This embedded single-case study explored how three students and their teacher negotiated students' reading identity enactments as they experienced sixth-grade literacy instruction. We considered the dynamics that occurred as a function of interactions with others in this evolving, ongoing, social context. Using content analysis, we collaboratively coded and compared multiple data sources to examine how the students enacted their reading identities during moments of learning. Findings suggest an interplay between how power was distributed and how reading identity enactments were aligned during instruction. By exploring these enactments, our findings extend an understanding of how teachers can navigate the complex process of attending to and leveraging students' dynamic reading identities during instruction.
This case study investigated how two upper-elementary teachers conceptualize and enact vocabulary instruction for multilingual learners (MLs) during small-group reading lessons. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and video-recorded lesson observations, the study examined how teachers made sense of vocabulary instruction and how their understandings were reflected in practice. Analysis showed broad correspondence between teachers' articulated knowledge and their instructional moves: both used research-informed routines, yet they differed in how they emphasized or adapted these routines in response to lesson content and instructional interactions that unfolded during lessons. A central finding is the identification of a consistent pattern of metacognitive scaffolding that neither teacher explicitly named in interviews. These findings suggest that vocabulary instruction for MLs involves interpretive and adaptive work rather than straightforward implementation of strategies. The study contributes to research on teacher knowledge and practice by illustrating how pedagogical reasoning unfolds in small-group contexts and by highlighting considerations for professional learning that aim to strengthen teachers' support for MLs' vocabulary development.
