Preservice Teachers Constructing Personal Understandings About Culture
Abstract
Advocating for learners includes empowering them to uncover insights on their learning. As preservice teachers in a reading/language arts block explore culture through children's literature, they are encouraged to grapple with understandings of their own perceptions of culture and multicultural education. Data sources analyzed were student responses in journal entries, taped transcribed small group discussions, reflections on a multicultural unit, and mid-term and final reflections on personal learning within the course. The findings represent issues with which preservice teachers struggle as they respond to experiences with children's literature and class discussions around issues of diversity.
Reference
Mathis, J. B. (1999). Preservice Teachers Constructing Personal Understandings About Culture. Yearbook of the College Reading Association, 21, 227-235.
Journal
Yearbook of the College Reading Association
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
- Southwestern United States
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Children's Literature Course
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
5
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Audio recordings
- fieldnotes
- literacy memoir
- literature response logs
- Transcriptions
Data Analysis Tools
- Case study analysis
- coding (emergent categories)
- Constant comparative analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
What new insights into culture and diversity do students construct (in this course)? and What role does literature play in these new insights?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination