Toward a translanguaging-as-resource orientation: elementary and secondary teachers’ shifting beliefs and practices in English-medium settings

Recognizing the importance of emergent bilinguals’ linguistic resources in English-medium settings, TESOL teacher preparation programs are increasingly centering translanguaging theory to guide pedagogical practices. This mixed-method study examines changes in 77 prekindergarten to 12th grade teachers’ translanguaging beliefs and practices after participating in a translanguaging-focused graduate course. We use a dependent-sample analysis of variance to investigate changes in survey responses regarding translanguaging beliefs and practices; multiple linear regression to examine teachers’ backgrounds as predictors of beliefs and practices; and thematic analysis of pretest and posttest open-ended responses addressing translanguaging conceptualizations, benefits, and challenges. Quantitative findings revealed statistically significant increases in teachers’ adoption of translanguaging beliefs, confidence in leveraging emergent bilinguals’ home languages for instruction, and self-reported translanguaging-aligned practices. Qualitative data reinforced these shifts, with teachers conceptualizing language as a dynamic repertoire and identifying translanguaging as essential for equity, content access, language development, and assessment. Notably, elementary teachers reported more frequent implementation of translanguaging practices than secondary teachers, suggesting the need for differentiated support across grade levels. This study thus reveals the promise of translanguaging-focused teacher preparation in shifting beliefs and practices toward a translanguaging-as-resource orientation.