Research Spotlight: Dr. Sandra I. Musanti
Q & A with Dr. Sandra I. Musanti, Associate Professor in the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies
What are your research interests and research achievements?
My research is intrinsically intertwined with my teaching. I frame both through the lenses of sociocultural theory of learning and development and an equitable and holistic understanding of bilingualism/multilingualism in a diverse and multicultural society. Three interrelated areas of interest underline my scholarship: (1) issues of language, culture and equity in bilingual teacher education; (2) the exploration of translanguaging pedagogies in bilingual teacher preparation and in Hispanic Serving Institutions; and, as an overarching strand, (3) best practices in teacher preparation and development. I have published more than 30 articles and book chapters. Several of my publications are in Spanish. I am especially proud of an important upcoming book entitled Enseñando en el aula bilingüe: Content, Language and Biliteracy (Mercuri, Musanti with Rodríguez, in press) published by Caslon, a leading publisher in the field of bilingual education. This book is the result of our ambition to contribute to the lack of resources written in Spanish aimed at effectively preparing bilingual prospective and in-service teachers. I understand this not only as a pedagogical need but as a matter of equitable opportunities for learning to teach in bilingual contexts.
How does your work align with UTRGV’s and CEP’s strategic plans?
My research aligns with UTRGV’s and CEP’s commitment to provide culturally relevant educational opportunities and to our students’ success. My scholarship grows from my collaboration with educators across institutions and communities to foster the implementation of innovative approaches to bilingual teacher preparation and teacher professional development through research and/or program development. Presently, I am invested in advancing translanguaging pedagogies in bilingual preservice teacher education to support biliteracy and pedagogical Spanish competencies.
What are your current projects?
Presently, I am the Co-PI in a three-year grant funded by Branch Alliance for Educators Diversity that I co-wrote with Dr. Alma Rodríguez, to support teacher transformation efforts in the College of Education and P-16 Integration. I also am the PI, and Dr. Veronica Estrada and Dr. Pauli Badenhorst are Co-PIs, for a project entitled “A Community-Engaged Pedagogy in HSI Teacher Preparation: Leveraging Voices from the Field Amidst the Global Pandemic” for which we recently received a grant awarded by Branch Alliance for Education Diversity. We seek to tap into the experiences and expertise of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) teacher educators, experienced and novice teachers, and teacher candidates in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) to inform a community-engaged pedagogy framework that will bridge school and university cultures – an initiative critical to a sustainable and equitable approach to transforming teacher preparation. Also, my ongoing collaboration with Dr. Alyssa Cavazos focuses on investigating translanguaging pedagogies in higher education. In addition, I continue my self-study approach to investigate core practices in bilingual teacher preparation to inform a linguistically inclusive instructional approach to bilingual teacher preparation.