Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL) in Brazil from the perspective of Brazilian public school teachers who came to the United States for professional development, following up on their experiences after their return to work under new governance structures.Three research questions guided this study: 1. What role does the Brazilian legislation play in supporting or hindering the focal teachers’ English teaching and learning in the Brazilian public school system? 2. What support and/or resources do the focal teachers say they need to be able to teach their students according to the prescriptions of the Brazilian legislation? 3. What have been the focal teachers’ experiences with teacher education and professional development (PD) in developing them to teach English?
Findings for each of the research questions demonstrated that as the focal teachers engaged in TEAL in the Brazilian public schools where they teach, they faced a number of hindrances within the figured worlds of the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) and of government funding for education, due to misalignments between their ideal and actual expectations and practices. However, when faced with financial, technical, and pedagogical challenges, these teachers demonstrated their resilience in overcoming these hindrances by using their creativity and/or incurring in out-of-pocket expenses.
A discussion of implications to policy, pedagogy and practice, as well as professional development explored considerations on why policies fail, and offered suggestions regarding pedagogical practices for the continued support of teachers and students. Additionally, a deliberation on concepts connected to professional development is provided, and three main recommendations for future research are proposed, affording new opportunities for a more in-depth examination--and consequent identification--of the figured worlds highlighted in the current study.