College of Education Ethnographic Research Team to Present at World Education Research Association

Theresa Austin and Maria José Botelho, College of Education faculty in the language, literacy and culture concentration, along with doctoral student Syonara Tomoum, will present their innovative ethnographic research course at the 2022 World Education Research Association (WERA) Focal Meeting in San Diego from April 21-26. 

Image

WERA is an association of major national, regional and specialty education research associations. Collaboratively, Austin, Botelho and Tomoum will present “Teaching Ethnography Remotely: Centering the Social.”  

Botelho will speak on “Ways of Knowing and Doing Ethnographically: Course Re/Design,” while Austin will provide a view entitled “Apprenticing Ethnographers: Examining How Critical Are Textual Practices.” Tomoum will introduce her presentation, “Negotiating Emergent Ethnographic Decision Making: Mentoring and Being Mentored.” Their work will be discussed by Marjorie Orellana from the University of California at Los Angeles.  

The presentation offers ethnographic researchers an instructional design that affords the possibility of using the language and literacy field’s ontology and epistemology to apprentice new doctoral researchers who can widen understanding of complex social practices of, and participation within, families, schools and communities. The UMass team discusses how to wrestle with preparing new researchers ethnographically online to engage in inquiry in and from hybrid and quarantined places.