Luis C Moll

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• Esteban-Guitart, M., & Moll, L. C. (2014). Funds of Identity: A new concept based on the Funds of Knowledge approach. Culture and Psychology, 20(1), 31-48.
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  Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to articulate a theory of human identity from a Vygotskian perspective. In doing so, we use the term "funds of identity" inspired by the "funds of knowledge" approach. We use the term funds of identity to refer to the historically accumulated, culturally developed, and socially distributed resources that are essential for a person's self-definition, self-expression, and self-understanding. Funds of knowledge-bodies of knowledge and skills that are essential for the well-being of an entire household-become funds of identity when people actively use them to define themselves. From our point of view, identity is made up of cultural factors such as sociodemographic conditions, social institutions, artifacts, significant others, practices, and activities. Consequently, understanding identity requires an understanding of the funds of practices, beliefs, knowledge, and ideas that people make use of. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.
• Esteban-Guitart, M., & Moll, L. C. (2014). Lived experience, funds of identity and education. Culture and Psychology, 20(1), 70-81.
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  Abstract: The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on funds of identity. First, we emphasize the extent to which history and time are constitutive dimensions of culture and experience and the affect this has on funds of identity and meaning construction. We then go on to explore some connections between lived experience and funds of identity. We prefer to use the term lived experience - rather than emotional experience, the term used by Nogueira (2014) - in order to emphasize (i) that cognition/thinking/meaning are inextricable from feeling/emotion/sense and (ii) that learning and experience are intrinsically situated in a matrix of life trajectories and ecological-transactional aspects throughout one's life. Finally, in light of the commentaries by Nogueira (2014) and Hviid and Villadsen (2014), we discuss the applicability of the concept of funds of identity in educational settings. Funds of identity are inscribed into artefacts - drawings, documents, images, tasks, etc. - and transported throughout the different sites connected to a person's life trajectory. In our view, these artefacts can be used as resources for establishing connections within schools and beyond them. This implies seeing the students' funds of identity as resources for learning and seeing schools as a context that must also be linked to other practices and activities in which people are involved. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.
• Hall, K., Cremin, T., Comber, B., & Moll, L. C. (2013). Editors' Introduction. International Handbook of Research on Children's Literacy, Learning, and Culture, xxxvi-xlix.
• Hall, K., Cremin, T., Comber, B., & Moll, L. C. (2013). International Handbook of Research on Children's Literacy, Learning, and Culture. International Handbook of Research on Children's Literacy, Learning, and Culture.
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  Abstract: The International Handbook of Research in Children's Literacy, Learning and Culture presents an authoritative distillation of current global knowledge related to the field of primary years literacy studies. Features chapters that conceptualize, interpret, and synthesize relevant research. Critically reviews past and current research in order to influence future directions in the field of literacy. Offers literacy scholars an international perspective that recognizes and anticipates increasing diversity in literacy practices and cultures. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Moll, L. C., Soto-Santiago, S. L., & Schwartz, L. (2013). Funds of Knowledge in Changing Communities. International Handbook of Research on Children's Literacy, Learning, and Culture, 172-183.
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  Abstract: This chapter presents two case examples of how students negotiate transnational lives in response to rapidly changing social and political circumstances within their communities. These examples are used to illustrate how these circumstances, clearly aversive ones, can influence the nature of the funds of knowledge generated by families and students, and the possibilities they pose for learning in classrooms and other settings. As both examples illustrate, there is a strong sense of vulnerability in these students, as they attempt to decipher their realities or take action in response to the constraints of living and studying in Arizona, with its foreclosed opportunities for higher education. The goal, ultimately, would be that of understanding, indeed, of theorizing, the production of knowledge and expertise related to coping with the complexities of diverse lifeworlds, be it of families, children, or teachers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd..
• Christina, A., Combs, M. C., & Moll, L. (2012). In the Arid Zone: Drying Out Educational Resources for English Language Learners Through Policy and Practice. Urban Education, 47(2), 495-514.
