Developing Culturally Relevant Instructional Competence: Student Teaching Abroad Research in Six International Settings

• In Event: 16.059 - Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: 16.059-11 - Expanding Global Perspectives

Abstract

U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) face the challenge of providing students with culturally relevant experiences to prepare them for the multicultural and multilingual professional environments in which they will engage. Student teaching abroad programs represent one approach to address this challenge. This study utilizes qualitative and quantitative data collected over an eight-year period (2006-2014) to focus on the cultural, professional and character development influences on student teachers abroad, presenting analyses of the common and country-specific patterns of development associated with six international contexts. Findings indicate that student teaching abroad can serve as a substantive step in helping IHEs to develop prospective teachers who embrace and embody culturally relevant values and instructional behaviors.

Authors

• Binbin Jiang, Kennesaw State University

• Robert A. Devillar, Kennesaw State University