Effective facets of a field experience that contributed to eight preservice teachers’ developing understandings about culturally responsive teaching

“This principle also mirrors sociocultural and situated learning theories as knowledge is socially constructed, shared, and recreated within a community of learners (Dewey, 1963; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Nasir & Hand, 2006; Rogoff, 1995; Vygotsky, 1978).”

“Member checking allowed for feedback from the participants (Stake, 1995) and provided credibility and descriptive validity (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2007).”

“Since Dewey (1933), it has been implied that critical reflection should be applied to teaching practices.”

“Constant comparison method expands and transforms throughout the process (Glaser, 1965).”

“It is necessary to look at current teaching methodology to reach culturally responsive teaching (Barksdale, & et al., 2002; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2009).”

“This principle also mirrors sociocultural and situated learning theories as knowledge is socially constructed, shared, and recreated within a community of learners (Dewey, 1963; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Nasir & Hand, 2006; Rogoff, 1995; Vygotsky, 1978).”

“Adams, Bondy, and Kuhel (2005) and Sleeter (2001) assert preservice teachers must reflect critically about experiences with students from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.”

“Multicultural education and culturally responsive pedagogy should become intertwined into curriculum throughout teacher education programs (Hill, 2009; Villegas & Lucas, 2002; Zeichner & Hoeft, 1996).”

“While the minority population increases in schools in the United States, without culturally responsive instruction, schools will continue to contribute to the marginalization of minority and lower socioeconomic populations (Kozol, 2005; Orfield, Frankenberg, &, Lee 2003; Rosenberg, 2003).”

“Therefore, I utilized the constant comparison methods of analysis of the data to discover the central themes and categories (Strauss & Corbin, 1990; Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007).”

“Some scholars encourage critical self-reflection and analysis to further generate sociocultural consciousness (Gay & Kirkland, 2003; LadsonBillings, 2000; Villegas & Lucas, 2002), and additional researchers emphasize cognitive dissonance (Lea & Sims, 2008; McFalls & Cobb-Roberts, 2001) as a way to…”

“According to Shor (1992), situated teaching centers on the problem-solving pedagogy and neglects a traditional curriculum by incorporating preservice teachers and elementary students’ culture.”

“However, critical thinking and reflection are necessary for teaching, in particular for culturally responsive teaching because one must possess an awareness of oneself and move beyond one’s own subjectivity to enhance students’ learning (Harford & MacRuairic, 2008; Howard, 2003).”

“Member checking allowed for feedback from the participants (Stake, 1995) and provided credibility and descriptive validity (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2007).”

“I identified categories conflating codes from the data and attributed meaning to these categories (Constas, 1992).”

“This principle also mirrors sociocultural and situated learning theories as knowledge is socially constructed, shared, and recreated within a community of learners (Dewey, 1963; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Nasir & Hand, 2006; Rogoff, 1995; Vygotsky, 1978).”

“The teaching population is still predominately middle class, English-speaking, and White and remains ill equipped to meet the needs of their students (Boutte, 2012; Castro, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2001, 2009; Sleeter, 2001, 2008).”

“Scholars have previously noted the significant impact of field experience on preservice teachers’ understandings about diversity but omitted specific aspects of field experience that produce more affirmative beliefs (Castro, 2010).”

“become experts as they increase their knowledge, skills, and understandings through immersion in sociocultural situations (Billet, 1996; Lave & Wenger, 1991).”

“Reflective practice plays a significant role in teaching and learning processes as Dewey (1933) emphasized the importance of integration of experiences with problem solving, reflection, and theory connected with practice (Harford & MacRuairc, 2008).”

“This endeavor is not easy but complex, and teacher education programs must provide multiple experiences and knowledge for preservice teachers to become successful, culturally responsive teachers (Bergeron, 2008; Milner, 2006).”

“…it is necessary to make direct connections from the course material to the field experience and scaffold critical reflection in attempt to achieve deeper understandings about culturally responsive teaching in preservice teachers (Fang & Ashley, 2004; Hedrick, McGee, & Mittag, 2000; Tang, 2003).”

“…teachers’ reflections, which were critical task questions they answered each week (see Appendix C), written field notes, and a reflexive journal that was maintained throughout the research to triangulate data and explore deeper interpretations (Alvesson & Sköldberg, 2004; Janesick, 1999).”

“The preservice teachers then experienced cognitive dissonance (Berlak, 2008; Lea & Sims, 2008; McFalls & Cobb-Roberts, 2001) but still failed to recognize other assumptions they possessed about the elementary students.”