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  Abstract: This article presents a variety of issues related to the effects of restrictive language and educational policies that ultimately limits important resources for English language learners (i.e., services, funding, time, and information). The authors spotlight the state of Arizona as an unfortunate case of language control through policies, which has the promise of being replicated in other areas of the United States. As these forms of control make their way into everyday classroom life, English language learners are further stripped from essential educational opportunities when denied the right to draw on their own social, cultural, and linguistic resources for learning. © The Author(s) 2012.
• Rios-Aguilar, C., S., M., & Moll, L. C. (2012). A study of arizona's teachers of english language learners. Teachers College Record, 114(9).
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  Abstract: Background/Context: In September 2007, the Arizona State Board of Education adopted the Structured English Immersion (SEI) model proposed by the Arizona English Language Learner (ELL) Task Force.During the 2008-2009 academic year, it required all school districts to implement the SEI model.The SEI program, best known as the 4-hour English Language Development (ELD) block, was designed to accelerate the learning of the English language, and the goal set forth in Arizona law is for ELLs to become fluent or proficient in English in one year. The SEI model has been implemented in the state of Arizona for two academic years. Unfortunately, little empirical evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of this model, particularly from the perspective of teachers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The objective of the present study is to determine teachers' perceptions of what is working most effectively to provide Arizona's English learners with a quality education. Of particular interest is to better understand: (1) Teachers' knowledge, opinions, concerns, and understandings about the curriculum and pedagogy for ELL students, (2) How well prepared teachers feel they are to deliver the 4-hour ELD block curriculum, and (3) Teachers' opinions of how well ELLs are advancing toward meeting the goal of English proficiency and the state educational standards that are set for all of Arizona's students. Population/Participants/Subjects: The participants of this study include a sample of 880 teachers currently teaching in 33 schools across the state of Arizona. The sample of schools is representative of the state of Arizona in the distribution of ELL students across grades, but not in terms of students' demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the sample of teachers in this study is representative of the state of Arizona in terms of gender and level of education, but not in terms of teachers' ethnicity. Research Design: A survey was designed around several areas of interest: (1) descriptive characteristics of teachers, (2) teachers' perceptions of their current level of preparation for teaching ELL students in the 4-hour ELD block, (3) teachers' perceptions of effectiveness of the 4-hour ELD block, (4) teachers' perceptions regarding the academic potential of ELL students, and (5) teachers' opinions about the implementation of the 4-hour ELD block. Several analytic tools were used to analyze the data collected, including descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Analysis of Variance [ANOVA]. Findings/Results: Findings of this study are presented around 6 specific areas of interest: (1) teachers' perceptions about their current level of preparation for teaching ELL students, (2) teachers' beliefs about the academic potential of their ELL students (3) teachers' language beliefs, (4) teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the 4-hour ELD block, (5) teachers' perceptions about the educational opportunities offered to ELL students, and (6) segregation of ELL students for purposes of instruction and teachers' opinions about segregation of ELL students and its consequences. Conclusions/Recommendations: Based on the findings of this study, we offer the following recommendations. First, Arizona should consider offering alternative modes of instruction that can help ELL students access the course content needed to succeed academically. And second, Arizona should find ways to offer ELL students support from their English proficient peers in acquiring and using language in the classroom, particularly with the complex academic language that leads to successful high school graduation and higher education opportunities. © by Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Rios-Aguilar, C., S., M., & Moll, L. C. (2012). Implementing structured english immersion in arizona: Benefits, challenges, and opportunities. Teachers College Record, 114(9).
