Exploring Teacher Identity Formation: A Decolonial Analysis of Science Teacher Preparation in Colombia from Teacher Instructors

Angie Valbuena Rojas, Teacher Education, College of Education

In the summer of 2024, I gathered data from six stakeholders engaged in teacher education from various perspectives. Among these, four participants were professional teacher educators from 3 cities in Colombia (Bogotá, Montería, and Tunja), and two were practicing teachers with less than ten years of experience. Through my analysis, I identified a persistent Westernized perspective within science education that encourages a deficit-based approach not only toward students but also from training programs toward pre-service teachers. This insight guided me in designing a questionnaire to characterize pre-service teachers in Colombia, along with two semi-structured interviews aimed at exploring their formative experiences. I plan to implement these tools as part of my practicum in the summer of 2025. Using these instruments, I aim to examine essential aspects of teacher preparation at a national level and uncover essential experiences that shape or shift teacher identity. This fellowship provided a deeper understanding of science teacher education in Colombia, helping me advocate for pedagogical models that better align with the current needs of the education system. My research advances a commitment to a critical and decolonial approach, highlighting the importance of pedagogical relevance and responsiveness to local educational contexts.

Keywords: teacher identity, decolonial theories, science teaching

 

 

Independent News Media in Bolivia and Peru: Decolonizing Environmental Journalism in Latin America

Iasmim Amiden dos Santos, School of Journalism, Information and Media, College of Communication Arts and Sciences

The present study examines environmental journalism practices in Bolivia and Peru using a decolonial journalism lens and the concept of narrated roles. Interview transcripts with 18 journalists working in independent media were qualitatively analyzed. Preliminary findings indicate that environmental issues are deeply embedded within the coyuntura — the political circumstances that constrains or enable social actors political maneuvering, independent media field’s counter-hegemonic characteristics, as well as with a critical view of extractive industries. Results also suggest perceptions of Indigenous populations that lead journalists to center those voices. Within this context, journalists take on the role of decolonizing agents.

Keywords: decolonial journalism, environmental journalism, Latin America

 

 

Mapping Difficult Heritage of the Disappeared Students from Huamanga (Peru)

Diana Mogrovejo, Anthropology, College of Social Science

From the early 80s to the late 90s, we Peruvians experienced an internal armed conflict between the government and the Communist Party of Peru -Shining Path. Consequently, there were almost 70,000 casualties and 21,000 of them are still missing, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR 2003). This work will present digital maps that encompass the geolocations of memory sites as markers of the students’ whereabouts from the instance they were taken by the military and finally disappeared in the emblematic mass grave known as La Hoyada in Huamanga, the main city of Ayacucho (Peru). In order to examine two complementary narratives of these disappearances: the first map will be drawn from the solid research developed by the Directorate General of Search for Missing Persons (DGBPD), while the second map will show both geolocations and artistic drawings to convey difficult stories to a wide audience. To conclude, this initiative will consider the DGBPD's endeavor a consequence of the Transitional Justice framework that allows routes for more compelling narratives so that the missing young students, still part of the unofficial collective memory, can be properly memorialized.

Keywords: internal armed conflict, difficult heritage, digital heritage, memorialization

 

 

Climate Change in Latin American Inland Aquatic Food Systems

Michelle Van Deuren, Fisheries and Wildlife, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The impacts of climate change are causing global concerns for human and environmental well-being, with consequences on aquatic systems that impact food security and livelihoods. Further, the impacts are complex, interacting with existing drivers to compound the effects. Peer-reviewed publications presenting current research on climate change in inland fisheries and aquaculture were systematically selected to determine major climate effects, and a framework was developed to examine the interactions. In parallel, interviews with inland fisheries experts based on this framework contribute unpublished perspectives. Overall findings indicate regional variation, with the concentration of this global literature database overwhelmingly reporting on the Earth’s major systems in Africa, North America, and Asia, illuminating research gaps in other areas. The study herein explicitly seeks to understand the reported climate effects in Latin American inland fisheries systems, investigating described hazards, impacts, adaptations, and conditioning factors, and to uncover gaps that may exist in the scientific literature. Reports reveal that research in Latin America is vastly underrepresented. Qualitative analyses indicate that these Latin American inland capture systems are primarily experiencing climate impacts due to loss of hydrological connectivity that decreases crucial habitat and reduces fishing productivity, with the presence of dams exacerbating river fragmentation; while aquaculture systems suffer from increasing temperature effects on water quality. Further research is vital for fully understanding climate change in Latin American aquaculture and inland capture fisheries.

