Preparation for Culturally Responsive Teaching in the United States During a Study Abroad Practicum in New Zealand

• In Event: Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Preservice Teachers and Teachers of Color

Abstract

This study asked 7 teacher candidates in one U.S. based teacher preparation program how they experienced a practicum experience high poverty schools with high numbers of linguistic and ethnic minority students in west Auckland during a semester long study abroad. All students felt that the study abroad practicum experience provided a real life experience where they could draw on and enact the theoretical knowledge acquired in their multicultural education course. However, some teacher candidates revealed unchallenged deficit thinking toward ethnic minority students in their expressions of knowing how to enact a culturally relevant pedagogy despite declarations of the importance of understanding issues related to student cultural identity, structural inequity, and enacting a culturally relevant pedagogy in their classroom.

Authors

• Erika Feinauer, Brigham Young University

• Erin Feinauer Whiting, Brigham Young University