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  Abstract: Background/Context: Arizona's most recent English Language Learner (ELL) legislation, starting in the school year 2008-2009, requires all such students be educated through a specific Structured English Immersion (SEI) model: the 4-hour English Language Development (ELD) block. The basic premise behind this particular model is that ELL students should be taught the English language quickly so they can then succeed academically. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study is the first attempt to look at a random sample of school districts across the state of Arizona under the 4-hour ELD block policy. The goal of the study is to better understand what are the positive aspects and the major challenges of implementing the 4-hour ELD block in Arizona. In particular this study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) How is the 4-hour ELD block being implemented? (2) What are the perceived benefits of the 4-hour ELD block for students and for schools? and (3) What are the district leaders' concerns about implementing the 4-hour ELD block? Population/Participants/Subjects: Of the 65 school districts randomly selected as potential participants, 26 agreed to participate in this study. The district response rate of the study was 40%, and the informants were the English Language Coordinators (ELC), who are the individuals most knowledgeable about how the 4-hour ELD block is implemented in their district. The sample of school districts that participated in our study is representative of the state of Arizona in terms of enrollment patterns. Research Design: The researchers designed a phone survey for ELCs. Qualitative data analyses were used to examine the responses of the 26 ELCs. More specifically, a coding scheme was created to assist in the process of organizing and analyzing the data. Findings/Results: Analyses reveal that the vast majority of ELCs think that, as a result of the program, there is an increased focus on English Language Learner (ELL) students' English language development. Regarding the challenges of the program, ELCs think that the implementation of the 4-hour ELD block has: a) neglected core areas of academic content that are critical for ELL students' academic success, b) contributed to ELL students' isolation, c) limited ELL students opportunities for on-time high school graduation, and d) assumed that English language learning can be accomplished within an unrealistic timeframe and under a set of unrealistic conditions. Conclusions/Recommendations: Given the data collected, we recommend that school districts explore alternative models of ELD instruction. These alternative models of ELD instruction need to take into consideration the local context of school districts, their resources, and existing research. Furthermore, we recommend that ELL students are offered additional programs or types of support that can help them become English proficient, while acquiring the academic content needed for succeeding in school. It seems reasonable to state that a combination of programs and support can be more effective than one prescriptive instructional approach. Finally, we recommend that school districts monitor progress and effectiveness by looking at multiple indicators. In particular, we strongly suggest that school districts keep track of reclassification, re-entry, and opting-out rates. © by Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Rios-Aguilar, C., Kiyama, J. M., Gravitt, M., & Moll, L. C. (2011). Funds of knowledge for the poor and forms of capital for the rich? a capital approach to examining funds of knowledge. Theory and Research in Education, 9(2), 163-184.
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  Abstract: Educational researchers have assumed that the concept of funds of knowledge is related to specific forms of capital. However, scholars have not examined if and how these theoretical frameworks can complement each other when attempting to understand educational opportunity for under-represented students. In this article, we argue that a funds of knowledge approach should also be studied from a capital perspective. We claim that bridging funds of knowledge and capital has the potential to advance theory and to yield new insights and understandings of students' educational opportunities and experiences. Finally, we provide a discussion of key processes - (mis)recognition, transmission, conversion, and activation/mobilization - to which educational researchers need to pay closer attention when attempting to understand the attainment of goals in under-represented students' lives. © The Author(s) 2011.
• Christina, A., & Moll, L. C. (2010). Special issue on second and foreign language learning and teaching: An introduction. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 17(4), 308-311.
• Moll, L. C. (2010). Sixth Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research: Feature Mobilizing Culture, Language, and Educational Practices: Fulfilling the Promises of Mendez and Brown. Educational Researcher, 39(6), 451-460.
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  Abstract: In commemorating the landmark Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision, this lecture also honors the Mendez v. Westminster case of 1946, a successful challenge to the segregated schooling of Mexican and Mexican American students in California. The author summarizes the Mendez case, its relation to Brown, and its sociocultural aspects, including educational conditions at the time, the collective and intercultural agency of the participants, and the process by which the Méndez family successfully brought the case to fruition. With this case as backdrop, the author then addresses contemporary educational issues and presents educational innovations that, much like Brown and Mendez, seek to mobilize the social, cultural, and linguistic processes of diverse communities as the most important resources for producing positive educational change. © 2010 AERA.
