Dr. Lorena Guillén

Biography

Lorena Guillén is a lecturer at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. Her research and teaching interests focus on partnerships within teacher education programs, emphasizing the role of students, families, and communities. Guillén is dedicated to modeling democratic and hierarchical teacher education frameworks, with a keen interest in community-based teacher education programs that facilitate social transformation. She particularly investigates pre-service teacher learning experiences, especially for teachers of color, and explores the conceptualization of teaching. Her work addresses the intersection of learning theories, critical pedagogies, and the historical context of schooling, with an aim to rethink curriculum and pedagogy in teacher education programs to include diverse epistemological theories and pedagogical frameworks. Guillén advocates for culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining pedagogies in K-12 classrooms, aiming to create inclusive teacher education environments.

Research Interests