This session focuses on how strengthening cultural identity in bilingual learners promotes resilience, agency, and self-efficacy. The presenter discusses how tapping into students' cultural wealth from their Hawaiian and Hispanic backgrounds can help maximize cultural identity and support literacy development. Cultural identity is paramount to students' sense of self and ability to develop life skills. When educators acknowledge students' cultural backgrounds, it opens opportunities for sociocultural learning and agency. Overall, cultural identity plays a significant role in students' self-efficacy and ability to make sense of the world.

1. Highlighting Bilingual Learners’ Resiliency:
Strengthening Cultural Identity As A Means for
Promoting Agency and Self-Efficacy
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER
UTRGV
National Social Science Association Conference 2020
Virtual
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 1

2. Description of
session
This session will focus on bilingual
learners’ resiliency and the
importance of strengthening cultural
identity to promote agency and self-
efficacy. The undisputable and
significant impact of our funds of
knowledge and cultural wealth need
to be viewed as an asset upon which
to build agency and empowerment
across diverse cultures – in particular
this session will focus on the Hawaiian
and Hispanic cultures in our
multicultural world.
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 2

3. Parallels There are many parallels that exist between the Hawaiian and
Hispanic cultures, language and literacy and how students use these
components to develop cultural identity, agency and self-efficacy.
Taping into the cultural wealth to maximize cultural identity, self-
efficacy and self-agency.
Focus should be on educating and informing all stakeholders
regarding the unique attributes and influence of culture in
supporting cultural identity to further promote agency and self-
efficacy.
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 3

4. Definition of
culture
Understanding Culture
“Culture is always a collective
phenomenon, because it is at least
partly shared with people who live
or lived within the same social
environment, which is where it was
learned. Culture consists of the
unwritten rules of the social game.
It is the collective programming of
the mind that distinguishes the
members of one group or category
of people from others” (Hofstede
and Hofstede, 2005, p. 4).
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 4

5. Significance in
Developing
Cultural Identity
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 5
Cultural Identity is paramount
to one’s sense of self and how
we relate to others.
Our cultural identity is a
means for promoting one’s
agency and self-efficacy.

6. DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 6
Self-Efficacy
Beliefs
(Albert Bandura, 1977)
Vicarious
Learning
Performance
Accomplishment
Verbal
Encouragement
Emotional
States

7. Definition of Agency and Self-Efficacy
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 7
Self-efficacy is one’s belief in our ability to perform certain behaviors necessary for specific
performance achievements (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997).
Self-efficacy relates to one’s confidence in our abilities that may be influenced by environmental
circumstances, behavioral aptitudes and motivation.
Agency is one's ability to deal with a task or situation.
Agency is influenced by the belief in one’s ability to perform specific tasks, self-efficacy, as well as by
one's actual skill and ability.

8. In order to succeed,
people need a sense
of self-efficacy to
struggle together with
resilience to meet the
inevitable obstacles
and inequities in life.
~Albert Bandura, 1977~
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 8

9. DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 9

10. What impact
does culture
have on our
identity?
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 10

11. DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 11
Cultural
Identity
Promotes
Self-Efficacy
and Agency
Hawaiian
Culture
Hispanic
Culture

12. So what role does culture
play in supporting self-
efficacy and fostering
agency?
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 12

13. Cultural identity
is responsible for
how we develop
our life literacies.
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 13

14. Cultural
Identity
Promotes
Agency and
Self-Efficacy
in
Developing
Literacy
Awareness of students' cultural backgrounds opens the
possibility of sociocultural literacy.
"The work of sociocultural theory is to explain how individual
mental functioning is related to cultural, institutional, and
historical context; hence, the focus of the sociocultural
perspective is on the roles that participation in social interactions
and culturally organized activities play in influencing
psychological development" (Rezaee, et al. 2011, p. 1).
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 14

15. So what role does
culture play on
supporting self-
efficacy and
fostering agency?
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 15

16. /
Everything…
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER, NSSA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2020 16
Everything…it is part of our world and shapes how we learn. Our
experiences are closely tied to our culture. Our cultural wealth affects our
literacy development and dictates how we make sense of the world. It
forms our identity.
As such, culture identity plays a significant and pivotal role in our self-
efficacy, agency and in all aspects of our life.