• Gallego, M. A., Rueda, R., & Moll, L. C. (2005). Multilevel approaches to documenting change: Challenges in community-based educational research. Teachers College Record, 107(10), 2299-2325.
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  Abstract: Increasing availability of funds for development, design, and evaluation of alternative learning environments has challenged educational researchers to develop and validate innovative and effective interventions. The focus on accountability has resulted in an accelerated effort to record events, activities, and participation in substantive ways that suggest significance, statistical and otherwise, and that warrant further program improvements and modification. Yet, relying on traditional individual standardized measures - ones that are specifically designed to discriminate among students and that are better suited to the study of controlled experiments in laboratories rather than the sporadic and often spontaneous interactions common to learning settings in and out of school - leaves educational researchers generally ill equipped. Even as alternative educational programs are financially supported, the sanctioned means with which researchers and program developers document success of all educational programs have progressively narrowed, favoring traditional experimental designs with an emphasis on whether it works rather than on understanding why the program is successful. In this article, we used a multimethod, multilevel analysis to document the underlying dynamics of specific alternative learning contexts to identify generalizable principles while allowing for local variation. Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Moll, L. C., & Arnot-Hopffer, E. (2005). Sociocultural competence in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 56(3), 242-247.
• Moll, L. C. (2004). Rethinking Resistance. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 35(1), 126-131.
• González, N., & Moll, L. C. (2002). Cruzando el Puente: Building bridges to funds of knowledge. Educational Policy, 16(4), 623-641.
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  Abstract: What can be learned from the Puente experience about identifying and incorporating local funds of knowledge of Latino communities into precollege preparation? This article focuses on how Puente teachers and students can enhance their practice and mutual learning through ethnographic fieldwork in the students' home community. Through investigating the many local funds of knowledge that can be utilized to validate students' identities as knowledgeable individuals who can use such knowledge as a foundation for future learning, both teachers and students can engage in a critical pedagogy predicated on resources and not deficits.
• Moll, L. C., Sáez, R., & Dworin, J. (2001). Exploring biliteracy: Two student case examples of writing as a social practice. Elementary School Journal, 101(4), 434-449.
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  Abstract: This article addresses issues related to biliteracy development in children. It presents 2 case examples as illustrations, 1 of "incipient" biliteracy, obtained in a kindergarten classroom, and 1 of "instructed" biliteracy, obtained in a third-grade classroom. Both examples highlight how children use the social processes and cultural resources at hand to develop their literate competencies in Spanish and English. In addition, special challenges, such as the predominance of reductionist forms of schooling, and special resources, as found in "additive" circumstances for learning, are discussed in relation to the formation of biliteracy in classrooms.
• Rueda, R., Gallego, M. A., & Moll, L. C. (2000). The least restrictive environment: A place or a context?. Remedial and Special Education, 21(2), 70-78.
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  Abstract: One of the fundamental values built in to current special education practice is the notion of equity for students with disabilities. In a review regarding the least restrictive environment (LRE), Yell (1995) said, "LRE is a principle stating that students with disabilities are to be educated in settings as close to regular classes as appropriate for the child" (p. 193). Although almost all stakeholders agree with these goals in principle, there is significant and heated debate in the professional community about how to achieve these goals. Much of the discussion on LRE seems to reflect a specific place - a physical context such as the general education classroom. In this article, we draw on a sociocultural framework to propose an expanded view of LRE. Specifically, we argue that a focus on the physical setting is not the most appropriate unit of analysis. Rather, we suggest that the same placement or setting can be either facilitating or restrictive, depending on the social organization of specific activity settings that comprise a given context. A different view is provided by sociocultural theory, which proposes a unit of analysis that includes the individual in interaction with a specific activity setting.
• Jiménez, R. T., Moll, L. C., Rodríguez-Brown, F. V., & Barrera, R. B. (1999). Latina and Latino researchers interact on issues related to literacy learning. Reading Research Quarterly, 34(2), 217-230.
• Moll, L. C. (1997). The creation of mediating settings. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 4(3), 191-199.