From planning to practice: exploring teacher candidates’ translanguaging through microteaching

This study explores general education teacher candidates’ (TCs) pedagogical knowledge (PK) of translanguaging and their perceptions of their enactment through microteaching. While research on how TCs develop PK of translanguaging is growing, less is known about how they implement it in practice. Using a qualitative case-study design, I analyzed microteaching videos, lesson plans, written reflections, and discussion transcripts to examine how five TCs integrated translanguaging into lessons for emergent bi/multilingual learners (EMLs) in inclusive classrooms. Findings show that although microteaching offered a practical space to experiment with translanguaging, the TCs struggled to enact it purposefully due to cognitive load, pedagogical uncertainty, and limited confidence. Their stated support for translanguaging thus appeared driven more by external expectations than by a fully developed stance. While some initially described the microteaching experience as ‘awkward,’ they later recognized it as a valuable opportunity for reflection and growth. Based on these findings, I argue for a stance-first approach in teacher education, in which translanguaging development begins with strengthening ideological clarity before expecting implementation. Purposefully sequenced, low-stakes enactments paired with guided video reflection can help novice teachers connect theory to practice, refine their instructional moves, and gradually develop a more intentional, asset-oriented pedagogy.