The need to do more: Promoting multiple perspectives in preservice teacher education through children’s literature

Abstract

Many preservice teachers come into teacher preparation programs with culturally insular perspectives and do not experience the cognitive dissonance necessary to reexamine their cultural beliefs. This study describes how we created a context within which 115 undergraduate students participated in literature studies, drama, and reflective writing in order to view critical textual incidents and contexts from multiple perspectives. This study (a) describes in-role simulations used in a literature study to encourage preservice teachers to reexamine cultural beliefs, and (b) analyzes the themes of the internal reflections preservice teachers have made as a result of this experience.

Reference

Brindley, R., & Laframboise, K. L. (2002). The need to do more: Promoting multiple perspectives in preservice teacher education through children's literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(4), 405-420.

Journal

Teaching and Teacher Education

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

"longitudinal": across varying classes over time
Drama-Based
Narrative Inquiry
Phenomenological
Qualitiative
Rosenblatt’s (1978) transactional theory

Geographic Setting

Southeastern United States

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Elementary
K-12 ESOL

Programatic Focus

culturally relevant pedagogy
Diversity
Elementary
ESOL
Multicultural

Research Location Context

Children's Literature Course
University

Preservice Participants

undergraduate preservice teachers

Preservice Sample Size

115

Duration of Data Collection

3 years

Data Sources

anecdotal notes
artifacts
assignments
written responses

Data Analysis Tools

Thematic analysis

Researcher Positionality

not stated

Research Questions

How can, "in-role simulations used in a literature study encourage preservice teachers to reexamine cultural beliefs?"
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination