January 2022

Chris Chang-Bacon, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia School of Education, has been named this year’s recipient of the TIRF James E. Alatis Prize for his 2021 Educational Researcher article “Generation Interrupted: Rethinking ‘Students with Interrupted Formal Education’ (SIFE) in the Wake of a Pandemic” (Educational Researcher, Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 187–196).

The James E. Alatis Prize for Research in Language Policy and Planning in Educational Contexts is awarded annually by The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF) to recognize an outstanding article or chapter published in English that addresses some aspect of language policy or planning in education. TIRF seeks to influence the formation and implementation of language education policies, recognizing the importance of indigenous languages and cultures and of English as an international language.

Chang-Bacon’s research focuses on equity in multilingual and multicultural contexts. He studies how teachers interpret education policy, particularly in ESL, dual-language, and bilingual education contexts. His work also examines the impact of critical literacy and anti-oppressive pedagogies in teacher education. Before earning his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Boston College, he taught ESL in Massachusetts and South Korea and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. As an AERA member, he has received awards from the Language and Social Processes SIG, the Bilingual Education Research SIG, and the Paulo Freire SIG.

Upon being notified about receiving the prize, Chang-Bacon said, “This has been such an extremely difficult year for teachers and students alike as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope my article sheds light on some ways we might engage these challenges as well as reaffirming the incredible work that teachers and their students have done.”  

Individuals interested in reading Chang-Bacon’s article, ungated, may do so by clicking here.