Holding the Passport: Attitudes and Knowledge of Teacher Education Administrators and Supervisors Toward International Student Teaching

• In Event: Educational Innovation and Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning: Seeking Equity Through Policy and Practice

Abstract

Objectives: If we are to bring an imagined future to light that includes our teachers having international skills and knowledge, we must understand the current obstacles and opportunities in teacher education. This paper highlights results from a survey of teacher education administrators, specifically those in supervisory roles over student teaching, in regard to their attitudes and awareness of international student teaching regulations, opportunities, and value.
Theoretical Framework: This presentation uses a poststructural lens (Williams, 2005). A large system of rules and procedures go along with the process of student teaching. Such a structural approach prevents students from learning about other ways of knowing and doing education. This is especially the case in regard to the opportunity to student teach internationally which is directly governed by state and university policy, but also indirectly by the opinion held of the worthiness of such efforts by teacher education personnel. The inability to consider the validity of other pedagogical approaches suggests not only a lack of trust of the host country/institution’s teacher preparation methods, but an ethnocentrism on the part of U.S. teacher educators. The paper attempts to destabilize and uncover influences that have led to the current state of affairs by examining the attitudes of teacher education administrators.
Methods: The research involves survey methods (Fowler, 2009). The sample includes teacher education program administrators from various types of institutions around the United States. Research questions examine participants’ awareness regarding state rules towards international internship, availability of overseas internship opportunities at their institutions, and the degree to which they judge the international experience as useful to the institution, student and profession.
Data sources: Results from the surveys will be shared with the audience and they will have the opportunity to respond and question the data.
Results: The study is still in progress, thus results are not currently available. However, initial conversations with administrators which led to the current study suggests there is a wide variety of attitudes and understanding regarding international student teaching, especially in regard to various state laws which govern teacher education programs, and the overall value of the experience for students’ careers.
Scholarly Significance of the Study: In many cases, offices of student teaching or student teaching administrators have a great deal of contact and power when it comes to student teaching. They have the opportunity to communicate with students prior to student teaching regarding the availability of overseas options. If the office is not supportive, or at the very least, unaware of such opportunities, it may make it difficult, if not impossible, for a teacher education student to pursue an international internship. There currently exists no research that examines the point of view of this group of individuals. Therefore, findings from the current study have the potential to greatly inform our understanding of the obstacles and opportunities that present themselves at the administrative level in regard to international experiences.

Author

• Jennifer A. Mahon, University of Nevada - Reno