Name:

Dr. Armando Garza Ayala

Title:

Assistant Professor

Department:

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies

Describe your research in about 200 words.

As a former middle-grades bilingual mathematics teacher, and using sociocultural theories of learning and development, my research interests focus on the academic success of minoritized students in mathematics and science, the development of biculturalism and biliteracy skills of bilingual and emergent bilingual students and their families, multilingual/multicultural teacher preparation programs with an emphasis on social justice education, and the identity and educational experiences of Latina/o/x pre- and in-service teachers.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?

I was teaching a master-level class in California (Hispanic and Asian Serving Institution), a Latina student in that class and about to graduate let me know that (paraphrasing) “in my undergraduate and graduate studies, this is the first time I have a Latino Professor, and I am about to graduate; I am glad I was able to have a professor who looks like me before I graduate.”  This is a call to universities to diversify their professiorate.