“Teacher educators must find the best way to prepare their teachers to create meaningful curricula that develops from the culture and lives of students in their classrooms, otherwise culturally responsive (Bergeron, 2008).”

“Therefore, teachers often fail to meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, are not prepared to teach in lower socioeconomic areas, and fail to sustain their students’ cultural heritage (Banks, 2001; Delpit, 2003; Irvine, 2003; Richards, 2006; Sleeter, 2001).”

“their own and awareness of their own biases (Barton, 1999; Boyle-Baise, 2005; Sleeter, 2001).”

“Students and teachers continue to form stereotypes, misconceptions, assumptions, and negative attitudes about individuals from different ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds from their own (Banks, 2006a; Stephan & Stephan, 2004).”

“Consequently, an academic achievement gap between these populations and white middle class students lingers and possibly could be widening (Boutte, 2012; Richards, 2006; Sanchez, 2005).”

“Many teachers lack experiences with students from ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds different than their own, yet they will instruct these students (Lazar, 2007; Mysore, Lincoln, & Wavering, 2006; Ukpokodu, 2003).”

“Sleeter (2001) contends field experience needs to be connected to university coursework, and additional scholars suggested university course content does not always become implemented into the field experience (Adams, Bondy, & Kuhel, 2005; Fang & Ashley, 2004).”

“Through shared interactions, they increase their cultural sensitivity and awareness and develop heightened empathy toward individuals from backgrounds different than their own (Cordero & Rodriguez, 2009; Nero, 2009; Robinson, Wolffe, Hunt, & Hoerr, 2002).”

“The purpose of multicultural education is to encourage equality in schools and educational institutions through the elimination of stereotypes and creation of tolerance and unity (Leistyna, 2002).”

“Many teachers lack experiences with students from ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds different than their own, yet they will instruct these students (Lazar, 2007; Mysore, Lincoln, & Wavering, 2006; Ukpokodu, 2003).”

“These teachers often have low expectations for academic abilities, hold misconceptions, possess negative attitudes, and have unconscious preconceptions about their students (Banks, 2006b; Castro, 2010; Lazar, 2007; Song, 2006).”

“Partnerships between the community and university offer beneficial opportunities and transformative experiences for all stakeholders (Anyon & Fernandez, 2007).”

“Through shared interactions, they increase their cultural sensitivity and awareness and develop heightened empathy toward individuals from backgrounds different than their own (Cordero & Rodriguez, 2009; Nero, 2009; Robinson, Wolffe, Hunt, & Hoerr, 2002).”

“Multicultural education and culturally responsive pedagogy should become intertwined into curriculum throughout teacher education programs (Hill, 2009; Villegas & Lucas, 2002; Zeichner & Hoeft, 1996).”

“their own and awareness of their own biases (Barton, 1999; Boyle-Baise, 2005; Sleeter, 2001).”

“While the minority population increases in schools in the United States, without culturally responsive instruction, schools will continue to contribute to the marginalization of minority and lower socioeconomic populations (Kozol, 2005; Orfield, Frankenberg, &, Lee 2003; Rosenberg, 2003).”

“The outcome of more culturally responsive classrooms could be substantial achievement gains for the urban students who are often disenfranchised and left to fail (Bennett, 2012; Eisenhart & Cutts-Dougherty, 1991; Erickson, 2010; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 2009).”

“In these classrooms, community building is important, as are building empathy and understanding (Bennett, 2012).”

“We also reviewed studies in which PTs chose diverse children’s literature to read with students (Bennett, 2012; Cobb, 2005; Moore-Hart, 2002; Nathanson-Mejı́a & Escamilla, 2003).”

“As Bennett (2012) recommended, integrating case studies as one-on-one student–teacher interaction and scaffolding critical reflection for preservice teachers during their field experience will assist in the in-depth understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy.”

“We support the recommendation by Bennett (2012) that multicultural learning should be integrated and consistently reinforced throughout preservice teacher education programs.”

“…of Prospective Preschool Teachers in Predominantly Muslim Country to provide quality education for students who have ethnically, linguistically, ideologically, historically, politically, and economically different perspectives (Bennett, 2012; Harriott & Martin, 2004; Trumbell, & Pacheco, 2006).”

“A number of socially transformative implications of connecting teacher education with urban schools and communities have been documented, including building trust with local communities (Murrell, 2001; Noel, 2010; Reed, 2004) and preparing culturally responsive future teachers (Bennett, 2013; Stairs & Friedman, 2013).”

