paced guide and website, bridging theory and practice to create more inclusive and transformative learning spaces.
Recommended Citation
Kaiser, Steffi, "Teachers and Students as Funambulists: Tightrope Walking Complex ESOL Contexts and Utilizing the Potential of a Humanizing Pedagogy as a Balancing Pole" (2025). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1866.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1866