Keywords: climate change, inland fisheries, Latin America

 

 

It Could Have Been Different! Black Masculinities in Perspective: A Closer Analysis of Black Male Subjects in Conselheiro Lafaiete, Brazil

Estela Maria Gonçalves de Souza, History, College of Social Science

The discussion of the Atlantic Diaspora has been engaging important debates among intellectuals and scholars. Struggles for self-determination, citizenship, national identity, and belonging are common in the experience of Afro-diasporic populations. Brazil was the last country on the globe to abolish the slavery system. The social foundation based on racial-gendered hierarchy in this context helped to construct a notion of who would be considered part of the newly post-abolished society after this period. Building on this and anchored in the concept of intersectionality theorized by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1991), my master’s dissertation aimed to understand the process of construction and formation of Black masculinities of eight individuals who live or have lived in the city of Conselheiro Lafaiete, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Following Oral History and History of the Present methodologies, I analyzed these subjects’ narratives through the lens of Black feminism to understand the existing intersectionalities between race, gender, sexuality, class, and locality in their identity formation as Black men. Themes such as school memories, affectivity, aesthetics, and hypersexualization connected their experiences. The research anchored on the theories of race, gender, and Black masculinities proposed by Lélia González, bell hooks, Grada Kilomba, Frantz Fanon, Neusa Santos Souza, Joice Berth, Deivison Nkosi, and Osmundo Pinho. Through these theoretical references, I assessed how Black women’s aesthetic transformation and acceptance of Black identity influenced the masculinities of the interviewees, and how in turn, these men contributed with the necessary tools to challenge and combat patriarchy and white supremacy in the city.

Keywords: Black masculinities, Black aesthetics, Conselheiro Lafaiete

 

 

From Control to Liberation: A Genealogy of Images Depicting Racialized Violence in Brazilian Media

Leilane Rodrigues, Journalism, College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Brutal images of racialized violence have been present in Brazilian media since the 19th century, evolving from illustrations and photographs to viral social media content. This study traces the media genealogy of these images, comparing both Black and mainstream media over time using Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA) and oral history. Preliminary findings reveal that mainstream media has long perpetuated colonial narratives by normalizing and portraying Black bodies only as objects of violence. In contrast, Black media has resisted dehumanization by offering representations that highlight Black intellectuals, beauty pageants, and scenes of everyday life. Historically, Black media served as mediatic quilombos — spaces where Black people established self-defense strategies for survival. Therefore, consuming Black media is an act of self-preservation for Black communities. In conclusion, modern Black media can learn valuable lessons from its historical counterparts to enhance its present significance.

Keywords: racialized violence, Black media, discourse analysis, collective trauma

 

 

Tracing Trading Routes through Mortuary Practices at the Coastal Maya Site of Marco Gonzalez, Belize

Kevin Cabrera, Anthropology, College of Social Science

The Marco Gonzalez archaeological site on Ambergris Caye, Belize, dates from approximately 300 BC to AD 1600 and consists of around 50 buildings that provide extensive evidence of trade and social organization. During the 2024 field season, excavations focus on expanding beyond the ceremonial core into residential areas to deepen understanding of the community’s social and economic dynamics. A key component of the research involves analyzing human remains to investigate how the coastal environment shaped the lives of the site’s inhabitants.

By comparing skeletal remains and material culture from both elite and non-elite areas, the preliminary steps towards this project explored social hierarchy, health, and diet within the community. This project centers on the bioarchaeological analysis of skeletal and mortuary data to reconstruct the lifeways and social structures of this ancient coastal society. This project seeks to provide insights into the differences between elites and commoners and how environmental factors influence their daily lives. In addition to contributing to the overall understanding of Marco Gonzalez, this research furthers my academic development by enhancing my skills in bioarchaeological analysis and laying the foundation for future research and collaborative opportunities.