“For instance, in education this may include embedding understandings from students’ backgrounds into education curricula so that individuals benefit from learning about their own cultural identity and an increased self-awareness (Bennett 2013; Shevalier and McKenzie 2012; Sleeter 2012).”

“develop a positive sense of themselves as teachers (Ronfeldt & Grossman, 2008), grow in their understanding of theory and practice (Kelley, Hart, & King, 2007), cultivate additive perspectives toward students from diverse backgrounds (Castro, 2010), and develop caring relationships with students (Bennet, 2012).”

“Therefore, scaffolding in-depth conversations and discussions (Bennett, 2013; Delano-Oriaran, 2012), and structured written reflections are necessary for PSTs.”

“Bennett (2013) investigated eight pre-service teachers‟ understandings about culturally responsive pedagogy as they tutored children in writing from different ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in an after school program at a local community center.”

“The expertise required of these teachers is extensive (Bennett, 2013; Lucas & Villegas, 2013; Wong-Fillmore & Snow, 2005).”

“, 2000; Choi & ChepyatorThomson, 2011) and affirming diversity (Bennett, 2012; Castro, 2010).”

“Internationalisation efforts in teacher education at home have increasingly integrated the intercultural dimension into modules such as multicultural education, multicultural issues, and culturally responsive pedagogy (Bennett 2013; Bowles 2011).”

“Further, culturally responsive teaching is developed through reflection and direct interaction with students from diverse backgrounds (e.g., Bennett, 2012; Savage & Cox, 2013; Thompson & Cuseo, 2012).”

“(pp. 9-18) 4 Bennett (2012) Empirical; TE; field experience focus; elementary; 35 prospective teacher participants (all white, English-speaking, middle class, 18-24); CRP COMPONENTS / CHARACTERISTICS of CRP contributing to our framework: The 5 dimensions of multicultural education (taken from…”

“…being taught in teacher education programs (and in what ways the instruction is being delivered) to evaluate how those programs might implement equity lenses in ways that go beyond mission statements of diversity and inclusion (Bennett, 2012; Elwick, 2020; Sleeter, 2001; Wilson et al., 2012).”

“These approaches can be effective in developing student-teachers’ knowledge and skills in teaching for a global and multicultural context if they are supported by relevant learning content and guided critical reflection (Addleman et al. 2014; Bennett 2012; L. Guo 2014; Li and Costa, 2020).”

“However, Bennett (2012) emphasizes the need for a comprehensive strategy to equip preservice teachers with essential skills and insights.”

“Field experiences that allow preservice teachers to interact regularly with students positively impact their growth as educators (Bennett, 2013), and field experiences that immerse future teachers in schools with diverse populations allow them to better apply what they learn about culturally…”

“And teachers’ readiness to adopt inclusive teaching practices requires sufficient evolution in understanding (Bennett 2013; Hoy, Hoy, and Davis 2009), as it is not simply a set of practices but a ‘disposition’ (Comstock et al. 2023) or orientation to teaching.”

“Additionally, PSTs’ empathy and cross-cultural understanding have been demonstrated to be enhanced by immersive field experiences (Bauml et al. 2016; Bennett 2012).”

“Documenting conceptions of CRI among a range of practicing teachers is useful for informing how best to design professional learning opportunities that accompany calls for CRI in policy (Bennett, 2013; Parker et al., 2017).”

“Previous studies have explored prospective teachers ’ questioning strategies by analyzing their interactions in mathematics lessons or during interviews with students (Bennett, 2013; Gaspard & Gainsburg, 2020; Henning & Lockhart, 2003; Moyer & Milewicz, 2002; Nilssen et al., 1995).”

“…to similar conclusions with programs providing their students with limited instruction, guidance, and critical reflection during field experiences (Bennett, 2013; Conway et al., 2007; Hollins, 2011; Tiezzi & Cross, 1997) and advocate for major transformations in providing more quality experiences…”

“Unfortunately, however, multiculturalism has not yet become the core principle of teaching, learning, policy, climate, leadership, and evaluation (Banks, 1994; S.V. Bennett, 2013; Gay, 2004; Grant & Gomez, 2000).”

“59 In a similar study, conducted by Morton and Bennett (2010), 39 preservice teachers participated in a service learning project at a charter school that serves lower income and diverse student populations.”

“…teacher candidates’ capacity to participate in and learn from critical reflection, one component of praxis, has been identified as an effective facet of practitioner experiences (Bennett, 2013) and as an effective practice in developing higher levels of professional maturity (Wait & Warren, 2002).”

“Although all teachers should be prepared to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students, it takes time for PSTs to build confidence in working with students who have different backgrounds from their own (Bennett, 2013).”