As an educator in teacher preparation, Dr. Estrella is interested in examining the trajectory for students who decide to enter the Bilingual/English as a Second Language (BLE/ESL) Program. Dr. Estrella is interested in understanding the experiences and understandings that have led these future teachers to select this program.
Guiding Research Questions:
- How can we support the literacy and language development of ELLs in an English-Only State?
- What can we learn from first-year teachers in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms?
- How do scholars of color negotiate linguistic and cultural ties in academic settings?
Current Research Projects:
- Dr. Estrella is currently researching the experiences of preservice teachers transitioning from teacher preparation programs to their first-year teaching. This research highlights the experiences of teachers within linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.
- Dr. Estrella is currently researching the experiences of scholars of color in academia. This qualitative research specifically addresses the experiences of scholars, researchers, and professors in teacher preparation. This research also includes the linguistic and cultural ties that scholars of color maintain and negotiate throughout their experiences in academia.