Secondary Chinese Dual-Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Teachers' Barriers to Developing Critical Consciousness in Chinese DLBE Classrooms

This study draws on the theoretical construct of critical consciousness to explore secondary Chinese DLBE teachers' barriers to developing critical consciousness in the classroom. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, we explore the general struggles Chinese DLBE teachers face in classrooms, focusing on understanding their barriers to implementing pedagogies that foster critical consciousness. Findings reveal Chinese DLBE teachers held the belief that social inequities and critical topics are inappropriate for students to learn at a young age and considered developing critical consciousness as irrelevant to the curriculum. Teachers were also concerned about complaints from white parents and macro sociopolitical forces including warnings from institutions. Implications for DLBE programs and teachers seeking to create socially just classrooms are discussed.